Need help with sump/fuge

[Ruth]

Well I have sold my 44g cube so it looks like I am a step closer to setting up my 300g cube.
I need some help in designing a sump/fuge for this thing. I am thinking maybe 3' X 3' but other than that don't really have too much of a clue.
Also if there is anyone out there that would be interested in building this baby for me please let me know. I think I want it built out of acrylic for the weight and ease of drilling if I decide to change setup down the road.
I just know that some of you DIY wizards will be able to come up with something for me.

[Willow]

hey ruth, i really like the design of this sump, it looks like it has everything you could ever want out of a sump.

http://www.melevsreef.com/dfwmas/plin/115g_sump.html

[Ruth]

That looks like a pretty good design Willow. Anyone out there that might be able to build something like this?

[Willow]

callum in surrey is starting to build sumps and i think kari in calgary works with acrylic as well.

[TheReefGeek]

Couple considerations for a sump:

1. Skimmer footprint - make sure your skimmer section can hold your desired skimmer

2. Return section - make this small enough so that your display tank can take the extra water volume if your drain lines stop working

3. Fuge - Water flow management, carefull planning required to get the desired gph and direction of water flow

4. If you are using auto top off, prepare for that in the return section

5. Probe holders in desired locations

6. Drainability - for water changes, you might want to install a bulkhead system down load that will allow you to completely drain the sump or at least section of it, to assist in water changes.

[Kabong]

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

2. Return section - make this small enough so that your display tank can take the extra water volume if your drain lines stop working .

This is only a good idea if your gonna be using an auto topoff.
Otherwise your just going to end up manualy topping it up all the time.
So your pump doesnt run dry.

[TheReefGeek]

Very true. I would think a 300g display tank would have an auto-top off system.

I have played around a LOT with aut top off systems. And the conclusion that I have finally come to is that the system that works best for me is:

1. Get a sprinkler solenoid from the hardware store, install on tap that feeds RODI, use a splitter with valves if this is shared with a washer, as mine is.

2. Plug the sprinker solenoid into a timer

3. Wait a set period of time (say 1 day) and measure evaporation. Then turn on the timer and figure out how long the RODI takes to fill the sump back up to desired level. If the time is 3 hours, then set the timer for just shy of that

4. Evaporation changes a little with the seasons and changes to your setup, but now your tank fills up almost to what it evaporates per day. What I do is when I see the tank a little low, I just advance the timer so the RODI click on, and leave it. I have to advance the timer maybe once a week, and I don't have to worry about float valves failing or anything. And the sprinkler solenoid is close when there is no power to it.

Sometimes the simplest way is the best.... For redundancy you could setup 2 timers in case one fails.

[Willow]

jebus... over engineering. try an abs float valve to a garbage can full of ro water and your done.

[TheReefGeek]

try an abs float valve to a garbage can full of ro water and your done

I have tried this exact setup, and had it fail horribly and flood.

[TheReefGeek]

And that is not an auto top off unless you run the RODI into your tank not a garbage can.

When your distance from RODI unit to destination is too great, there is not enough pressure build up in the line to trigger the hydraulic valve (which you didn't mention, and if you don't have, then your waste water production NEVER stops!) to shut down the RODI unit. This is why drinking water systems use pressure bladders to build up the required pressure.

Also relying on a single float valve builds in no redundancy for when it clogs and fails open.