Sump design?

[Wilty]

Personaly I like having the fuge in the middle of my sump, but it is a pain cleaning the intake of my return pump every week or 2. I could fix it but that would mean more baffles.

What are you cleaning? caulerpa that has been sucked up against it? I notice that no one has any foam pads or bio balls in their setups. . . I can understand the lack of foam due to it getting clogged but bio balls?

And can you tell me the reason for the piping from you main pump returning to the 'over flow return area' I don't see a valve. If it is wide open, how is water going to the tank? Wouldn't most of the water stay in the sump?