LARGE Sump ideas....

mseepman · #1 07-30-2010, 04:51 AM

You should try talking to Jay (the tank builder from Elite) He does some pretty thorough sumps that really look like they flow well from chamber to chamber. Maybe someone could post a pic from the sumps on the floor at Elite to give an idea. I would take a pic of the one he built me but it's not ready until later in August.

fkshiu · #2 07-30-2010, 04:57 AM

Ever consider one of those massive Rubbermaid stock tanks or troughs? Although they're usually used to house koi in aquarium applications I have seen several sump examples.

whatcaneyedo · #3 07-30-2010, 04:58 AM

I like my 140gal stock trough with everything basically thrown in. Its not very efficient in terms of directing water from the overflow through the filters but it is very easy to work with and didn't cost much.

Chaloupa · #4 07-30-2010, 05:03 AM

Thank you all for the input.

I do want to have a glass sump....I want it to be viewable by customers so that they can better understand what a sump does....but I want it to be functional..that's all. No huge refugium or anything, just big and functional. So I think we'll just go simple and "safe". Was hoping to get a few pics of others sumps...but.......

Oh, and the tank is located in my store...so real estate is still at a premium!!! Must look good, even though it will be in a cabinet.....it will be made to look good, be functional and hide all the junk!!

ElGuappo · #5 07-30-2010, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaloupa

Thank you all for the input.

I do want to have a glass sump....I want it to be viewable by customers so that they can better understand what a sump does....but I want it to be functional..that's all. No huge refugium or anything, just big and functional.

Oh, and the tank is located in my store...so real estate is still at a premium!!! Must look good, even though it will be in a cabinet.....it will be made to look good, be functional and hide all the junk!!

IMO the fuge is the only functional part of a sump... everything else is just added on for function. (ie Reactors etc).. i would have 3 chambers.. inlet, fuge and return.. the inlet section would be big enough to house my skimmer and what ever else i wanted to add that needed a pump for operation....return would house return pump and probes and other small extras (no pump required. for the reason of micro bubbles)

If i had a shop and was doing this i would have the center of the sump viewble and a have a wicked fuge for customers to view... lots of different macro and do some small inverts like pompom crabs and sexy shrimp.. i have aways wanted to do somthing like this but just dont have the room..

just an idea that i think could work out great for a store..

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #6 07-30-2010, 06:54 AM

That's how I build my sumps. One big skimmer box section for downflow from display, water overflows into big refugium section, then goes under another baffle to a small return pump section. If the sump is 4', then I would go 18" for skimmer box, 2' for the refugium section & 6" for the return pump section (or have skimmer box & fuge same size - 21"). Only 2 baffles needed and lots of room for everything. You can add some egg crate or mesh to cover under the second baffle to keep small inverts and such from crawling into the return pump. I grow Prolifera and chaeto in mine, with lots of extra rubble and even a removable deep sand bed in a tupperware container (about 7" deep).

Chaloupa · #7 07-30-2010, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

That's how I build my sumps. One big skimmer box section for downflow from display, water overflows into big refugium section, then goes under another baffle to a small return pump section. If the sump is 4', then I would go 18" for skimmer box, 2' for the refugium section & 6" for the return pump section (or have skimmer box & fuge same size - 21"). Only 2 baffles needed and lots of room for everything. You can add some egg crate or mesh to cover under the second baffle to keep small inverts and such from crawling into the return pump. I grow Prolifera and chaeto in mine, with lots of extra rubble and even a removable deep sand bed in a tupperware container (about 7" deep).

Hey Anthony! Any chance you have a pic...I can visualize it better that way.

AND...I think I may be leaning to a refugium as El Guappo suggested. It could be a very interesting place for kids and grownups alike to view crabs etc as suggested....

scherzo · #8 07-30-2010, 01:50 PM

I just finished (well almost finished) an unfortunately sized sump. It was to have as much of it viewable as possible so I wanted to have most of the front of the tank as a fuge.

The sump is 48"W X 16"D X 24.5" High. NOT an ideal sump size. (height and depth aren't great) - 75-80 gallonish.

I'll try and post some pictures later but it is basically like Melev's large sump.
(http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/s.../80g_sump.html) - his 80 gallon sump.

So in the first pic you'll see the drain section and on the right you have the fuge. The return section is in the back. The only thing different on mine is that the water flows from the fuge back into the bubble trap between the drain/skimmer section and the fuge.

This allows me to have a really really tall fuge section (full height of the tank) and then have it fall into the 12" high skimmer/ return section. I couldn't make the skimmer/drain section too high because of the operational high for skimmers and that I have a height limitation in my stand (as we all do). I'll have to use a stand for my skimmer.

Once again. so water volumes for me are roughly:
40 gallon fuge section
6 gallon return section
11 gallon skimmer/drain section

This is for a 90 gallon tank.