Help with sump design

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by Nano

yes most good skimmers are around 8"x8" foot print, for a small system, I'm not sure what your going with or your system size, but its always good to have a larger skimmer section then needed, i made the mistake of having too small of one and wanted a bigger skimmer but couldnt.

as for evaporation, if you install an ATO you wont have this problem, it will only fluctuate about an inch or so. thus keeping salinity pretty stable.

depending on who you talk to for baffles you may be able to get them pretty cheap, I know my sump cost about $30 or so to build with 3 baffles, Denny may have some garbage glass kicking around concept might be worth a phone call.

My system is going to be a 70 gallon (40"x20"x20"; not the typical size :P). So maybe I should keep a 10" area (10"x12") for the skimmer? That's gonna be bulletproof right?

Yap ATO will be there. So the floatswitch and freshwater topoff should go to the return section right?

Yap I will talk with Denny when I pick up the tank.

[Nano]

ya float goes in the return, I put the hose from my ATO in the inlet though so it mixes it bit before getting to the display.

that should be a good size return, I know the skimz sk181 skimmer is about 8"x8" and rated at I think 180g? (dont quote me on that) but the way you stock you'll want a heavy duty skimmer

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by Nano

but the way you stock you'll want a heavy duty skimmer

Oh man I was afraid someone's gonna catch me to that

Thanks Ken for the inputs

Oh two more questions: how high should I maintain the inlet water level? And should the inlet pipe be above or submerged into the water?

[denny_CC]

can do alot with little room, doesnt leave a whole lot of room for water to come back down in a power failure.

[subman]

good looking sump Denny but a 1 gal ato tank is almost useless

[denny_CC]

Originally Posted by subman

good looking sump Denny but a 1 gal ato tank is almost useless

yeah me personally dont like ato chambers under the tank its too hard filling them and theyre not all that big theres better uses for space as an external resevoir is simple enough.

with my 75g cube , beananimal coast to coast i have a 5g resevoir that lasts 4 days before filling, my 90g used 5g a day lol