Please critique this sump design

[abdhalim2]

i think this is much better for the A-1 drawing....but for B-1, i would make the refugium space much bigger than the skimmer.....JMO

 

[NickRummy]

i think this is much better for the A-1 drawing....but for B-1, i would make the refugium space much bigger than the skimmer.....JMO

I wish I could but unfortunately that's how much room the skimmer takes up......

 

[mr_X]

cmor, yes, if you have an ATO that tops off regularly, then you won't see the bubbles.
nick- you'll need an auto top off as well.
you don't have to worry about your drain clogging up. i've never seen that happen.
your sump will hold whatever drains from the display if you have the return line just under the water surface, or have a hole drilled in it just under the water surface in the display. otherwise, it will drain the DT down until the return line starts sucking air and breaks siphon. this might be 4 inches of water or more depending on how you have it set up.

 

[NickRummy]

Ok. I'm planning on making one of those standpipes with the elbow to keep it quiet. If my return pump stops then the water line is going to stop at the top of the overflow that's built into the tank right?

 

[mr_X]

yes, but you also have to consider the return. in the event of a power outage it will back siphon.

 

[NickRummy]

Ok I see. I didn't read your last reply correctly. I see now you said return line so if some reason (which I won't) I had a return exiting half way down the tank it would siphon all the way until that siphon was broke. So key is to keep the outputs from the return towards the top of the water or possibly use a check valve for safety?

 

[mr_X]

don't rely on a check valve. a little bit of algae, slime, snail shell, sponge...whatever will stop it from sealing.
the best way i know is to drill a small hole in the return just below the water line inside the tank. most of the flow will still come out the end and you'll be able to direct it wherever, and it will suck air almost immediately.

 

[David S]

I would suggest drilling 2 holes either side of the pipe just in case a snail covers one.

 

[NickRummy]

I will definitely do the 2-hole setup to play it safe. I stopped in a LFS and got a couple bulkheads. I thought I could make them work but they seem to be pretty oddball. I found another much larger shop about 30 minutes from work I'm going to go check out at lunch break. I'm hoping they have something better. Then I'm gathering up all my stuff and heading to Lowe' s to get what I need.

 

[mr_X]

nick. don't get crazy thinking about the thickness of the pvc, just get whatever is available like Jsoong said on your other thread.

 

[SAAVE853]

don't rely on a check valve. a little bit of algae, slime, snail shell, sponge...whatever will stop it from sealing.
the best way i know is to drill a small hole in the return just below the water line inside the tank. most of the flow will still come out the end and you'll be able to direct it wherever, and it will suck air almost immediately.

+1