sump questions

[Jarrett]

So basically my tank is a massacre, i believe the sump i bought was built wrong so i have a couple questions, i have alot of microbubbles in my tank and i cant get rid of it tried every possible problem and its no leaks or anything like that, so i narrowed it down to my pump being to strong or the design of my sump is bad. can anyone explain to me the proper way a basic sump is suppose to be set up the way this one is set up is one baffle seperates the protein skimmer and the filter sock (which deff is built wrong because their is hardly any room for the protein skimmer) then it flows into the refugium and then over a bubble trap into the return pump section which is bigger then the section the protein skimmer is in. Now i did have this reversed with the protein skimmer and the filter sock flowing in the larger section then straight over the bubble trap but that way the bubbles were worst. its a 20 gallon long sump on a 75 gallon tank any input would be awesome please.

 

[David S]

Put a photo up of it for us to look at!

 

[RJT]

If the return pump area water level is stable then it is not your return pump

 

[Jarrett]

What do you mean is stable ?

 

[Jarrett]

And why can't the return pump be a prob u don't think its wrong that I have a overflow rated for 600 gph and I Am pushing 950gph I don't see why the pump isn't the prob if I y

 

[Jarrett]

If I get a smaller pump won't that mean my flow in my sump will slow up and the force from the water coming into my sump won't be as harsh hence creating less bubbles because the bubbles are created from the water coming into my sump I can see all of them coming out of my filter sock

 

[FTMMWS]

And why can't the return pump be a prob u don't think its wrong that I have a overflow rated for 600 gph and I Am pushing 950gph I don't see why the pump isn't the prob if I y

You have to remember headloss ..like said ,if your sump level is stable then your in and out is fine..

 

[RJT]

Stable means the water in the return pump section does not empty out.

The return pump does not affect the amount of water coming into the sump. The gravity from the drain pipe controls how much water enters the sump.

Head loss (the amount of feet from the return pump to the return outlet into the tank) does not allow the full 900+ gph to enter into the overflow.

 

[FTMMWS]

Stable means the water in the return pump section does not empty out.

The return pump does not affect the amount of water coming into the sump. The gravity from the drain pipe controls how much water enters the sump.

Head loss (the amount of feet from the return pump to the return outlet into the tank) does not allow the full 900+ gph to enter into the overflow.

Also,its a good idea to have ball valves on your plumbing to control the flow both ways ..

 

[David S]

Stable means the water in the return pump section does not empty out.

The return pump does not affect the amount of water coming into the sump. The gravity from the drain pipe controls how much water enters the sump.

Yes the pump does affect the amount of water,as long as you have setup the correct pump and overflow together.If you pump 500g/h to the dt you will get 500g/h to the sump.

Head loss (the amount of feet from the return pump to the return outlet into the tank) does not allow the full 900+ gph to enter into the overflow.

Also,its a good idea to have ball valves on your plumbing to control the flow both ways ..

Dont ever put a valve in the overflow pipework,only in the return pump pipework.

Also the baffles in your sump need to be the correct distance apart,if the distance is to small the force of flow will drag bubbles through the baffles,when the distance is larger the flow rate drops but the amount of water going through is the same,this is why I keep asking you to post some photo's

 

[rdnelson99]

What spacing should there be on the baffles David? I will be building a sump in a week or two and that would be great info to have.

 

[David S]

I would go with at least an inch between the baffles,also the first baffle needs the gap at the bottom then over the next and then below the third,this is because bubbles float to the surface of the water so this will help eliminate the chace of them going through the baffles.Having the baffles setup this is also a benefit when they are the last section before the return pump section because the water entering the return pump section doesn't cascade over the last baffles causing bubbles but enters below the baffle eliminating any bubbles.
Hope this helps.

 

[RJT]

I built a sump last month. As David S says at least 1 inch is required between the first two baffles. This first baffle controls if you have bubbles in the rest of the sump.

 

[FTMMWS]

I have ball valves on both..I close my overflow one every time i clean my screen....been doing it for years....
Why is it bad?

 

[leftyfish]

I have ball valves on both..I close my overflow one every time i clean my screen....been doing it for years....
Why is it bad?

If a creature gets stuck in your overflow ball valve, without a backup emergency overflow pipe, tank overflows correct? At least to the point where the sump empties and your pump runs out of water.

 

[leftyfish]

So basically my tank is a massacre, i believe the sump i bought was built wrong so i have a couple questions, i have alot of microbubbles in my tank and i cant get rid of it tried every possible problem and its no leaks or anything like that, so i narrowed it down to my pump being to strong or the design of my sump is bad. can anyone explain to me the proper way a basic sump is suppose to be set up the way this one is set up is one baffle seperates the protein skimmer and the filter sock (which deff is built wrong because their is hardly any room for the protein skimmer) then it flows into the refugium and then over a bubble trap into the return pump section which is bigger then the section the protein skimmer is in. Now i did have this reversed with the protein skimmer and the filter sock flowing in the larger section then straight over the bubble trap but that way the bubbles were worst. its a 20 gallon long sump on a 75 gallon tank any input would be awesome please.

Are you sure the micro bubbles are not coming from the protein skimmer? Did you try a sponge cover over the return pump to help? Can you post a pic of the sump area?

 

[rdnelson99]

I would go with at least an inch between the baffles,also the first baffle needs the gap at the bottom then over the next and then below the third,this is because bubbles float to the surface of the water so this will help eliminate the chace of them going through the baffles.Having the baffles setup this is also a benefit when they are the last section before the return pump section because the water entering the return pump section doesn't cascade over the last baffles causing bubbles but enters below the baffle eliminating any bubbles.
Hope this helps.

So if I am understanding this correctly, the first set of baffles has three but you are saying the second set has four? That way water cascades of the first baffle, under the second, over the third and under the fourth. Correct? While I have not looked to close in I thought most I have seen only had three.

 

[David S]

No sorry I didn't explain that well,just 1 set of baffles,but you can use them at either end of your sump.Just 3 pieces of glass/acrylic- under the first over the second and under the third

 

[rdnelson99]

No sorry I didn't explain that well,just 1 set of baffles,but you can use them at either end of your sump.Just 3 pieces of glass/acrylic- under the first over the second and under the third

10/4 That is what I thought. LOL

 

[Jarrett]

wait david isnt it over the first under the second then over the third. im pretty sure thats how the bubble trap is because isnt the middle piece of the bubble trap 1 inch off the bottom?