"double" sump idea

[mastershake]

Ok, so heres my thinking, ive got an amiracle mudd filter, i was thinking if i have the return from that go into another ten gallon tank that i could set up behind my tank on a table of some sort, sincei have the space,i could A, put more sand and such and have a bigger fuge attached, so it would be like two, or i could use it just as a place to put all my equipment, or whatever, then i could make that go to the main tank, this would reduce the head hight so the pumps qwould be able to pump faster, and more effiecently as well,

Any thoughts or ideas on this, any other suggestions of what i could do using this, or how to make it better, the mudd filter isnt really that super big, the fuge part is probably a 12 by 12 square, and if i used the ten for it too that would increase the area, or jsut a holding place for skimmer or something... ideas or thoughts?

 

[ellisz]

I have a separate refugium and sump. I feed the fuge with a PH in the sump and then the fuge drains back into the sump. All my equipment is in the sump.

Just be sure where ever your return pump is the water flowing into that area can keep up.

 

[loganj]

If I understand correctly, you're talking about pumping from the mud filter up to the 10g tank...then pumping from the 10 into the main tank? That's not going to work long term. It's impossible to exactly balance the output of two pumps without using some sort of float switch or other control mechanism...which usually isn't practical. You might set it up so that the main drained into the sump on the table. Then that sump could drain into the lower sump. Or, possibly, you could put both of them under the main tank with the mud filter raised enough that it would drain into the 10g. Balancing pump output is a sure recipe for water in the floor though.

 

[ellisz]

I agree with loganj about the pumps. Don't use 2 together. I use 2 but the one pump does not effect the water of the other. I can turn my main pump off and still have my fuge pump running since it gravity feeds back into the sump. My sump can handle the water volume if both pumps are off as well.

 

[midiman]

Here's an analysis I just found about Miracle Mud. I was researching in preparation for my fist-ever salt tank and found it just moments ago.

http://www.inlandreef.com/Testing/MManalysis.html