Sump/Refugium Design Feedback

[bioteacher]

Greetings! I am looking for feedback on my design for a new sump. I am using a 40 gal breeder to make the sump. My tank is a 125gal reef tank. I have all my parts. I bought 2 HOB 4" filter socks attachments, and a new Mag18 return pump. My design is attached. I am going to use 1/4" glass for the baffles and the space between each baffle is 1". My two concerns on the design are: 1) I would like a larger refugium chamber 2) concerned about the 8.75" return chamber since that is where I will have evaporative loss. Should that be wider?

I have set the baffles at 10" because that is the depth of water that my protein skimmer currently works in. That leaves me with 6" of unused space on top. Do you think that I should go higher with those baffles to get more volume in the sump? I need to accommodate about 11 gals in the event of a power outage.

I appreciate your critique and suggestions!

 

[Mrc8858]

You can always get a lil more height by putting the skimmer on a stand and to solve the evap problem you could go with an ato then it really wouldn't matter how large your return section is

 

[Mrc8858]

And you'll also wanna put the baffles gradually lower about a half inch difference

 

[Mpfaff77]

Evaporation will come out of your return pump section. That is not much water in there. You plan on ATO system too?

You could get rid of the baffle far right. Will get another 1" of water. Unless you want the full bubble trap. Can always put a sponge in baffle right after refuge too minimize bubbles, if any. Or if you keep that baffle you can make that taller to add volume in return section.

They also make a calculator to figure out gallons by size. Google it. If you need 11 gallons for display to drain you can possibly make all baffles taller to add volume to entire sump.

When my display drains into my sump it fills my 55 sump about 1" from top. Get as much volume as I can.

 

[bioteacher]

And you'll also wanna put the baffles gradually lower about a half inch difference

Why do I have to do that? Just wanna understand how this all works.....

 

[Grizz]

Here's a calculator that will help you set the baffles. Conversion Calculators for Aquariums, Metric Conversion Volume and Temperature, Measurements Conversion Hardness Equivalents

+1 for the ATO best $$ iv'e spent

 

[Mrc8858]

By dropping the height you completely section off each compartment it isn't mandatory just the main practice I've always seen and used

 

[bioteacher]

Evaporation will come out of your return pump section. That is not much water in there. You plan on ATO system too?

You could get rid of the baffle far right. Will get another 1" of water. Unless you want the full bubble trap. Can always put a sponge in baffle right after refuge too minimize bubbles, if any. Or if you keep that baffle you can make that taller to add volume in return section.

They also make a calculator to figure out gallons by size. Google it. If you need 11 gallons for display to drain you can possibly make all baffles taller to add volume to entire sump.

When my display drains into my sump it fills my 55 sump about 1" from top. Get as much volume as I can.

No ATO in the plans yet, but maybe I should consider one. I could increase the size of the fuge quite a bit then. I did the calculator thing and I think I need 4" to accommodate just over 11 gal. I guess that I could go to 12" on the baffles

 

[Mpfaff77]

Good deal. You can also get 1/8" thick glass. Instead of 1/4" acrylic. Goto you local glass shop get them cut. Glass is surprisingly cheap. Looks like you got your plan. Refugium could sacrifice some space. You can make refugium deeper than wider so can put like 5 or 6" sandbed. Bigger refugium is better but at our scales it isn't gonna effect much if loose a gal or 2 in volume to refuge.

 

[bioteacher]

So, any product recommendations for an ATO? Are there any that can be hooked up directly to an RO water source. I am lucky to have a line in the closet where my tank in built in, so if I could hook one up directly to the line I wouldn't have to worry about filling a reservoir.

 

[bioteacher]

Good deal. You can also get 1/8" thick glass. Instead of 1/4" acrylic. Goto you local glass shop get them cut. Glass is surprisingly cheap. Looks like you got your plan. Refugium could sacrifice some space. You can make refugium deeper than wider so can put like 5 or 6" sandbed. Bigger refugium is better but at our scales it isn't gonna effect much if loose a gal or 2 in volume to refuge.

I was gonna do 1/4" glass......you really think 1/8" is enough?

 

[bioteacher]

By dropping the height you completely section off each compartment it isn't mandatory just the main practice I've always seen and used

Ok, that makes sense. Thanks!

 

[bioteacher]

Evaporation will come out of your return pump section. That is not much water in there. You plan on ATO system too?

You could get rid of the baffle far right. Will get another 1" of water. Unless you want the full bubble trap. Can always put a sponge in baffle right after refuge too minimize bubbles, if any. Or if you keep that baffle you can make that taller to add volume in return section.

They also make a calculator to figure out gallons by size. Google it. If you need 11 gallons for display to drain you can possibly make all baffles taller to add volume to entire sump.

When my display drains into my sump it fills my 55 sump about 1" from top. Get as much volume as I can.

Ok, so I am not sure I fully understand the physics of water flow that well. If I raise just the last baffle, won't that raise the water level of everything to the left of it?

 

[Sniperhank]

Your design looks almost just like my 20 long I made. In mine, I just went with one piece of glass between the first 2 sections. I'm not overly concerned about bubbles in my fuge as I am with them getting into the DT from the return section. I also had the first baffle higher than the ones going into my return section so I had a small waterfall effect into the fuge for extra water movement/aeration. Worked out well.

 

[J33ps]

I have a problem with mine right now I would make where the socks are smaller and make the return bigger I gave a lot of evaporation in mine and you don't need much area for the socks

 

[bioteacher]

I have a problem with mine right now I would make where the socks are smaller and make the return bigger I gave a lot of evaporation in mine and you don't need much area for the socks

Only problem with that is that my skimmer is going in with the socks and it needs the 11"

 

[J33ps]

I had mine in the fuge area

 

[J33ps]

Or put it in the return area

 

[J33ps]

I just know you want as much area as possible for the return it evaporate really fast

 

[Mrc8858]

Or put it in the return area

You don't want to do that first the possible change in water levels and secondly micro bubbles would be a real big issue being in the return