Help With Sump Design

[Jolee0722]

I was wondering if this would make a good sump design:
1st chamber: 2 media reactors
2nd chamber: refugium with live sand, live rock, and cheato and some other algae with a colony of copepods
3rd chamber: 2 heaters, and a protein skimmer
4the chamber: return pump
Please post opinions whether this is a good setup or not and if I need to add something to this sump design. Also, would all this equipment and lr and Ls be enough to filter a reef tank?

[Ericwm]

I as well as a lot of people are running the skimmer before the refugium to avoid skimming the pods out of the water before they make it to the tank. The sump I just build has 3 sections, 1st is my skimmer second is my fuge with my heater and last is my return pump.

[Jolee0722]

Ok that is good to know so I'm thinking maybe moving the refugium all the way to the back right before the return pump.

[mr_X]

I agree. Skimmer in the intake area, refugium, return.

[boardsurfer]

Just like the others have said above, but I also put the heaters in the first chamber to warm things up for the pods.

[Jolee0722]

Could I also just put the two heaters in the refugium?

[Jonnypro]

Mine drains in then bubble trap- protein skimmer-fuge then another bubble trap, then return

[Trueerfan]

How big of sump? That's a lot of chambers.

[Jonnypro]

Originally Posted by Trueerfan

How big of sump? That's a lot of chambers.

It is 48x12x12.

[Trueerfan]

So basically you will have 4 12" chambers. Give or take...Make sure you research your equipment. My skimmer has a 12x16" footprint which would not fit in any of your chambers. Most heaters are 12" or bigger. I would reconsider the 4 chambers and do 3 (IMO)

[Jonnypro]

Originally Posted by Trueerfan

So basically you will have 4 12" chambers. Give or take...Make sure you research your equipment. My skimmer has a 12x16" footprint which would not fit in any of your chambers. Most heaters are 12" or bigger. I would reconsider the 4 chambers and do 3 (IMO)

Here is a few pics when I first built it.
The right side is the drain.





The return is on the left.









My skimmer is a bubble Magus I built it around that. And I have 2 shortie 300w heaters.

[Trueerfan]

Very nice