DIY 20g long sump need advice

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bavass

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Dec 31, 2006
Messages
1,797
Location
Waynesboro Virginia
as of right now I have a 20g sump. Just a sump with equipment in it. No baffles, no fuge just equipment. I am thinking of converting it to include a small refugium. Does anybody have any measurements or advice, links or anything. I dont have a problem building things but usually not to great and doing measurments and having them come out right. So if anybody can help me out with this? In the first chamber I want my turboflotor 1000, I guess next would be the baffles into the refugium and then the last chamber would be the return which is a Mag drive 7. I need measurments for the glass or acrylic. The other question I have. On the return line to the tank from the main sump pump is it better to drill holes in the pipe to limit the back flow to sump or would a check valve be better?
 
A 20L is a good tank for a small sump. Google Melev's reef and check out his sump designs to get a general idea on designing and building a sump. It sounds like you have your equipment in the right order, so the biggest trick is setting your baffles for proper water levels to leave enough room in the sump for the water to siphon back when the pump goes off. Drill siphon break holes in your return pipe just below the waterline in the display tank. The chance of failure is much less with several siphon holes versus a check valve.
 
See how this looks as a rough draft of a sump with Refugium. I might make a change and run the skimmer from corner to corner diagonal to maybe open up the refugium a little more. 6x12 fuge is not gonna be much is it?

848284842_hC76x-L.jpg
 
Your second baffle from the right should be raised up off the floor of the tank if you intend to use that 1" section as a bubble trap. I also think I'd make the last baffle 8" tall.
 
Your second baffle from the right should be raised up off the floor of the tank if you intend to use that 1" section as a bubble trap. I also think I'd make the last baffle 8" tall.

There are 3 baffles that will be 1" apart. First coming up 8" from the bottom, Second one 8" from the top leaving 4" of open space to the bottom and third one 8" from the bottom of the tank. The reason I was making the last baffle 4" was beacuse with the return area only being 4" that means water will evaporate very very quickly, So I figured if the last baffle was 4" high and then use egg crate or light diffuser then that will allow for more water evaporation. I got the design from Melevsreef.com click and goto the bottom of the page where he updated the sump and you can see what I am looking at doing.
 
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