SUMP…Where to put what?

[robocop]

I’m trying to set up a sump and I need help figuring out where everything should go. The bulk head is on left so the overflow box would be connected to that. I’m planning to have a fuge with sand LR & Marine Alga in the middle. I’ll have a skimmer also. I’m guessing I’ll need a thin bed of sand because there is only about 4-5 inc clearance from the bottom on the second baffle from the left. Where would I put the LR in place of the Bioballs? Would the skimmer be in the last part with the return? Will that create too many Microbubbles? See the attached picture.

[ryguy]

is your skimmer a HOB or inline?

If you can put the skimmer outside of the sump, and just plumb the return back in, thats what I would do.

I have almost the same design as yours and I have my skimmer pump in the 1st section and the return into the 2nd. My heater, probes, float valve for auto top-offs and return pump is all in the last chamber. I got mud/macro algae and LR rubble in the main middle section. Bioballs and filter floss in the small section between the "fuge" and the last compartement to keep the algae from getting into the last chamber and getting pumped back to the main tank.

you'll probably only need an inch or so of sand/mud and you should be able to run the sump at half full or so....

[ellisz]

If you cant put the skimmer outside, you could share the pump compartment but have the skimmer outputs dump on the other side of the sump.