what "compartments" (and order) go into a sump?

[gsxrguru2]

I will be picking up my 40 gallon breeder tomorrow and am trying to figure out the order that I put the compartments in. I am using this diy that RLG2182 posted as my outline for constructing the sump: http://aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=53046 In this example he has a LR compartment as well as one for sand, why do you need two "fuge-like" areas? How does this sound for my sump: 1st compartment is the h20 entry, followed by a bubble trap, my fuge, bubble trap, skimmer compartment, baffle, and pump compartment. Any suggestions on this layout???

 

[mykpoz]

you want your skimmer compartment before the fuge...

you should be looking at something like

H20 entry, single glass, skimmer, *bubble trap*, fuge, single glass and return pump area.

IMO you dont need the bubble trap from the H2O return to the skimmer area, since your going to be shooting bubbles again, you shouldnt be getting many bubbles from the fuge to return area... if you are extremely paranoid then you might want to slant the glass a bit to let the water run down the glass into the return instead of falling...

Also the addition of the LR in the H2O return area is just a way of adding more poundage of LR to your system for even more filtration.... throw in some cheap base rock and its a win/win situation.

 

[Kam]

If it's an option, you could do something like this:

H20 Entry Skimmer section (shared), *bubble trap*, Return, Fuge

For this to work, you would need to have water entering on both sides, with the return in the middle. The is the F design on http://www.melevsreef.com and I just build something along these lines out of acrylic.

 

[gsxrguru2]

is there any disadvantage whatsoever of having the h20 entry in the same section as the skimmer? It seems like it would make a lot more sense to do it that way, but i'm just wondering since i've never noticed it being done like that before, it always seems to be in a left to right progression (or vice versa).

Kam- if i'm understanding correctly, this particular sump receives h20 from two overflows, only one of which will actually put water in with the skimmer?

How big should a fuge be to be functional? I am going with the 40 gallon breeder primarily so i can make the fuge larger.

 

[Kam]

I'll try to find an updated picture of my Sump with Skimmer in stand. It helps illustrate what I am saying next.

As far as disadvantages, no, advantages, less space used, so it can be used elsewhere.

A Skimmer functions by taking in water and putting it "through" the bubbles to remove suspended particles. This method is poor considering more of the junk will flow past the skimmer than into it. For this reason I am using a modified ASM skimmer with a direct feed. I have dual overflows. One feeds directly into the skimmer. A ball valve and T controls the flow rate, where excess flow is dumped into the return section. The same thing happens on the other side, the Fuge is fed directly, with excess flow going into the return.

This provides optimal skimming and allows the fuge to grow pods and flow into the return so they make it back to the display.

A small fuge is better than nothing at all. The sump part need to be big enough to hold enough water so that when your return pump is shut off, it does not flood.

 

[gsxrguru2]

i appreciate the explanation kam and if you do find a pic of this setup you're describing it would be very helpful!