Need Help Designing Sump for My Twin Tanks

[BERSERK]

Hi MFK Network,

I have a DIY project going on and need some help in designing the sump for the two tanks. I am giving the tank pictures and dimensions below:

Tank 1:
View attachment 982942
Tank 1 - 11ft X 2 ft width x 2' 6"

View attachment 982943
Tank 2 : combined 17ft 6 inches x 3 ft 3" wide (average) x 2' 6" height

View attachment 982944

Panorama of Tank 1 and 2 note doorway between the same, Overflow of tank goes to sump size 8*3*3 (no Pic Included)

Thanks

 

[js302]

sumps are normally below tank level
what made you build the tank to sit on the ground?

having a sump on the same level is even harder because it means rating two opposing pumps equally which is just asking for problems.
gravity is usually used to avoid this for one of the pumps.

now, 1 option is to build the sump above the tank and have a return pump in the tank rather than in the sump

i suppose you could alternatively have some sumps space in the tank itself if you want if you fix a bit of glass within the tank space to section off a few feet at one of the ends but that way you will lose water level in the main tank because the sump should still lie below the tank.

to now have 2 tanks to run off the one sump, is going to be very hard

dude - why didnt you post this in the planning stage?!

 

[Gill Blue]

impressive setup.
where are you planning on putting the sump? and how do you plan to get the water across the doorway?
I don't think it's as bad as JS seems to think, in reality as long as the water level in the sump is equal to or below the water level in the overflow there shouldn't be any major problems. dual pumps, one (or more, if you want a backup) to each tank will let you run both tanks off the same sump as long as it can handle the flow capacity.
I personally wouldn't put a pump in my tank to remove water. do you have a plan for water removal?

 

[BERSERK]

Hi JS
you raised a couple of interesting pointers, I'll try my best to answer them.
I wanted the visibility of the glass aquarium, at the same time I only had the space to put the unit outdoors. I had looked at various options like pond liners, plywood tanks, acrylic tanks etc but couldn't get a proper solution here in India. Pond liners are not freely available, plywood tanks face termites and no food grade epoxy sealants, acrylic fabricators&/or sheets are also not available easily. That's when i looked at merging the concrete tank with glass. The sump is actually below ground level just that its behind the actual tanks. For drainage, there are overflow pipes built into tank 1, and exposed in tank 2 that go to the sump. I hadn't taken pictures of the overflow pipes, though the ones in tank 2 are visible in the panorama shot towards the right corner (yet to be filed down to the right height). I will post pictures of the sump later today.

 

[BERSERK]

impressive setup.
where are you planning on putting the sump? and how do you plan to get the water across the doorway?
I don't think it's as bad as JS seems to think, in reality as long as the water level in the sump is equal to or below the water level in the overflow there shouldn't be any major problems. dual pumps, one (or more, if you want a backup) to each tank will let you run both tanks off the same sump as long as it can handle the flow capacity.
I personally wouldn't put a pump in my tank to remove water. do you have a plan for water removal?

Hi Gill Blue,
The sump is actually behind tank 2, the overflow system is designed for tank 1 overflow to go to tank 2 or to the sump directly (controlled by a series of valves) the doorway is around 10 inches off the ground so the pipes will go under a small platform built to be 6 inches above ground. Unfortunatley most of the plumbing will be concealed so i am double/triple checking them for leaks, cracks etc before i conceal them. w.r.t. the sump the plan was to have two pumps one for each tank or a single large one which would pump to tank 1 and tank 2 ( flow rates controlled by valves). The second scenario would come in play if tank 1 would get converted into a planted tank- which is a distinct possibility as my wife is pestering me about it.

 

[BERSERK]

Quick Update Picture of my Sump:
Sump Dimensions: 7'5" x 2'9"x 2'9" (lxbxh), note only one overflow shown from tank 2, tank one overflow still to be connected.

 

[duanes]

Looks like a very well thought out system. What do you need help with?
I would use filter socks (bags) for mechanical filtration, and put biomedia in some kind of mesh bags, so that it (and the filter socks) can be easily accessed and rinsed.
There are other endless possibilities, such as adding an algae scrubber under outflowing water from the tanks, or a DIY foam fractionator to eliminate nitrate precursors. I use bio-fractionators on outdoor tanks and ponds , and they work wonders on stripping fresh water of DOC, micro parasites, and unwanted floating algae. The lava rock in the vertical tube acts as biomedia, and as media to create the tension of air/water interface where fractionating begins. click on photo to start video

 

[Squirtle919]

Wow, Amazing work mate! Love the detail in the cement.

I would look @ filter socks, Jap matt, those extra large bottle cleaners could work well, for bio ideally id suggest running K1 some how, it seems to work wonders on large systems but it would be hard to set something up in the sump.

If you google " eric pond filter " you can see how they are setup, I think that would be the best way to go you already have the sump pit so its just a matter of fixing the media in, but your options are endless.

 

[yogurt_21]

Are you going to build a cover over the sump? Typically that's where you want things to get clean rather than the other way around. So I'd recommend a removable cover to protect it from anything that might fall in. Also what exactly are you needing help with, you seem to have tank, sump and basic plumbing done. Are you just looking for filter media and arrangement options for the sump?

btw: the designs on the tank are awesome!

 

[BERSERK]

The Bio Fractionator is pretty cool, didnt know stuff like that existed. How did you build it. The reason i asked for help for the sump was i wanted to know if there were other means out there to clean the water, my only options so far were sponges, bioballs and ceramic rings. I also wanted to know how to actually calculate the media requirement.

Looks like a very well thought out system. What do you need help with?
I would use filter socks (bags) for mechanical filtration, and put biomedia in some kind of mesh bags, so that it (and the filter socks) can be easily accessed and rinsed.
There are other endless possibilities, such as adding an algae scrubber under outflowing water from the tanks, or a DIY foam fractionator to eliminate nitrate precursors. I use bio-fractionators on outdoor tanks and ponds , and they work wonders on stripping fresh water of DOC, micro parasites, and unwanted floating algae. The lava rock in the vertical tube acts as biomedia, and as media to create the tension of air/water interface where fractionating begins. click on photo to start video