Help with sump set-up

[GoldFinger]

For my returns, I have two returns into my tank and each one is attached to a separate pump. I run both pumps at all times. They are redundant so that if one ever fails, the other is still running and giving me half flow. This happened once when my power glitched and one pump started back up but the other errored out during startup. I came home to my tank running half flow off of one pump, which is way better than no flow. My pumps/returns are not T'd together, they are completely separate. I also don't use check valves on my returns. I have siphon break holes on each return and I make sure that my water level in my sump is low enough to handle any excess water draining from the tank when the pumps are shut off.

Btw, an easy way to make sure you won't overflow your sump during a power outage is to fill your main tank and let your sump be filled from the overflowing water as your main tank is filled. Stop filling your main tank when the water level in the sump is topped off. Then, when you turn your pumps you can be sure that the water draining from the main tank can't overflow the sump when the pumps go off.

For heaters, multiple smaller heaters are better than one large one for reasons already mentioned. I find it best to use a controller to turn both/all of the heaters on and off at the same time. I use an InkBird controller that I have set to 82*. I then have my two 300W heaters set to 85-86*. The heaters come on when the InkBird powers them up and turn off when it cuts the power to them. In the event that the InkBird gets stuck on, the heaters internal thermostats will turn off at 85-86*. Again, redundancy is key. I did have the heater on my son's ten gallon tank get stuck on before and the water was 102* the next morning with all of the fish dead, so it does happen. I now have and InkBird controller on every one of my tanks, even the little ten gallon.

Very helpful post thanks! If you have holes in your returns to break the siphon, where do you direct the shooting water coming through them as the pump is running?

 

[Bigfishnut]

I'm not sure how Fish Tank Travis does it, but I drill a small hole at an angle pointing down, right at the surface of the water. When the tank is full and running, you hardly notice the little stream. It really all depends how you run your return. Some run thru bulkheads below the waterline, some run up and over the rim of the tank. I've done it both ways. If you run thru bulkheads, there is no point drilling a syphon break. Just use check valve

 

[DN328]

Btw, an easy way to make sure you won't overflow your sump during a power outage is to fill your main tank and let your sump be filled from the overflowing water as your main tank is filled. Stop filling your main tank when the water level in the sump is topped off. Then, when you turn your pumps you can be sure that the water draining from the main tank can't overflow the sump when the pumps go off.

Just to clarify for OP; this is a safe approach when initially filling tank. Once the tank is up and running you would fill the display to where the water level drained to - when the pump is off. Im thinking of a WC scenario with return siphon breaks and/or overflow. This way when the return pump starts up the sump water level is where it was before.

Unless Im totally missing something LOL...

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

I'm not sure how Fish Tank Travis does it, but I drill a small hole at an angle pointing down, right at the surface of the water. When the tank is full and running, you hardly notice the little stream. It really all depends how you run your return. Some run thru bulkheads below the waterline, some run up and over the rim of the tank. I've done it both ways. If you run thru bulkheads, there is no point drilling a syphon break. Just use check valve

That's exactly how I do it, I just keep my siphon breaks a tiny bit below the water level for noise purposes.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Just to clarify for OP; this is a safe approach when initially filling tank. Once the tank is up and running you would fill the display to where the water level drained to - when the pump is off. Im thinking of a WC scenario with return siphon breaks and/or overflow. This way when the return pump starts up the sump water level is where it was before.

Unless Im totally missing something LOL...

Since I don't have check valves, I use that same method to refill my tank and sump after every water change. It lets you make up for the evaporation that happened since your last water change. When I shut off my pumps I get backflow back into my sump until the water level is down to the drain level, probably near 15-20 gallons.

 

[jaws7777]

Very helpful post thanks! If you have holes in your returns to break the siphon, where do you direct the shooting water coming through them as the pump is running?

i usially wait a few weeks to drill the siphon breaks. Over time the water level will leave a water mark on your return, i drill the hole right above it

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

i usially wait a few weeks to drill the siphon breaks. Over time the water level will leave a water mark on your return, i drill the hole right above it

I like to have mine under the water line slightly so that they are quiet. They are so close that if evaporation causes my main tank to drop a few mm, I will start hearing the siphon breaks causing a water running noise. I might replace the fittings eventually with some that have the siphon breaks drilled slightly lower.

 

[GoldFinger]

I like to have mine under the water line slightly so that they are quiet. They are so close that if evaporation causes my main tank to drop a few mm, I will start hearing the siphon breaks causing a water running noise. I might replace the fittings eventually with some that have the siphon breaks drilled slightly lower.

So where would be the 100% optimum place and angle to drill the siphon then? Or specific fitting to use?

 

[Bigfishnut]

It really comes down to personal preference....like literally everything else with a sump system....if you want virtually zero back flow when the pump is turned off, you would drill at or just above waterline. If you don't mind a bit more backflow and want a silent return, just below the waterline. Little stuff like this doesn't effect the performance or efficiency of your system at all. It really comes down to how you want it to work.

 

[Bigfishnut]

I've found it's like that with most aspects of a sump system, while there are certainly wrong ways to do things, there are a lot of right ways too. Every one of my sumps are set up quite differently from the others, yet they all acomplish the same thing. I have sumps with baffles, without baffles, sumps that are stacked one tank over another to work as seperate chambers. I even have a sump that is a tote with a smaller tote sitting inside with holes drilled in the bottom that holds the bio media. My budget sump! Still gets the job done. In fact, that plastic set up filters 600 gallons of water from 9 tanks full of discus. Guess what I'm saying is figure what exactly you want your filter to do for you as far as noise, ease of maintenance and so on, and build it to work how you want it to. That is the beauty of sump filtration!