Thanks for your input. When your power goes off, doesn't your k2 media overflow into the filter sock area?
DIY 180 gallon sump critique
- Thread starter vincel892
- Start date
It does. The sock is mounted high enough the media doesn't go inside the sock itself, just into the same area. When power is restored, the current floats the media back into its area once again. It's the reason my partition also goes all the way to the top in the section after the k2, so it doesn't float over the top and downstream.
It works quite well with my design - I have the water level set so that the pump can pump everything out of the camber its in and not overflow the tank if the downflow is clogged or shut off, and when I kill the power to it, the tank drains to right below the plastic lip trim on the sump (if the tank is full and not evaporated). I usually cut the power to it when I change the sock and do a water change.
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My tank/sump design was done after I was reading up on Be an Animal's design (commonly called Bean Animal now). I then OCD'd my way around a bunch of options and I wanted something completely silent too. Like, OCD silent. Maybe a little pump hum at most. I tripped over full siphon sumps designs. Most still featured a emergency drain with slight flow, or no flow. I wanted a challenge, so I built mine simply be eyeballing specs along the way. I have one butterfly valve on the downflow to tune the downflow to match my pumps upflow. Since the upflow is choosing a setting on the Jebao, I wanted some way to tune it. I didn't want to hamper the flow up, so tuning the downflow made sense. As the system breaks in the flow increases a bit as slime builds inside the pipes and friction decreases, so expect a retune over the first year a little. The most noise I have these days is when the air is dry and the tank evaporates faster. The pump will gurgle letting me know to either do a water change or at least top it up. Long term plans include a tapped water source with a ATO system in place and a built in drain for super quick water changes. That's a ways off at this point mostly due to the house not being ideal for it right now.
I just wanted to chime in again and remind
V
vincel892
that I really think you should run the larger return chamber and not install the last baffles. On tanks this large running sumps they using giant sumps without baffles. Your return pumps will empty the last chamber in about 3 to 5 seconds. The water won’t even make it back to the return chamber quick enough on restarts.
dr exum
had a good thread recently where they went into this exact question.
dr exum
had a good thread recently where they went into this exact question.
I just wanted to chime in again and remind V vincel892 that I really think you should run the larger return chamber and not install the last baffles. On tanks this large running sumps they using giant sumps without baffles. Your return pumps will empty the last chamber in about 3 to 5 seconds. The water won’t even make it back to the return chamber quick enough on restarts.
I thought about this issue, but is it really an issue? If you have no baffle at the end, the pump could also push all the water in the sump back to the last baffle, up to the tank and over the top, flooding the room. By using that last baffle I have no issue pushing water up to the tank and having the downflow continue to work to replenish it in time. If my downflow is blocked, the pump runs it dry to auto shutoff, the tank is within millimeters of flooding but holding tight.
Lusus_Naturae
how much expensive do you have filtering Aquariums in the 750 gallon range? How many have you seen running complex sumps with baffles pushing 6000gph? The overflows should never be overwhelmed and flooding the display is a non issue. This is why you run emergency drains in the overflow boxes. If the overflows become overwhelmed then the plumbing wasn’t sized properly to begin with. By placing return pumps that large in a small return chamber your going to be running them dry, as soon as you evaporate any water or your pre filters start to clog up.This is an updated picture with the last baffle removed. Do you recommend removing that final baffle as well ?
Can you also direct to
dr exum
's thread you mentioned above? Can't seem to find it. 
Your sump design would work great a a lesser turnover rate, with the additional of a closed loop. I wouldn’t run the last baffle at all though. Take a look at this thread. There’s a lot of good information in it.
www.monsterfishkeepers.com
Ordering New 440/480 any advice?
Looks like American Aquarium’s or Fish Tanks Direct. I think American Aquarium’s uses thicker acrylic vs fish tank direct. Hence the 440/480 difference... 8’x4’x2’ Black background vs clear, I use that roll background on other tanks, if I keep it clear maybe more versatility down the line...
www.monsterfishkeepers.com
This is how I have my sump setup, it’s very basic. First chamber for the drains and socks if needs, second is the pre-filter and fluidized bio balls, and third is bio media and returns. There’s about 4000gph running through it, and it has a emergency overflow plumbed to sewer. This design could handle more flow as well. 
This is an updated picture with the last baffle removed. Do you recommend removing that final baffle as well ?
Can you also direct to
View attachment 1399847
With the last baffle removed, you'll be fine too - provided you know a few things. First, if the downflow is blocked, the sump will pump up the water going back to the last divider at the front of the bacteria box. You're bacteria box could be left in open air to dry out at that point, possibly rendering the tank to cycle again to one degree or another.
The flow difference is really no different either, moving a baffle back and forth around a tank really doesn't change the flow going over the baffle in the end. The flow is determined by how much water comes down and how much flow is absorbed along the journey through materials.... I run a sock as my main filter, then K2, a high flow sponge, then my bacteria box which doesn't impede flow much since water flows in the box but isn't forced through the material, then over the last baffle to the pump.
By adding the baffle after the bacteria box he'll protect the bacteria box from drying out, it'll pump less to the display tank for more overflow protection up top, and there won't be a significant change in flow rate for this situation. I'm running a 40g sump on my 150g since my 150g is short and tall (48Lx31Tx24D). His diagram shows a 6' sump tank running, and where the baffle is about halfway if backed up to the bacteria box, that's about 50g of water that could potentially go up to the display tank if the downflow gets blocked. I see no issue with this IF the emergency drains can handle it, but you're still risking the bacteria box cultures.
