sump tank for a 400 gallon reef

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bgk

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 13, 2008
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atherton
i have done the maths (stupid maths) and knowing that the tank is certainly a reef i cant have a wet dry system i need a sump. i am going to have a 100 gallon sump system running at 7000 liters an hour oops sorry bout the metric thats 1750 gallons an hour it will have a 2 inch in pipe with a gate valve on the in and a 1 inch return. it will have a skimmer compartment at the start where a canister will be so i can add chemical filters and have a little mechanical filter in will then flow through a live rock filter into the main pump housing (where the water will leave) now the thing i'm worried about is placing of the refugium and the size should i have it in the sump and if not where and if there are any flaws with my design i would love to here about it there will be pics this arvo of the sketch thanks:grinno:

ps: i am selling my 66 gallon freshwater to get some cash.
 
The important part of a sump is to understand what you're using it for. Typically, it's a place to grow out some sort of macro algae, have a place for a skimmer, and provide an area away from the main tank for dosing. It also provides a place to produce copepods.

So, if you are going to run a wet/dry, but call it a sump, and use live rock instead of bioballs, you may be defeating the purpose of the sump.

Hope that helps :)
 
i made the tank its old its dimensions are 5 1/2 feet x 2 feet x 1 2/3 feet
500 liters sorry I'm australian I'm trying to use imperial.
below is a list and then some pics of the design
1. 2 inch bulkhead
2. a 2 inch gate valve (brass or plastic need help with that)
3. 2 inch flow reader
4. 2 inch tee fitting
5. 1/2 inch gate valve
6. live rock filteration
7. protein skimmer
8. 3/4 inch bulkhead
9. DIY canister for putting in carbon ect.
10. chiller
11. main pump 7500 lph adjustable flow (you will have to convert soz)
12. 20 gallon refugium
13. 2 inch pipe
14. 1/2 inch pipe
15. 1/2 inch elbow
16. more 1/2 inch pipe
17. 2 inch to 1/2 inch reducing bush
18. egg crate

question: should i have a little pump in the main pump area to bring water to the refugium rather than the tee fitting like the unlabeled design. ps: this is all to scale.:nilly::eek::eek:

sorry about it being blury

P7230240.JPG

P7230244.JPG

P7230246.JPG

P7230247.JPG
 
I like the design but it seems a bit too complicated, it would simplify it. Here is a picture of a sump I had on my 220G reef tank a few years ago. Water entered on the left into an area that contained LR, then to the regufium, the skimmer and finally got pumped back into the tank. There were walls between each section that kept the pods in place for the most part and eliminated bubbles. Anyway, keep posting, I wanna see how this developes.

220Sump.jpg
 
cool i was thinking of scrapping the whole canister idea and having an area where water enters through to holes into a 15 micron pre filter then into a skimmer compartment through live rock into the main pump area which will be connected to an iwwakee pressure pump and having a separate refugium and if the power goes out i hove a 150 liter overflow reseviour
 
Typically it goes in this order:
Filter sock
Skimmer
LR/bio filtration
Fuge
return.

The skimmer goes first so that you're getting water directly from the tank, but there are a few variations on putting the skimmer first or last. Arguments abound for which is better, so it's probably personal preference. I prefer skimmer first. Skimmer last usually ends up skimming out smaller creatures as well as proteins.
 
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