Reef Discussion

megsez

Member
Apr 29, 2012
534
167
sunshine coast
New Sump
Hey every one,

Just after some advice. I have moved house and had a new stand built for my display. I want a larger sump to fit my skimmer and to hold more water to help prevent flooding in a power outage situation. I am looking at converting a 3 foot tank we have at home in to the new sump.

I just want to run size's and set up past any one that has done this before to make sure i am going down the correct path.

Below is a very crude drawing i did in paint. The first chamber (left) will house the inlet from the tank and my Berlin XL skimmer and pump. This chamber will be 300mm. The bubble trap glass partitions will be spaced 1 inch apart from each other and the bottom of the sump. The skimmer instructions recommend having 15cm - 20cm of water covering the pump. To achieve this i have made the 2nd,4th and 5th partition 18cm tall. Is this the correct way to achieve the water height?

The middle chamber will be 300mm also and will be a refugium. The last chamber chamber will house the return pump, were my dosing pump goes to and also may have my phosphate reactor pump.

I have allowed 1mm either side of the partitions for silicon joints.

The main concern I have is if i have set it up to maintain the 18cm water level required. Any help would be greatly appreciated

sump.png
 

lukusis

Member
Sep 3, 2014
415
144
What's the reason for the double Bubble trap?

Also, the baffles look a bit high. What's the depth of the tank? It looks as if the baffles are near enough the same height as the tank itself, therein not allowing for drain back from the DT in case of power outage/blockage etc.
 

megsez

Member
Apr 29, 2012
534
167
sunshine coast
Thanks for the reply lukusis,

The height of the tank is 44.5cm. The height of the partitions is 18cm. So is just my poor drawing skills haha

The double bubble trap is the only way I could think of maintaining the water height in the center chamber. This chamber may have a substrate of some description so it needs something to stop the substrate working its way in to the bubble trap correct??
 

scottme

Member
Apr 26, 2015
36
11
Lake Maquarie
IMHO the quad baffle is probably overkill. The second pair of baffles takes up considerable precious space that could be utilised for LR etc. If you have a bubble trap in the first chamber, you could just return the skimmer outflow into this chamber - Pretty sure with a single set of baffles, you won't get many bubbles in the centre chamber.

As for the last set of baffles, I have the first baffle as you have illustrated and I use mesh (fibro flyscreen, but finepoint plastic mesh is better) for the final baffle. Seems to work quite well, with the point that the middle and return chambers will more or less have the same level of water, but the mesh holds back any undesirables from being pumed back to the DT. I have a a bunch of LR rubble in the middle chamber and had a cone shell running around in there at some stage - haven't been game to put my hand in there since :)
 

megsez

Member
Apr 29, 2012
534
167
sunshine coast
Hi Scottme,

Dont blame you for not wanting to go in to the L/R with a cone shell running around. Have to get a mate drunk and get them to go in for you :rolleyes

Maximum amount of space in the chamber would be great. So have modified the plan to see if this is what you mean by " the quad baffle is probably overkill. The second pair of baffles takes up considerable precious space that could be utilised for LR etc. If you have a bubble trap in the first chamber, you could just return the skimmer outflow into this chamber - Pretty sure with a single set of baffles, you won't get many bubbles in the centre chamber"

Sorry again for the bad diagram

sump 2.png
 

scottme

Member
Apr 26, 2015
36
11
Lake Maquarie
Now I think about it, I have 3 baffles in the first set, in an over - under - over setup. This way, it maintains a level in the first skimmer chamber. I have some filter stuff (carbon) in the baffle held up by a small strip of eggcrate.
 

megsez

Member
Apr 29, 2012
534
167
sunshine coast
I am liking it simple and easy haha. I was thinking of splitting the center chamber in 2 length ways so one side can be a media and the other could be a second type of filtration or a mini frag area. Or does every one think it may slow the water movement to much?
 

megsez

Member
Apr 29, 2012
534
167
sunshine coast
Hi Andrew B,

Thanks for the idea. Will get something down track as just spent $$$$$ on our new house so have to tighten the purse strings at the moment. If any one has the wining lotto numbers please PM me ;)

I am going to order the glass today so i hopefully can get it put together this weekend and also paint my new stand.

Will post some pics if i get a chance

Wish me luck haha
 

megsez

Member
Apr 29, 2012
534
167
sunshine coast
Ok,

Tank is pretty much done. Only have a before picture at this stage. Tank looks a bit daggy but it is a second hand tank.


All up the sump has cost $72 so not to shabby. I did have a hick up that 2 of the glass panels being to long as i got some one else to give me the dimensions and they measured from the top of the glass not from under the glass bracket that the tank cover glass would normally sit on. Luckily the glass supplier cut it while I waited and didn't charge for it ( Thanks style glass and aluminium sunshine coast ) :p

I changed a few things on the run which i don't like doing but i had to make the first chamber bigger to fit the skimmer and pump. I also made the 1st divider on the second bubble trap smaller then the first bubble trap so it can create some flow instead of exiting out of the first bubble trap and flowing straight through the middle chamber and out the 2nd trap it now tumbles down in to the middle chamber (Hope that made sens to who ever is reading it.

Will post some pics in the next couple of days

On a side note i am going to give drilling out base rock and building formations using perspex rods to stableise the formations. Has any one done this before and have any suggestions in best way to achieve a natural look?

20150913_155618.jpg
 

ReeferRob

Solidarité
Oct 22, 2014
2,661
931
Bel Air
The main thing with drilling rock is to NOT use a lot of pressure. Spend some time and the rocks won't crumble. I was too fast to do the first ones I did and I broke 3 rocks. Also, try to place the holes where there is a hole so you're not getting the end of the bit caught. When I get ready to do the home quarantine system I'll shoot some video to show what I mean. You can use other cheaper materials as well, I use PVC welding rod that's 4-5mm thick, it was 1/3 the cost of acrylic rod.
 

megsez

Member
Apr 29, 2012
534
167
sunshine coast
Thanks ReeferRob Good tips. I am moving the tank this weekend and had hoped to have done the rock already but have been to busy so I will move the tank and live stock then do it which is not ideal as it will disrupt everything twice :(. Do you silicon or glue the pieces of rock together or just let them sit on each other?


Ok got a pic. Tank is still dirty so pic aint that good. I did better then I thought I would as I am not very Handy. My wife wont let me measure anything for the house haha. Silicon is a bit messy in spots but not to bad. I will have to do a water test when i get a chance before the move

20150918_063040.jpg


The chamber on the left is the one i had to make larger then i wanted and will house the skimmer,return and probably the phos reactor and heater. Middle chamber will be a fuge and will try and get some frags in to it also. Last chamber will be just for return
 

megsez

Member
Apr 29, 2012
534
167
sunshine coast
Tested the sump for leaks and all OK.

Put the sump in the stand and put the skimmer in place. Will move the display tomorrow so will see how it goes
 
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megsez

Member
Apr 29, 2012
534
167
sunshine coast
Ok Moved the tank yesterday and sump is working well. Took 12 hours to do the move.

Have a few pics but not very good as i can only use my phone at the moment for pictures. The tank is not scaped yet as it was 9:00pm and I was buggered. I still also need o set up the dosing Pump and the Phos reactor which I will get done tonight if time permits. I also need to re hang the front doors of the cabinet once they have been painted

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