Idea for a Sump - Looking for suggestions.

I am not there yet- still need a house before I can purchase a big tank and sump type setup. However in the meantime I am thinking about how I woudl liek to set things up when the day comes.

For my sump I was htinkign about doign a combo sump and fuge. However instad of the typically layout I was thinking about something liek this:



I wanted to get opinions and suggestions...

 

Hey,

I really like your three way valve idea. Saves a lot of plumbing compared to a dual overflow.

I might plumb in a uv sterilizer between the three way and the fuge, since the uv works best on slower flow, and you wouldnt need a seperate pump for the uv either.

How big is your display?

 

I seem to advocate a way that isn't too popular for some reason - I'd swap the fuge and skimmer placement in your diagram. It just makes more sense to me to have the dirty stuff hit the fuge first then skim what is left.

 

I would rather keep the fuge in the low flow area.... I guess I coudl put the skimemr into the fuge section but then it would nto get the water flow to it.... Good point cause the algae woudl do soem work with nutrients... Still I think I would prefer the sump high flow and fuge low flow.

I do not have a new large tank yet- just planning ahead.

Currently have a 10gallon nano

 

Just a old tank is all I ever used ? Its simply a place to put equipment and to hold water when the main pumps are down Thats all a sump is really I see them morphing into a huge deal these days LOL . But all I ever used was a simple old tank drilled for the pump to pull water.. And in the last yr or so I see people making a big deal with refugiums also ..Again just a old tank to hold the water just at a higher water level and a drain to sump. No prefiltering and skimming is needed for them. Beats me ?? :

 

to much in one area. are you limited for space? best to keep them seperate.
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they sell tanks of all sizes, buy two there cheap. one for the fuge one for the sump.

 

+2 If you skim first, the plants will have nothing to "eat".

 

Annick agrees with me!

I wasn't thinking about flow... interesting point... hmmm... I am not sure high flow here would adversely affect the fuge but perhaps there is a way to divert some of the flow and just have a bit hit the refugium. Perhaps another T or some baffle work would do.

 

LOLMatt it;s not just you , I would to feed the fuge with the drain water from the tank! But I see now where some people are actually mechanical filtering the water and then have the outlet discharge from the skimmer feed the refugiums , Always some one trying to reinvent the wheel and just making it more complicated and far less reliable..Form follows function whit me

 

Yeah I guess so.
I still can't believe the trend here, even with the manufacturers. Weird. Jasno's flow point was the 1st decent defense I've heard.