Idea for a Sump - Looking for suggestions.

Yes well I see all these new sumps and I have to ask why load the simple sump with of the baffles and just have enough room maybe for a little pump. I remember about 2000 I started to see all of these high tech sumps LOl if the refugium is to be incorporated in to the sump ? I think thats a bad idea myself But all you have to do is just sectioned off a end and just let that fuge water trickle over the little partition and into the water of the main sump just below.. Bring in the water from main tank inside the the main sump but next to that fuge partition wall and add 2 simple ells to form a U and then a stub of pipe to allow the Bubbles to set on the sump waters water surface..Bubbles have never been a issue with any I ever set up. But my methods are kind of low tech and does not make for much conversation

They had a gadget guru at a old site I used to visit and that guy could make pouring water into a bucket a major project.. I swear I could build a simple coil denitrater faster then he could explain it. But his sump designs where from another planet! he was one of the first I ever say to mention pre filtering the refugiums water . But people still listen to him so hey what ever floats your boat is what I say ..

 

LoL!! Everytime I see a sump thread that incorporates a sump/fuge, I just WAIT for Tangster to chime in about it. Well you'll be pleased to know that I finally took your advise and now my sump and fuge are separate entities. Not only that, but there are no baffles to be found, and the sump is simply a Rubbermaid container ;D I also took Otty's advise and raised my fuge up so it overflows into my sump. Everything is running smoothly and no, I don't have a microbubble issue (being baffle-less).

Now where's my golden star? :

 

I bring the water from the main tank and have a T with a ball valve to control water flow going to my refug. I have a 30L with the skimmer on one end and the refug on the other end with the sump in the middle. So the skimmer and the refug are getting dirty water from the tank, They both dump into the sump and back to the main tank. Seems to work fine.

 

LOL I hate to say anything But when I see the Rube Goldberg mentality taking hold I just try to help anyone who will listen from making the same mistakes and wasting Time and money.. But its their timer and money I always set my fuges about the top rim of the sump and let gravity do its job.. Amcarrig knows who I'm talking about her But this guy is a engineer who comes in to a LFS she goes to I have talked to him a few time May talk about anal retentive LOL Had his sump/fuge all rolled into one and using Cheado and blasting water past them.. NO'3 where off the charts and he could not get them lowered . I told him 2 times what to do and how to do it ..
All I got was that Dumb look and his reply was well All I have read says you are wrong! it needs to be just as I built it. I simply said O.K But then I guess it got so bad last winter he had to do something! He separated the two and then down sized his refugium from a 55 combo that was 1/2 fuge 1/2 sump to a 10gal fuge and 10 gal sump set up the fuge with a 4 to 5 in DSB in it and slowed the flow to about 10 GPH and tossed the cheado for some Caulerpa's and put it on a reverse Photo period .. Well last time I was in there he was all and said well I have to say My NO'3 are fixed and my system is great best its ever been my corals are making a nice come back where was this info when I needed it ??
I said hell I told you twice before what to do ! But R/C and his book said something else Then he said Oh My under sized skimmer is not producing the amount it had But the water is looking better and all parameters are perfect what could that be ? I told him and I think he thought I was B/S him ?? People have found that the more complicated it is the more they can sell and more you guys will buy. The old cha ching factor I call it

But personally I could care less how who does what . Won't cost me no more then my information based upon experience cost them it was just a 90 gallon system anyways. No star but how about a drum roll

 

I don't dissagree that it is a lot for a small space. It means the fuge is limited in size. However this design makes better use of space cause a 3rd tank used just as a fuge is goign to take up more space and be impossiabe lt ot fit.

 

I am lookign for ideas so I appreciate the input. Maybe if I had the same configuration but had a 3-way valve in the line that takes water from the main tank into the sump. Then I could have the majority of the flow go to the sump and some go to the fuge... Then the fuge gets unfilter water and flow is still kept low... Both then flow into the middle section where the return pump is.