just another diy sump idea please help

ok so im drawing out plans for my diy sump i realize since most of you have been in my shoes and have learned from mistakes that i probably have some design flaws that you can point out. thanks in advance.

 

i emailed this to a friend that pointed out that a bubble trap would not be necessary next to the fuge just a baffle with holes in it.

 

how big are we talking here?

 

my dt is 130 gallons and the cabinet/stand is a reasonable size and want to fill that are as much as i can.i was gonna try 75 gallons or so

 

I personally like the sumps with a media chamber where you can add filter floss to catch food and waste coming from the display less detritus you will have in the sump area also easier for cleaning I would add that in the inlet section of the sump just before the skimmer. but thats personal preference.

 

also looks like the skimmer section is kinda small i know you will make it big enough what skimmer are you using and I would add a few inches for a later date when you upgrade skimmers. and the 2 pumps is one for a fail safe or just what you have on hand to cut cost?

again with my personal preference I like my sumps to flow one end to the other as in the return on oppisite end of inlet. media tray, skimmer, fuge, then return. benifits to me as easier to get to stuff to clean out and adjust. all though I do have a skimmer on both ends as one is for my ozone that I have't ran in probly 4 months. skimmer just skims away in the return section with no mirco bubbles.

 

Instead of filter floss, how about using a filter sock on the discharge tube? Those work very well for getting detritus out, and can be washed and re used.

Also, why 2 return pumps? I would go for lower flow in the sump, and go with more flow in the tank witha closed loop or powerheads of some sort.

 

The only thing I noticed, is that on the overflow pipe (from dt) you have the ball valve in the wrong place. It's fine if you want to run one there, but you will also need one after the T on the straight pipe to create back pressure, otherwise it would just run right past that section and never flow into the fuge part.

 

yeah i definitely use the filter socks from all the lines coming from the dt. the two return pumps are viaaqua 4900's i have two cause there my primary source of dt flow (yeah probably not the easy way to do it but the person who helped me set the tank up uses the closed loop system with two pumps on all his tanks). i have the fuge over there so i can control the flow rate. i knew you would probably have i good idea pack. yeah your exactly right. so i should have one in both places then? by the way K+ for everyones input.

 

You can, but you really don't have to. If you place it on the straight pipe after the T, opening it would speed up the rate of flow towards the skimmer section, while simultaneously slowing it to the fuge. Make sense? But having them in both places will give you a finer control over it.