# Thoughts on sump design



## george (Apr 11, 2009)

I have decided to ask JT to build my sump walls but before I do that I want to run by you the design to make sure there are no flaws. The sump is a 36*18*21 55G tank.










The main line and emergency are both 1", return will be handled (temporary) my a MAG 5 with braided flex tube.

Skimmer is a Cadlights TIA-1150 (footprint 9.75" x 6.5" x 18.5"). The skimmer area was left bigger for future upgrades.

Fuge will have a DSB with cheato.


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## TankCla (Dec 31, 2010)

That's the best way you can go. I like the ATO area.


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

Taking advantage of a big sump. Why not have a small area which can hold my ATO?


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## TankCla (Dec 31, 2010)

Have you considered using a baffles sump, since you have 55 tank as sump?
With the right amount of water and right settings on the skimmer, not to make micro bubbles, you might be ok running it as is.


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

Cadlights brag that the skimmer will not produce micro bubbles and to be honest, while trying it out, I could not see any. Maybe someone can pitch it?


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

Get the baffles put in regardless...you should design the sump to be generic and not for one specific piece of equipment. That way if/when you change the skimmer you won't have to worry if the next one does. As for the built in ATO, does it have a lid to keep salt spray and contaminants out? Cleaning it may be a bit of a pain down the road.


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## marblerye (Jul 25, 2010)

The return area is a bit small at 6". Sure it'll take a mag 5 right now but the majority of pumps have larger dimensions should you require upgrading in the future. That is unless you're drilling the sump for an external pump.

+1 on baffles; there should be baffles splitting skimmer / refugium section to control any micro bubbles unless you're gonna do the EcoSystems style with an opening midway down the divide. Sure chaetomorpha will catch bubbles as it spills over but what happens when the water flows over and creates a current which digs into your DSB. You'll get a receding sand bed closest to the wall and gradually climbs as it goes away from flow. Remember, water falls over the wall similar to a waterfall; straight down unless it's high flow it'll flow on a slightly larger angle but generally straight down.

Your diagram doesn't really show the height of each wall but keep in mind the height of the wall which divides the refugium to the return area will decide how high the water will be for the refugium as it spills into the return. Baffles here should be a must or you'll get micro bubbles in the DT as it spills over. Sponge is okay if you keep it clean or it'll collect detritus, break down and feed your tank a steady supply of nitrates / phosphates. 

That's just my experience with sumps.. I've built a few out of acrylic and learned from my mistakes. Hope that helps!


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## marblerye (Jul 25, 2010)

Also forgot to mention you should consider placing your heater in an area where water does *not* fluctuate incase something happens to your tank and the return area runs dry.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Make sure your sump can handle a larger than expected amount of backflow from your DT in case the return pump craps out. Mine runs at a certain water level so that there is about 1" of space (~2.5g) of wiggle room in case of a power outage. Remember to factor in that the anti-siphon lines won't kick in right away when your tank is siphoning back into the sump from the DT. 

6" wide should be enough for most submersible return pumps. 

The ATO section is a bit small though (~7g). Unless you have space issues, I would ditch the ATO space and get a larger dedicated vessel for the ATO. If you do have space issues, I would consider a smaller sump area and a bigger ATO volume. You'll be refilling it every few days with a 7g volume, and it'll be a pain.


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

Thank you for all the suggestions.

The idea with the ATO came as wifey wants everything under the tank. No room for another container. I think 7G would be sufficient for about 1 week of refill, right?










Area 1 is refugium (will be split into refugium and ato)

Area 2 is skimmer and the baffles will be 9" high (I think the sweet spot is at 7.5" in which case will raise the skimmer a bit). That leaves me with 7" of water in case of malfunctions.

Area 3 hosts the return pump and one heater. The other heater will be placed in the refugium.

I will make the refugium/ATO 16" high and I will tee the return to drop the water in the refugium.


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## goffebeans (Jul 23, 2007)

george said:


> Thank you for all the suggestions.
> 
> The idea with the ATO came as wifey wants everything under the tank. No room for another container. I think 7G would be sufficient for about 1 week of refill, right?


How much evaporation were you experiencing when you had the discus tank setup? that'll give you a pretty good idea as it varies a lot from house to house.

I.e. I use a 16gallon tank as a resevoir and it lasts me about 7-8 days, so approx 2 gallons a day on a 130 gallon system.


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

I would 5-7G depends on the house temperature. That is when i do not have the lids on. With the lids on, less than 5G.


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