Sump design questions

[mrcoffee]

I am building out a 210 that has two corner overflows and was going to drain one
into one sump 70G and then the other drain would go into a second sump a150G
rubber-maid tub. I was going to plumb them with 2" bulk head for the rubber maid
going into a 2" t then I was going to leverage 2 1" bulk heads T'ed and joining
the main T back to the return pump that would go to a manifold and return as
well. I would naturally have disconnects and Ball valves to ensure that I could
cut off either sump when ever I needed to.

Does any one see any problem
with this? Has any one done something like this before.

I was wondering
if any one had words of wisdom. on this design.

Thanks

[Steelerfan747]

While it sounds great in concept, I think it would be very difficult to insure you would get the right amount of flow going into each one without causing one of the sumps or the display tank to overflow. While I hate to sound negative, I feel it would be a disaster waiting to happen. I would just use one large (as large as you could go) sump and keep it simple. Good luck and keep us posted

[steamer51]

I like the idea of two sumps and if sump #1 was higher than sump #2 and drained into it the return pump could be located in sump #2 so you wouldn't have to match the flow to each (impossible). If the two sumps were of equal level and plumbed together the water level would stay the same in each even though you are draining from the display into both of them (at possible a different rate) but I think the return pump should only be in one of the sumps rather than one in each.

[Degener8]

You need to plumb the sumps together for sure. You can't control exactly how much flow will come back into each sump. One will eventually overflow. using valves to slow the flow is just another point of failure waiting to happen.
Simply raise the 75gallon sump up a few inches higher than the top of the 150g tub and build in a drain from the 75 to the 150.
Use all return pumps pumping from the 150 back to the display.

I am like 99.9% sure if you plumb each drain to independent sumps it will fail eventually.