DIY sump design

[keithw283]

I am DIYing a 75G into a sump for my 240 and looking for improvements to what I have so far. The reason for so much unused space is to have room for water to drain out of the tank in a power outage so that is why I am only using about half the volume. I am adding an ATS so I don't really need/want a refugium section (I'll probably just throw some bio balls in there). The ATO will be a 20G tank to the right of the sump. What should I do with this big section that for now is just a skimmer that I am still considering if I even want?

 

[PharmrJohn]

That size of a sump will do for overflow. For every inch of decrease in your DT, your sump will raise 3.2 inches in water gain. Just modify your water level in your sump to handle said decrease in DT water volume and you should be square.

 

[keithw283]

That size of a sump will do for overflow. For every inch of decrease in your DT, your sump will raise 3.2 inches in water gain. Just modify your water level in your sump to handle said decrease in DT water volume and you should be square.

yeah I'm not so much worried about overflowing the sump. To be on the safe side, I'm assuming 3"of water loss in the display which is about 30 gallons. I'm mostly just trying to figure out a better design for my sump because I feel like I'm not utilizing it as well as I could be. I have a 31" skimmer section as it is now lol.

 

[twentyleagues]

Maybe set up the section before the skimmer for a cryptic zone. Looks like the baffle will already direct the water to the bottom another baffle at about the mid point of that open area to cause flow to travel up through a bunch of rock in the dark. If that leaves enough room for the skimmer.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to post until a little later. I think my butt posted for me. You could always modify your design to include a roller at some point if that is something you want to do (in place of your socks). But I DO like what was suggested as to a cryptic zone.