Diy Sump

[TylersTanks29]

Hello there, I am jumping back into Saltwater after being out of the fish game for a few years.

I've decided to use a 40 gal breeder as my display tank and I have an old 55 gallon I've planned on making into my basement sump.

Just looking for any advice on my design.

Chambers left to right,
First will have the display tank feeding into a filter sock and protein skimmer. Second chamber is the refugium, I was planning on using chaeto and pods from algea barn.
Third chamber is a the return pump.
Lastly the fourth is where I'll have a top off section.

I was planning on doing 2 inch spaces between the baffles with 2 inches from the bottom on the ones that are raised.

I've tried to do a lot of research on this sump to make it efficient and easy to maintain. I'd be happy to hear any feedback from the community. This is my first post so sorry for the long rant but thank you for your time.

 

[crusso1993]

Welcome to R2R and back to the hobby!

 

[lapin]

HOWDY

Good idea you have to leave space so you can get in-between baffles. You can also use spaghetti mat in between the fuge/return baffle to keep chaeto out of the return pump. Bulk Reef Supply calls it Aqua-Mesh I think.

 

[JDnKY]

Welcome to r2r Tyler. Sump looks great. If you haven’t glued your baffles yet, check the footprint size of your skimmer and the size of your filter socks to make sure the first, left, compartment is large enough for both. It looks a little small and most skimmers take more room than you might think.

 

[Ruben's Reef]

!!! Welcome to R2R Tyler !!! Great sump setup but I will second @JDnKY suggestion for the skimmer space.

 

[Mjrenz]

It looks pretty good. Do you still have the top rim to that tank? 55 gallon tanks typically need a center support at the top to keep the glass from bowing

 

[TylersTanks29]

First off, thank you all for the warm welcome!
The picture is just a rough idea, used cardboard to get a visual of what it might look like. I ordered glass from a local shop, just waiting for the call to pick it up.
So with that, nothing is set in stone, or Silicone rather haha. I do agree with you @JDnKY on the first chambers sizing with the skimmer. Right now I am using an Instant ocean sea clone 100. Which is not very big, can even hang off the side. I would still like to leave room for the future though. Maybe I can shave some off of the top off chamber.

 

[TylersTanks29]

It looks pretty good. Do you still have the top rim to that tank? 55 gallon tanks typically need a center support at the top to keep the glass from bowing

I do still have the trim, it was barely hanging on so I decided to take it off.
I could try to reapply it with some new Silicone , or I was kicking the idea of making a new one with some wood I have? Any suggestions? Thank you :]
(My smiley got cut out, so had to add one the olé fashion way haha )

 

[Mjrenz]

I do still have the trim, it was barely hanging on so I decided to take it off.
I could try to reapply it with some new Silicone , or I was kicking the idea of making a new one with some wood I have? Any suggestions? Thank you :]
(My smiley got cut out, so had to add one the olé fashion way haha )

I'd personally put the original trim back on, wood will get soft with the humidity and will also probably expand and contract more than your glass may like

 

[scriptmonkey]

Welcome! You will find all kinds of help on here if you like it or not...LOL

So I am not an aquarium structural engineer but I would think having glass baffles silicone to the glass would help some in bowing. But if it was me, I may have like 2 inch wide strips cut and maybe do like a mini euro-brace possibly. One it would help keep some of the splashing in. Two it would provide your support it if would be required.

 

[Mjrenz]

Welcome! You will find all kinds of help on here if you like it or not...LOL

So I am not an aquarium structural engineer but I would think having glass baffles silicone to the glass would help some in bowing. But if it was me, I may have like 2 inch wide strips cut and maybe do like a mini euro-brace possibly. One it would help keep some of the splashing in. Two it would provide your support it if would be required.

I considered that the baffles might help but I probably wouldn't trust them alone without a center brace at the top. The eurobrace idea could work

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Your first baffle is to control the water depth for the skimmer. You only need two walls for the second baffle to again control the lower water level for the refugium. The final two walls control the water depth for the refugium and a possible final filter area to prevent algae from getting into your pump and perhaps provide chemical filtration. Make sure you make the refugium walls low enough to handle the drain down capacity from your display and pipes or you will end up with a wet floor when the power goes out.

After you bond in the baffles you epwill have plenty of strength without the top trim. I see your 55 is the old style thicker glass so you should be good.

 

[Mjrenz]

In my sump I used colored acrylic instead of glass for the baffles to keep light in my refugium and out of the places I didn't want algae growing. I know silicone doesn't bond to acrylic like glass but I haven't had a problem, if it does ever leak it will only be an internal leak anyways

 

[JDnKY]

I also have a basement sump and I’m sure you’ve thought about making sure your return pump has enough head pressure to get the flow you want in the DT 10 to 12 feet above the pump? For my ATO, since I had plenty of room like you, I use a 32 gallon Brute trash can next to the sump stand and fill it directly from the RODI filter. I don’t heat it but do keep a pump in it for circulation. I have a float valve to shut off the RODI filter but don’t trust it, it sticks half the time and will overflow the can. Get a good float valve if you use one to controll the water filter. Point being, you could save a lot of room in your sump by eliminating that chamber, you won’t have to keep filling it and you’ll always have some RODI water on hand.

 

[OutsideBrian]

Research the running depth of the skimmer. Looks like a lot of water in that first chamber. If you have to put a platform under the skimmer keep in mind the overall height off skimmer and platform, make sure you have the room if it is going in a tank stand.

 

[JDnKY]

Research the running depth of the skimmer. Looks like a lot of water in that first chamber. If you have to put a platform under the skimmer keep in mind the overall height off skimmer and platform, make sure you have the room if it is going in a tank stand.

You’re right, looking at how water will flow, the second baffle from left needs to be shorter than the top of the third. The third should control the the depth of everything before the return chamber. Are you using the second baffle to stop bubbles? Do you really need the second baffle?

 

[TylersTanks29]

You all are awesome! I'm sorry I haven't been able to get back to the post. Work keeps me busy during the day.

I was thinking about putting my skimmer on a stand if need be. I thought maybe more water would be a good thing so that's why I have taller baffles.
That is a bubble trap at the end, I found somewhere stating doing a baffle like that would keep it at the same level. That way the refugium and return pump chamber would be the same level. In case I need a bigger pump to push water upstairs to DT.
I probably could of done just a egg crate type to keep it separate from the refugium and chaeto. But I already bought the glass :/ might as well use it haha

 

[link81]

something else to keep in mind is that the more water you have in your sump, the less space you have available for main tank drain back in the case of the main pump shutting off or a power failure.

the baffles that are glued to the bottom set the height in the different chambers. in general they should decrease in height from left to right. Otherwise a higher baffle downstream will cause the prior (shorter) baffle to be submerged and essentially serve no purpose at all.

 

[Even Further]

Once you attached the glass baffles, that will make the tank plenty strong to not need the rim, provided you use a quality adhesive silicone on clean glass. Glass baffles like that add alot of structural support.

Use over then under baffle arrangement. Under then over baffles promote stagnant surface water in the chamber, since it is pulling water from below. You show under/over/under in the fuge section, which will promote stagnant surface water. Over/under/over or over/under is much better. Since you're basement sumping, I would use a separate ATO reservoir outside the sump, and better use that space for larger skimmer section, or larger fuge, or larger return section.

I do think you should consider lowering the normal operating water level. Doesn't look like much room for drain back. Plus if you up-size from a 40 DT that would help later on with more drain back capacity. Another method to gain fuge water volume, and control the water flow rate thru the fuge, is to tee off the return or add a second pump, and use a taller baffle.

 

[TylersTanks29]

Thank you all for your help. I do think that I am taking the advice on the top off section. I'd rather have more room in the sump and I can use a brute can for a top off.

I think I'm going to break down the tank into 1/4
Since it's 4' long, I can do 1' for the first chamber, giving my filter sock and skimmer plenty of room. Leave 1' for the return pump chamber. Then use the rest for the refugium. Obviously giver take measurements with the baffles.

I plan on using a check valve on my return pump, so then if the power goes out, my tank will only bleed back the water that can reach the overflow box. I may not be thinking correctly about that so please let me know if I'm wrong about this. I can't see it being more than a few gallon at most.

Thank you all again for the knowledge and help