first sump build ?

[uf_gators]

I have a 40 breeder, and I am building a 20 long sump/fuge. So my question is , what are the height of the baffles need to be ? and unsure on the return pump size. I plan on using the LifeReef overflow HOB thats like 600gph so I am thinking a eheim 1260 pump.

Here is a sketch up to go by...

 

[wysiwyg]

i would run them about 6 or 7 inchs

 

[Loki]

Looks good. I would get a return pump that pushes about 500gph. For that tank you may want to have shorter baffles to allow room for the water when the lump is off. Do you have room for a 29g? Petco is currently having their $1 per gallon sale. May be a good time to grab one.

I like the fuge having its own flow rate. Where it may just be the picture but it looks like you have the baffle planned to go all the way to the top of the tank. I'm sure you know but just make sure to give it room to flow over the baffle.

 

[Loki]

For the baffle height make sure the water level is at the proper level for the skimmer you choose.

 

[uf_gators]

Looks good. I would get a return pump that pushes about 500gph. For that tank you may want to have shorter baffles to allow room for the water when the lump is off. Do you have room for a 29g? Petco is currently having their $1 per gallon sale. May be a good time to grab one.

I like the fuge having its own flow rate. Where it may just be the picture but it looks like you have the baffle planned to go all the way to the top of the tank. I'm sure you know but just make sure to give it room to flow over the baffle.

yep ,I got my 20L sunday morning from petco's sale. Unfortunately I can't fit a 29 under the stand, and have room to work maint. wise. So on the say first baffle in the skimmer section. If I set it at 10 in. that would give the skimmer 10 in. of water, and like in the pic. I can raise the skimmer on eggcrate to 8in. deep of water if need be right ?

Then on the return baffle height, say at 8in. that would be enough for when the pump is off and the flow back, won't overflow the tank. at 4 in. to the top the return area is 9 in. long, 12in wide. So with this I should be on the save side ?

oh the glass that looks like it goes to the top rim of the tank. thats egg crate for the micro algae, and snails,ect..

 

[Steelerfan747]

What kind of skimmer are you planning on using? The sketch looks good I'm just wondering how you plan on including all that in a20l?

 

[Troylee]

To determine your baffle height you wanna see what the back flow is when the tank loses power.... If it dumps back 15gal your baffles are gonna be very small.. 5gal you could run them very high etc... Every tank is different... I have the math written down around here some where... No time right now to do it but...
You take LxWxH and divide by 231 ="x" once you "x" you divide the Height by that and get "x" this is x is how many gallons of water per inch in your aquarium.... So let's say it 1.5gal if The bottom of your overflow teeth or return is 3" down from the top that would mean worst case it would spill back 4.5gal.... If that makes sense... I'll try to explain it better in a little bit...;).
Ps. Most people will say use a check valve... Don't trust them it's not if but when they will fail...

 

[uf_gators]

What kind of skimmer are you planning on using? The sketch looks good I'm just wondering how you plan on including all that in a20l?

I will be using a eshopps S-120 5in. Base and the media chamber is on the back side from the end to first baffle. If I need to change it up a bit. 1st. Chamber is 7, bubble trap 2, return 11, and fuge 10 =30 in. Long

 

[uf_gators]

To determine your baffle height you wanna see what the back flow is when the tank loses power.... If it dumps back 15gal your baffles are gonna be very small.. 5gal you could run them very high etc... Every tank is different... I have the math written down around here some where... No time right now to do it but...
You take LxWxH and divide by 231 ="x" once you "x" you divide the Height by that and get "x" this is x is how many gallons of water per inch in your aquarium.... So let's say it 1.5gal if The bottom of your overflow teeth or return is 3" down from the top that would mean worst case it would spill back 4.5gal.... If that makes sense... I'll try to explain it better in a little bit...;).
Ps. Most people will say use a check valve... Don't trust them it's not if but when they will fail...

So your saying the size of the area of the return? So 9x12x8 =864/231, is 3.740 then devide that again by height 8?is .0467@ 3 in=says 1.402 so 1.4 gallons will flow back ? Yes , that's a lil. It confusing ...lol

 

[jtgordon20]

The flowing back is determined by the Dt. so you find the teeth height, and water normally runs half way up teeth, as an estimate. Find the volume of that space, that is your backflow. Plus what's in the PVC and make sure to drill an anti siphon hole in you're return to cut on backflow.
I had the same setup but sumo had 10" baffles all the way across, and with a power outage I had just the amount of space for backflow. Now with your sump have a tall fuge section I'd set the Skimmer baffle height to 8"-8.5". The return side baffle doesn't matter because the water height in that section is based on how much water you have extra in the tank since that is the section that changes due to evaporation.
Hope this makes sent, typed on my phone haha

 

[uf_gators]

The flowing back is determined by the Dt. so you find the teeth height, and water normally runs half way up teeth, as an estimate. Find the volume of that space, that is your backflow. Plus what's in the PVC and make sure to drill an anti siphon hole in you're return to cut on backflow.
I had the same setup but sumo had 10" baffles all the way across, and with a power outage I had just the amount of space for backflow. Now with your sump have a tall fuge section I'd set the Skimmer baffle height to 8"-8.5". The return side baffle doesn't matter because the water height in that section is based on how much water you have extra in the tank since that is the section that changes due to evaporation.
Hope this makes sent, typed on my phone haha

So what your saying is the skimmer bubble trap baffles have at 8 in. and the refuge baffle 10in. ? I plan on drilling a hole through the return line @ the 1in surface line, cause my return is at 2in below the water surface. To make a siphon break. Can u do the same on the over flow pipe? So if the baffles at 8 that leaves 4 in of tank between the skimmer area and the return area for back flow and pipe drain back to the sump. A total area of 12wide,4high,19long/ 231 =3.948 gallons of drain back? Correct?
36x18x1= 2.805 gallons from the 40b draining down to sump?

1.15 gallons of wiggle room. Does this math sound right ?

 

[CathyB]

Following along