yooolandayz
New Member
Hello there reefers! I am trying to design a tank+sump system to house a palm-sized common octopus. I've had a small fresh water tank (~8 gallon) running for about 2 years now but I am very new to saltwater aquarium and especially sump design. So I would really appreciate some advice!
I have decided on the size for my top tank: 60x35x40 cm (~22 gallon) and have chosen my protein skimmer (Reef Octopus Elite 150-INT) and return pump (Reef Octopus VarioS 2 DC pump). This is my current sump design (>pls see pic).
In the first chamber I plan to hang a filter sock (10cm diameter, 26cm long). After the water comes out of the sock it will go through the space under the green panel then up, and then overflowing into the second chamber.
In the second chamber I plan to put filter materials like sponges, ceramic balls, and bags of activated carbon in horizontal layers. The water will come out from under the orange panel then up and overflow into the third chamber.
The third chamber will house my protein skimmer. I've designed the size of this chamber to fit the RO Elite 150-INT (footprint 290x265 mm, height 525 mm). I think I will need a platform for the skimmer to sit on to maintain its optimal operating water depth of 18-20cm.
The fourth chamber will house the return pump and some live rocks. The size of this chamber is also designed to fit the RO VarioS 2 (footprint 130x79 mm). I also plan to have an external chiller. My current plan is to just stick the tubings for the chiller into the fourth chamber so that the water can be chilled before being returned into the main tank.
Lastly, I plan to add an UV sterilizer to the return tube, but I'm not sure whether this is the best place to add the UV. Would the UV also kill off the beneficial bacteria cultured in the live rocks?
I am not sure whether I have designed all the partitions and chambers appropriately for the water to flow in the direction I want it to. Also, are the sump wall and the partitions high enough to prevent flooding? I will put the top tank on a bench and the sump underneath it and I don't want to drill holes in the bench, so I'm planning to use an overflow box. Any recommendations on a good overflow box and advice on flood/siphon prevention will also be very helpful!
I have decided on the size for my top tank: 60x35x40 cm (~22 gallon) and have chosen my protein skimmer (Reef Octopus Elite 150-INT) and return pump (Reef Octopus VarioS 2 DC pump). This is my current sump design (>pls see pic).
In the first chamber I plan to hang a filter sock (10cm diameter, 26cm long). After the water comes out of the sock it will go through the space under the green panel then up, and then overflowing into the second chamber.
In the second chamber I plan to put filter materials like sponges, ceramic balls, and bags of activated carbon in horizontal layers. The water will come out from under the orange panel then up and overflow into the third chamber.
The third chamber will house my protein skimmer. I've designed the size of this chamber to fit the RO Elite 150-INT (footprint 290x265 mm, height 525 mm). I think I will need a platform for the skimmer to sit on to maintain its optimal operating water depth of 18-20cm.
The fourth chamber will house the return pump and some live rocks. The size of this chamber is also designed to fit the RO VarioS 2 (footprint 130x79 mm). I also plan to have an external chiller. My current plan is to just stick the tubings for the chiller into the fourth chamber so that the water can be chilled before being returned into the main tank.
Lastly, I plan to add an UV sterilizer to the return tube, but I'm not sure whether this is the best place to add the UV. Would the UV also kill off the beneficial bacteria cultured in the live rocks?
I am not sure whether I have designed all the partitions and chambers appropriately for the water to flow in the direction I want it to. Also, are the sump wall and the partitions high enough to prevent flooding? I will put the top tank on a bench and the sump underneath it and I don't want to drill holes in the bench, so I'm planning to use an overflow box. Any recommendations on a good overflow box and advice on flood/siphon prevention will also be very helpful!
