How to plumb a return into a sump that doesn't cause splashing?

[kdx7214]

not sponge


Use the small number ppi I used 30 in my setup you may want to go with 20 or smaller. Curious what exactly you are doing I grow phyto and pods are you trying to do a all in you system please elaborate on your set up

I keep cultures of both nannochloropsis and tetraselmis currently and hope to add rotifers and copepods into the mix later on. When I built my sump I got a 40 breeder, cut my own glass, and built it on the cheap. It turns out that the web pages I used as references weren't all that great and as a result my sump is somewhat useless for what I had planned originally (it was supposed to be both a refugium and a place to culture phyto/pods). So I got the idea to connect a 20 to the system and just grow everything there and let it dump back into the sump. I thought that would solve all the problems. Turns out I was really, really wrong.

Right now I'm using 2L soda bottles to culture. I'd add a picture but the phone's upstairs. I have two 2L bottles of each culture going and periodically I empty half of the culture into a bottle I use for feeding the tank. What I'd like to do is continuous culture to reduce the risk of crashes.

I'd love to just have the 20 overflow into the sump, but the constant air bubbles act as a skimmer and pull the phyto right out of the water. Oh well, guess I'll investigate terrariums or something.

Edit: Went and got the camera. I attached a picture of the setup I currently have. I need to get this taken down as that's the grow light I use to grow hot peppers over the winter and I need to get that going soon (the seeds are already germinating).

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Partial siphon will have air.
Full siphon will be just water. Drill a bigger hole. Put an air line in it and some super glue around the bottom of your tube and hole. Bam done.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Usually ppl run a full siphon and a trickle on another.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I prefer gate valves over balls but balls and true unions work.

 

[kdx7214]

Partial siphon will have air.
Full siphon will be just water. Drill a bigger hole. Put an air line in it and some super glue around the bottom of your tube and hole. Bam done.
D

I've tried it with no cap at all (so a 1" hole) and various smaller sizes. All of them still have the same problem with the micro bubbles. The only way I've found to stop it is to go full siphon, but that just starts a cycle between siphon, break siphon until the pump catches up, and repeat.

 

[kdx7214]

I prefer gate valves over balls but balls and true unions work.

I do as well, but budget is a serious issue here. My wife has cancer and we aren't well off to begin with. I was able to get a ball valve and two mpt to barb connectors for about $5 at the local hardware store.

 

[kdx7214]

Partial siphon will have air.
Full siphon will be just water. Drill a bigger hole. Put an air line in it and some super glue around the bottom of your tube and hole. Bam done.
D

I'm not even sure how that would help. The full siphon would still cycle like I described above

 

[PicoReefGuy]

assuming im reading it right, you‘re wanting to culture phyto in the 20 gallon and integrate the flow into the sump for your main display tank? Wouldn’t that contaminate the culture and introduce the phyto into your display in an uncontrolled manner? That aside though i think to truly get rid of the bubbles you’ll have to run another drain line, use the ball valve on one to make it run as a full siphon and then tune it down to where the water just barely trickles into the second pipe. The second pipe should be so low flow that it wont create any bubbles when it splashes into the sump.

 

[kdx7214]

assuming im reading it right, you‘re wanting to culture phyto in the 20 gallon and integrate the flow into the sump for your main display tank? Wouldn’t that contaminate the culture and introduce the phyto into your display in an uncontrolled manner? That aside though i think to truly get rid of the bubbles you’ll have to run another drain line, use the ball valve on one to make it run as a full siphon and then tune it down to where the water just barely trickles into the second pipe. The second pipe should be so low flow that it wont create any bubbles when it splashes into the sump.

Actually, the 20g will hold 2L bottles of phyto strains and I'll use peristaltic pumps to feed fresh saltwater into it. That way the only thing moving back into the sump is the small amount I'm feeding at the time.

I went to the hardware store and got the stuff to assemble a ball valve - the pvc cement is curing right now. I'll get that in line again and see what I can do. Thanks

 

[PicoReefGuy]

Ohh I gotcha i thought you were wanting to have it basically be part of the system and feed tank water back into the phyto setup. This makes more sense now. Tbh you prob dont need to go through all the trouble with pvc and the like since a parastaltic pump will have pretty low flow anyway so any water you pump into the cultures is gonna be matched by the same amount out im assuming so the splashing should be minimal to negligible.

 

[kdx7214]

Ohh I gotcha i thought you were wanting to have it basically be part of the system and feed tank water back into the phyto setup. This makes more sense now. Tbh you prob dont need to go through all the trouble with pvc and the like since a parastaltic pump will have pretty low flow anyway so any water you pump into the cultures is gonna be matched by the same amount out im assuming so the splashing should be minimal to negligible.

I had considered that as well, but decided I want to move the chaeto I have into the tank as a refugium too. It'd also provide a place to cultivate copepods.

 

[Wolfw28]

I under stand the idea of growing in the two litters but in not sure about the 20gall tank and your setup is confusing me. Are you trying to do something like this . It my plan to do something like this I all ready use a feeding tube and pump to add my pod and brine shrimp. I grow the phyto in jars that I set in my window and use natural sun light cheaper than lights may work a little slower but I have more than I can use.

 

[kdx7214]

I under stand the idea of growing in the two litters but in not sure about the 20gall tank and your setup is confusing me. Are you trying to do something like this . It my plan to do something like this I all ready use a feeding tube and pump to add my pod and brine shrimp. I grow the phyto in jars that I set in my window and use natural sun light cheaper than lights may work a little slower but I have more than I can use.

Not like that. I'm just going to have 2L bottles sitting in the 20g tank with 2 peristaltic pumps pushing new saltwater into the phyto (2L bottles). They will overflow into the 20g, which has saltwater in it, and then it will flow through the overflow into the sump. I was going to just do this in the sump, but I designed it badly and can't do it. I'll also make the 20 a refugium since the lighting and stuff will be there already. Let me get a drawing together and see if that will make sense.

 

[Dieing for a Drink]

Take a look https://synergyreef.com/product/synergy-reef-sock-silencer/

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Oh BTW a filter sock like a 200 micron is too big to catch phyto but small enough to probably catch the micro bubbles. But would catch copepods.

 

[Wolfw28]

Not like that. I'm just going to have 2L bottles sitting in the 20g tank with 2 peristaltic pumps pushing new saltwater into the phyto (2L bottles). They will overflow into the 20g, which has saltwater in it, and then it will flow through the overflow into the sump. I was going to just do this in the sump, but I designed it badly and can't do it. I'll also make the 20 a refugium since the lighting and stuff will be there already. Let me get a drawing together and see if that will make sense.

ok i see how big is your tank

 

[melbournedan]

i like my pipe to enter the first chamber of the sump on a 45° angle not straight down at 90°, you will have to play around with the length to get it right though and it does take up a little bit more room.

 

[melbournedan]

i also didn’t mind using one of these, but you need to use socks.

 

[kdx7214]

ok i see how big is your tank

The DT is 75 gallons, with a 40 sump

 

[kdx7214]

i like my pipe to enter the first chamber of the sump on a 45° angle not straight down at 90°, you will have to play around with the length to get it right though and it does take up a little bit more room.

That's what I have right now, just can't get the bubbles to go away. I'm awaiting a package with some foam that might help so we'll see