New to using a Sump, protien Skimmer ? and...

[WRB]

New to setting up a sump for a 120 DT. Have to take down the old 120 and get the new one inplace asap for my livestocks sake. if the return pump move say 500gph and the skimmer is rated for a tank even larger than mine but moves 180gph how does that accomplish anything. Doesn't all the water have to move thru it instead of on down to the pump area where is immediately returns to the DT. I've never in 35 years had filtration outside the tank and I'm terrified but I have a seam slowly failing on my current tank.

 

[dedragon]

Skimmer water flow will pull that many gallons of water into and out of the skimmer 185 times per hour (depending on the size of the skimmer also a lot will be recirculated back into the skimmer as well). The water flow in the sump allows for new water to enter the skimmer as the return pump pumps out the "clean" water. Is 500gph how much the pump is rated or is that how much it is rated for accounting for head loss? Which Protein skimmer as well?

 

[dedragon]

Yes it would be a lot more efficient if it was processing the water over and over like in a recirculating skimmer, but i find an effective in sump skimmer to be more than adequate for o2 and some waste removal

 

[WRB]

Makes sense, just wanted some insight,Thanks.

The sump is 50g tank, so do you include the real volume with the DT's to decide on the bio-load?

Now all I have to do is accept having water leave my DT to be filtered.

 

[dedragon]

Makes sense, just wanted some insight,Thanks.

The sump is 50g tank, so do you include the real volume with the DT's to decide on the bio-load?

Now all I have to do is accept having water leave my DT to be filtered.

That is why you install a check valve on the return line so in case of a power outage or pump failure it doesnt siphon water to the sump. Also have the drain pipes high enough so that the sump doesnt increase in water too much, if it increases too much when the power turns back on the skimmer will dump its waste into the sump in most cases, not too bad but just more annoying

 

[dedragon]

Wye Check Valve

Why does BRS recommend this? Check valves are always a good idea to have, however when it comes to reliability you get what you pay for. There are other good check valves on the market but we feel that the Georg Fischer Wye check valve is by far the most superior. They have a removable plunger...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

This is the only check valve i will use on a return though as it is much more heavy duty than normal check valves

 

[WRB]

There's a mechanical check valve that will close automatically if there's a power outgage or pump failure correct. I don't have the funds to go all Hi tech Apex/neptune or whatever but I do travel on short trios since I'm retired. Neighbor feed and watches my tank now but anything more than calling me would be over whelming for them. Flooding is a concern.

 

[WRB]

Wye Check Valve

Why does BRS recommend this? Check valves are always a good idea to have, however when it comes to reliability you get what you pay for. There are other good check valves on the market but we feel that the Georg Fischer Wye check valve is by far the most superior. They have a removable plunger...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

This is the only check valve i will use on a return though as it is much more heavy duty than normal check valves

Thank you! Thats what I was typing about. So will it open when power comes back on?

 

[dedragon]

yep it just closes due to the water siphoning back. Once the power comes back on it lets the water flow freely

 

[dedragon]

I, as a lot of us on the forum, have already had to deal with a lot of these issues through trial and error (and a lot of water on the floor), lmk if you have any other questions and i will try to help out as best i can, dont need another to suffer through the same things I did

 

[WRB]

I, as a lot of us on the forum, have already had to deal with a lot of these issues through trial and error (and a lot of water on the floor), lmk if you have any other questions and i will try to help out as best i can, dont need another to suffer through the same things I did

Could iI put the same valve in the drain line or is the ater from the overflow side not an issue.

I greatly appreciate that. My tank is fish only and many have been with me for over a decade.
I'm gonna have them in a brute for about 48 hrs while I swap out sytems so I wanna get this one ready to rock and roll asap. I'm buying a basic plug and play set-up and it comes with a 500 gph return pump which I think will be fine for awhile and then I'd like to go with an adjustable dc unit and keep the 500 as a back up. I'll be able to use about 80 gals of my mature stable water and then make new for the balance. Kinda feeling over-whelmed!
Does the extra water I get in the sump allow me to increase my bio-load either with fish or if I try some basic corals?

 

[dedragon]

It depends, the sump gives you a lot more volume to add biomedia if you need, it will depend if your current fish accept the new inhabitants and have enough swimming room as well

 

[WRB]

Could I put the same valve in the drain line or is the water from the overflow side not an issue when the power or pump fails?

 

[dedragon]

Could I put the same valve in the drain line or is the water from the overflow side not an issue when the power or pump fails?

Wouldnt make sense as water would never flow the opposite direction of gravity, so it would just waste money

 

[WRB]

Wouldn't the drain continue until the water level in the DT dropped below the stand-pipe?
OR
Whan the power or pump fails the only concern is back-flow down to the pump/sump thru the return line?

 

[MattB69]

On the pump side it will drain until the siphon is broke. On the drain side it will drain to the bottom of the weir. I was taught that all valves will eventually fail and that a properly designed sump would have enough free space to handle the water that flows back from the display during a power failure. I have never had a flood because of power loss or from me powering down the whole system.

 

[dedragon]

On the pump side it will drain until the siphon is broke. On the drain side it will drain to the bottom of the weir. I was taught that all valves will eventually fail and that a properly designed sump would have enough free space to handle the water that flows back from the display during a power failure. I have never had a flood because of power loss or from me powering down the whole system.

If properly designed returns then this is 100% true but idk what system they picked up so a check valve is always a good option. As long as wye check valves are cleaned every couple of months they will pretty much last forever as long as the rubber/silicone gasket is maintained so it doesnt degrade.

Wouldn't the drain continue until the water level in the DT dropped below the stand-pipe?
OR
Whan the power or pump fails the only concern is back-flow down to the pump/sump thru the return line?

Yes you are correct about the stand pipes for drains, but the only way check valves work is if the water starts flowing in the opposite direction as what can happen if the return nozzle is too low under the dt's waterline (back siphoning will occur because of gravity), What exact tank did you end up purchasing

 

[WRB]

SC Aquariums 112 PNP

112 GALLON STARFIRE PNP SYSTEM

www.scaquariums.com

 

[dedragon]

nice system , as long as you keep the return lines high, just under the water level you should be fine not even using the return check valve as the siphon would break very fast and not allow too much water to drain into the sump

 

[dedragon]

I would check if the slits in the bottom of the overflow allow for water to keep draining all the way to the bottom of the tank, that would be a major issue