Piecing together filtration and functionality: How is your sump configured?

[Jyeef]

25Gal custom built sump:
Big chamber 1: heaters, drains, refugium, dosing lines -> baffle that could possibly hold something thin -> chamber 2: skimmer, ATO, return pumps (2)

 

[vlangel]

My sump is simple, with no chambers. Its not very pretty but is very functional for what I need, which is a place for renegade animals and extra macroalgae!

 

[Willhersh34]

Sump is a Bashsea Biofuge.
First chamber media cup with floss and skimmer
Second chamber is refugium with chaeto and a thin stripe hermit (don't ask)
Return section on a bashsea is divided into some coarse pads then the return section

 

[Gobi1canobi]

Piecing together filtration and functionality: How is your sump configured?

There are many ways to lay out a sump including variations in direction of flow, if there are baffles to create separate chambers, where the skimmer is placed (if there is a skimmer), where the refugium or algae reactor is placed (if they are included), and much more. DIY sumps allow for many options, but even with commercial sumps a reef keeper still has many choices. We want to know - How is your sump configured? Wherever you put your skimmer, if you have one, and whichever direction that your water flows (e.g., left to right, right to left, etc.), please tell us about your sump layout in the related discussion thread.

Photo by @mfinn


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.deltecdirectusa.com

“With dozens of protein skimmers, calcium reactors, media reactors and kalkwasser stirrers in operation, Deltec USA can speak from experience and help you with all your Deltec needs. Live customer support and a large inventory of products rounds out our mission to provide the best possible Deltec experience.”

I have a diy sump that comes in on the left the first chamber is about 6 inches of my 20 gal long and it’s split in half in the middle width wise so filtersock on right and skimmer on left then goes over a baffle into a lava rock wall that bottoms out into my fuge with chaeto and live rock then goes over a baffle into some live sand and rubble rock that bottoms out into some filter foam then open 6 inches and a filter wall before returning to the displays

 

[Joekovar]

It works...

 

[LPS Bum]

I have the standard Gen 2 Reefer 625 sump layout...

Chamber 1 has my ReefMat 1200, a couple bags of Seachem matrix and a cleaner shrimp with a clay pot for cover. I also feed my kalkwasser here.

Chamber 2 has my RedSea 300 skimmer, my small submersible UV for improved water clarity, and my 2 heaters.

Chamber 3 has my return pump (and the ATO tubing for top off).

Simple, but it works well.

 

[crahan]

125G homemade sump. Left to right

12” socks, heater and skimmer
2” bubble trap
28” refugeum/frag rack/critter jail
2” bubble trap
10” return pump, 2nd heater
18” fully blocked off ATO reservoir.

 

[amyxagl]

I have a all glass rimless tideline sump that came with my Planet Aquarium oceanvue edge with 6 chambers
1 Overflow / probes
2 3x mesh socks
3 Biomedia chamber
4 Refugium (Adjustable water level height)
5 Skimmer/internal cal rx/heater (adjustable water lever height)
6 Return pump

 

[MrGisonni]

Limited space in my APS cabinet. 7 gallon aquarium, skimmer, filter sock, bio blocks, denitrification chamber. 4 gallon ATO on the right. 30 gallon mixed reef

 

[jl002837]

Mine is homemade. 125g set into attached shed floor. Been up and running approximately 15 years
5 chambers, 1st is the return chamber from 2 tanks and a G4 skimmer return.
2nd is skinny and is where the plastic mesh is to pick up big particles, also is where the skimmer pump pulls from.
3rd chamber contains probes, heaters, pumps for the UV. Returns for carbon and GFO, all the good stuff.
5th is skinny, just a drop off to feed the last chamber, the return pump.
It’s not as clean as the photos i have seen but it works

 

[Damien Buckley]

Those here who have the skimmer following their refugium, how do you keep the chaeto etc from getting into the skimmer?

 

[Mabry]

Eshopps ADV-100 (discontinued for good reason) with funky flow pattern:
1. Large rectangular filter sock
2. Eshopps S-120 skimmer, heater, backup EcoTech S1 pump for external Aqua UV 25W and manifold (for external Spectrapure Dual Carbo/GFO media), hang on external Ice Cap CO2 scrubber (connected to S-120 air intake)
3. Refugium with bio blocks and Algae Barn clean vegetation, small night light overhead, nutrifying bacteria from Fritz or Algae Barn
4. EcoTech S2 return pump, Tunze ATO water level sensor and intake tube (overhead)
5. ADV-100 Bonus Chamber with removable two shelf rack (for bio balls etc) that shares some of the outflow from chamber 1 above and discharges into chamber 4

 

[amyxagl]

Those here who have the skimmer following their refugium, how do you keep the chaeto etc from getting into the skimmer?

i use a coarse floss pushed up against the walls. not only does it keep the macro contained better than the laser cut holes on the acrylic divider, it also keeps the light from spilling out and shining on cal rx and skimmer and growing algae anywhere else in the sump.

 

[Treefer32]

I Have 2 chambers in a modified 75 gallon sump.
1st chamber -
Overflow flows into Reefmat 1200
The reefmat 1200 and my skimmer sit on eggcrate on top of around 40 lbs of rock

I have an over sized skimmer. The middle chamber is where my two 300 watt Finex heaters rest.

Over the top of the return chamber I have a turbo Aquatics Algae turf scrubber. That flows into the return.

I have around 2400 GPH flowing through the sump and display.

 

[Amphibious Wallet]

40gal custom sump
Drain(ball/gate/straight->baffle->2x 200micron socks 1x loose floss->baffle->DSB+rubble+a little chaeto->double baffle->skimmer->baffle->return

 

[mboley]

I'm an other. 60 gallon system. Custom, deep sump with two chambers. On the right filter sock, extra rock, and HOB skimmer. On the left- pump, heater, ato system and probes. Sump was originally designed for the smallest ETS skimmer back in 2006. I couldn't find a modern skimmer that fit recently so I went with the Aqua Maxx HOB and it fits nicely. Sump holds 20 gallons as you see it.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Other here. Skimmer in one sump but in the first chamber with socks. Fuge in the other sumps

This is similar to my setup. It's a nightmarish series of tubes and pumped/plumbed together sumps to create my system.

 

[TX_REEF]

Display Sump (Red Sea Reefer 350 sump)

Chamber 1: in order of flow, reefmat, activated carbon, heaters (probe in display overflow), miracle mud tray, live rock, skimmer, algae turf scrubber
Chamber 2: Return pump, ATO sensor

Frag Tank Sump (40 breeder DIY with Jax Racks baffles)

Chamber 1: aquamesh, filter floss, heater probe
Chamber 2: Display fuge (sand, rock, macro, inverts), Kessil H80 DIY pendant, heater
Chamber 3: filter floss, activated carbon, return pump, ATO sensor

 

[Freenow54]

Still figuring out what to put in. My skimmer is in same chamber as sock. Now I put fabric stuffing bought at local fabric store in second chamber. Cuts down noise and catches a lot of filth. My sock never gets really dirty for some reason. Have another universal furnace filter folded in half with a phosphate pad in the middle in another. Live rock in last chamber. Found it better to run not light was trying cheats at one time. Never again. Interested in any advice

 

[snorklr]

20 long with Fiji Cube kit...(1) mesh socks (2) skimmer (3) fuge (4) sponge filter (5) return pump and float for top off