Trigger 34 Platinum or Titanium sump - Filter Sock (not fleece roller) version

[RobertK]

Hey all, Does anyone have the base version of either of these Trigger 34 sumps (without the fleece roller)? Seems like all of the complaints are about their fleece rollers, but I'd like to know how the sump is otherwise, with the filter socks. I like the idea of a moveable divider between the skimmer and the refugium compartments on the Platinum and Titanium models, but does it work well in real life? Thanks!

 

[zbrusko]

I have a titanium 39. Socks, then heaters, skimmer, carbon reactor in 2nd chamber. I was able to size it to my needs. Third chamber has some rock rubble & a surf ATS. It is in the basement (one floor below the tank), and was installed for me, but it has an apex, trident, ato all connected through the various “holes” designed for these things. The lids are about 1mm too small and are a pain to set, but I’m otherwise very pleased.

 

[RobertK]

Thanks. How is that moveable divider between the 2nd and 3rd chambers? And is it height adjustable as well for skimmer depth? I'd think you could easily glue some tabs on the lids to make them fit better.

 

[zbrusko]

Oh, good point about the lids! It is not height adjustable. There is a baffle to adjust water level, but it affects all three chambers. The return chamber is height-adjustable based on how much water is in it. In my experience, all sumps are like this. It is easy to move the divider left and right to modify chamber size, and it is very sturdy when in place.

 

[RobertK]

Oh, good point about the lids! It is not height adjustable. There is a baffle to adjust water level, but it affects all three chambers. The return chamber is height-adjustable based on how much water is in it. In my experience, all sumps are like this. It is easy to move the divider left and right to modify chamber size, and it is very sturdy when in place.

From the pictures it looks like the baffle between the 3rd and 4th chambers is height adjustable. But how would that affect all 3 chambers? Are there holes in the moveable divider between the 2nd and 3rd chamber?

 

[zbrusko]

The baffle between the 3rd & 4th chamber is how you set the water height for the whole sump, with the exception of the 4th chamber. That can go as high as the others, or down to empty. Evaporation is reflected in the 4th chamber only.

If you fill the sump to the point where all chambers are the same height, then it can all go higher, but that is essentially overflowing the baffle that regulates the height for the first three.

Yes, there is a fish-shaped cutout in the movable divider to let water through. There are holes in the divider between the socks (chamber 1) & chamber 2.

 

[RobertK]

Got it, thanks for explaining that. I didn't see that the fish-shaped design on the divider was open for water to flow through. I guess the flow of water through it would prevent macroalgae growing in the 3rd compartment from getting back into the skimmer compartment? Seems kinda iffy though. I suppose one could cover up that fish-shaped opening, have a refugium in the second compartment with a higher water level, water would flow over the top of the moveable wall into the skimmer compartment which could then have a lower water level.