Triton sump layout help

[got2lb]

I'm starting up a 180 gallon tank. I'll be using a 40 breeder as the sump. I had the sump all laid out and ready to go for a traditional layout. Skimmer/fuge/return. Well I decided to give Triton a try. I cut the baffles out already. I'm running a MTC MVX skimmer external with a submersible pump to run it. I originally just had the pump in the first compartment of the sump. Now would it be ok to basically just have one huge compartment for the fuge then have it overflow into the return area and have the return pump and the skimmer pump both in that same compartment? Or should there be a compartment for the fuge, then skimmer pump, then another for the return pump?

 

[Broadfield]

You will want a three chamber sump for the Triton method. The first chamber will be the large one for the fuge. The drain(s) will dump directly into the fuge chamber... no socks. The second chamber will be for the skimmer and the last chamber for the return pump. There's two primary reasons why you do not want to run the skimmer in the same chamber as the return pump.

1. There's a lot better chance of getting microbubbles, from the skimmer, into the display.
2. The return chamber is the one that will vary in water height due to evaporation. Since most skimmers are very sensitive to even the slightest change in water height, it's not advisable to place the skimmer in the return chamber.

 

[got2lb]

Thanks for your response. The skimmer will not be in the sump. It will be run external. Just the pump for the skimmer will be in the sump. The return from the skimmer will dump back into the beginning of the fuge right by the drains from the display. Hopefully this makes sense? That is why I was thinking maybe a 2 compartment may work but having the return pump and skimmer feed pump in the last section together may be ok. This would allow the fuge section to be larger.

 

[Broadfield]

Thanks for your response. The skimmer will not be in the sump. It will be run external. Just the pump for the skimmer will be in the sump. The return from the skimmer will dump back into the beginning of the fuge right by the drains from the display. Hopefully this makes sense? That is why I was thinking maybe a 2 compartment may work but having the return pump and skimmer feed pump in the last section together may be ok. This would allow the fuge section to be larger.

I'm sorry, I read that part of it and totally ignored it when I typed my reply lol.

I can't think of any reason why that wouldn't work out just fine!