basic sump/fuge project

[Jay.B.]

I don't have a great deal of space under my tank and the cabinet is split in to two halves making it awkward to get a pre built system to fit.
so I decided to have a bash myself.
I picked up a new aquastart 320 1' cube for half price and set to butchering it:

what I started with, but in silver
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/52090BK_001.jpg

the shelf on the right hand side of the cabinet has been cut out to make room for my skimmer, and on the under side of the shelf I have screwed the light unit from the butchered aqua one hood.
It's a start. nothing too big to begin with as I can always do something similar for the other side and re home the electrics outside the cabinet making a double sump type arrangement.

a few pics of the mess so far :) :

Tank with plastic trim removed and skimmer placed in situ:
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1646.jpg

The cutout made in the shelf to take the skimmer:
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1647.jpg

The light unit from the butchered hood before being screwed to the underside of the shelf:
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1648.jpg

Tank skimmer and shelf in place:
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1654.jpg
and with the sump light on:
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1655.jpg

Full shot of under tank as it is at the moment taken with flash:
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1659.jpg
and one taken without flash with sump light on:
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1657.jpg

still got a long way to go with this.
I have some 5mm acrylic on order, to make some baffles and stuff, and will need to drill/cut the shelf again to take the pipework.
not sure how I'm going to set it up yet, if it's going to have a sand bed, or LR and a big chunk of algae in it and run more as a refugium.
I'm still kind of just playing it by ear and seeing what happens.
So... that's what I'm up to anyway :)

any input is welcome as always

[tamz273]

niiiiiiicely done!!

[Jay.B.]

Took another step forward today.
The silicone sealant and acrylic sheets arrived towards the end of last week, so this weekend I managed to cut a few little pieces out and seal them in place for the supply and return water flow baffles.
The supply water pipe will go to the bottom of one corner baffle reducing bubbles and splash back to a minimum.
The return pipe will go down to the bottom of the other corner baffle to reduce the amount of micro bubbles returned to the tank (my skimmer currently puts lots of these back in to the tank as it operates)
Normal operating water depth in the sump should be approx 1" to 2" above the height of these sections.
Setting it up this way should hopefully remove any risk of overflowing in the main tank if the syphon breaks and the water keeps pumping up to the main tank from the sump.
This should also leave enough room in the sump in case the return pump fails and the syphon keeps the water flowing from the tank to the sump until the water level in the tank drops below the minimum level for the overflow box to work.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1730.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1731.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1729.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1735.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1736.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h271/jayb_72/sump%20build/IMG_1737.jpg

[Reefscape]

I am thinking them two compartments are gonna hinder the system....especially the ammount of water which could be housed in the return..If it was me, i would remove the return part, at least...i think it "could" cause a flow issue...

Plus....i dont see a need for them...microbubbles can be sorted with either filter socks or sponges..

[Reefscape]

Plus Plus....how do you intend to get a return pump inside the chamber? and if you do, think of the water displacement caused by the pump, will lessen even more the actual water volume of the chamber...

[Cheech]

^^ agree with above. Or at the very least make the return chamber larger.

[Ace25]

Nice start, but I think I would have went with 2 of those tanks that you are making into the sump, one on each side. Remove the Fluval filter. Make your overflow T off into both sides, make one side a remote deep sand bed/refugium with an piece of PVC as an overflow to the sump tank. Split the second tank, one on the left which would just just the sump, into 2 chambers, one for a return pump, one for a skimmer and heater and maybe a bag of chemi-pure. JMHO.

Do a search for Woodright on here, he made a sump/refugium like I am describing for his 75G. It is a bigger scale than yours, but the idea is the same.

[Cheech]

Jay,

I took the liberty in drawing a setup with your sump...

Personally, this is probably how I would layout your fuge. I'd use it as a fuge, with your heater/skimmer/water from tank in the chamber on the left, deep sand bed with some chaeto in the middle, and return on the right. By the time the water goes thru the baffles, you won't have any bubbles...

If this is a reef you're setting up, I'd also remove the fluval ( or run it empty for extra water volume). Provided you have enough live rock in your main tank, you may not want any mech. filtration, and you can use the fuge for temporarily adding filter socks with media if needed .


Good luck!

[Jay.B.]

Sorry for the delay in replying, been sorting out and moving house.

OK then... in order of appearance :)


Plus Plus....how do you intend to get a return pump inside the chamber? and if you do, think of the water displacement caused by the pump, will lessen even more the actual water volume of the chamber...

the return is going to be via the fluval external canister, so the pick up pipe only will go in to that chamber, hinder? maybe, but with using a hang on overflow, I am building in a safe guard in case either end fails, I would rather pay out for a new fluval that burned out instead of replacing flooring and carpets when the return empties the sump in to the tank.
Another reason, for just having the two corners as in and out, was to give much more of a usable/active area for the sand bed or what-ever I decide to go with.


Nice start, but I think I would have went with 2 of those tanks that you are making into the sump, one on each side. Remove the Fluval filter. Make your overflow T off into both sides, make one side a remote deep sand bed/refugium with an piece of PVC as an overflow to the sump tank. Split the second tank, one on the left which would just just the sump, into 2 chambers, one for a return pump, one for a skimmer and heater and maybe a bag of chemi-pure. JMHO.

Do a search for Woodright on here, he made a sump/refugium like I am describing for his 75G. It is a bigger scale than yours, but the idea is the same.

The plan is at some point to add a second unit on the other side when funding and time become more available, this will be taller (or if the same height will be raised up) than the right hand side and overflow from left to right.


Jay,

I took the liberty in drawing a setup with your sump...

Personally, this is probably how I would layout your fuge. I'd use it as a fuge, with your heater/skimmer/water from tank in the chamber on the left, deep sand bed with some chaeto in the middle, and return on the right. By the time the water goes thru the baffles, you won't have any bubbles...

If this is a reef you're setting up, I'd also remove the fluval ( or run it empty for extra water volume). Provided you have enough live rock in your main tank, you may not want any mech. filtration, and you can use the fuge for temporarily adding filter socks with media if needed .


Good luck!

Thank you very much for that, great drawing. I think I will use the left hand side you have drawn and keep the return the same (keeping the fluval in use as it is now, with filter floss, carbon and rowaphos) making a larger area for the sand bed pictured. Also, a larger area for a return pump wouldn't be required as it would just be the uplift pipe from the fluval (acting as the return pump).

Thanks everyone for your input, lots of stuff to take on board and try to put to use. Hopefully in the next few weeks I will be able to update this thread again.
But for now, here's the tank it wil be used on:

Not a great picture, was taken on my phone. It's also a little cloudy as I had just done a water change and re-arranged the rock stirring up a little dusty stuff :)
72210

[Cheech]

good to hear!! Your tank pic doesn't work, but good luck, and keep us updated.. :)

[Jay.B.]

That's weird LOL it worked yesterday when I posted.
I'll sort one out when I update next :)

[Jay.B.]

not a great deal has happened this last month or two... apart from moving house, everybody survived the move :)
project on hold at the moment as I may possibly be upgrading in the next few months, pointless finishing off something that won't get used for it's intended purpose, so I'll hang on to it, it may come in for something else or somebody may want to buy it, to finish it off, to suit their own little project...