Greech, where did you get the specifications / ideas on how to design and build your sump? (including overflow)
greech's Simple 40 Breeder
- Thread starter greech
- Start date
I really just looked all over online. Googling was my friend.
The 20 high was he biggest "standard" tank I could fit in my stand so that decsion was easy. After that, I picked out which skimmer I wanted and made sure my baffle height was taller than the skimmer manufacturer's recommended maximum water level and that the section where the skimmer was going had a big enough footprint for the skimmer to sit in.
The other thing I had to consider was whether my sump could handle the backflow of water from the display after the return pump was cut off. To do this I just calculated the total volume of the baffled sections which I think came to like 15 of the 20 gallons leaving me with 5 gallons of room for water to backsiphon. I knew there was no way my tank would drain 5 gallons before air got into the return line since the overflow teeth would only be a couple of inches below my water line. Turns out I could have baffled a few more inches higher as I only backsiphon about 2 gallons.
I chose the 800gph box because it is always better to have a larger drain especially with a HOB overflow. I could have done the 300 but I felt safer with a larger drain. No matter what you read you DO NOT have to match your return pump to your HOB overflow's rated capacity. If you get a 1200gph overflow that only means the box can handle up to 1200gph not that you MUST pump 1200gph through it. keep in mind that the overflow ratings are usually inflated so a 1200gph overflow may only handle 1,000gph on it's best day
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Get a larger drain and a larger return pump (taking head loss into account) than what you think you need and add a ball or gate valve to your return line to fine tune things.
The 20 high was he biggest "standard" tank I could fit in my stand so that decsion was easy. After that, I picked out which skimmer I wanted and made sure my baffle height was taller than the skimmer manufacturer's recommended maximum water level and that the section where the skimmer was going had a big enough footprint for the skimmer to sit in.
The other thing I had to consider was whether my sump could handle the backflow of water from the display after the return pump was cut off. To do this I just calculated the total volume of the baffled sections which I think came to like 15 of the 20 gallons leaving me with 5 gallons of room for water to backsiphon. I knew there was no way my tank would drain 5 gallons before air got into the return line since the overflow teeth would only be a couple of inches below my water line. Turns out I could have baffled a few more inches higher as I only backsiphon about 2 gallons.
I chose the 800gph box because it is always better to have a larger drain especially with a HOB overflow. I could have done the 300 but I felt safer with a larger drain. No matter what you read you DO NOT have to match your return pump to your HOB overflow's rated capacity. If you get a 1200gph overflow that only means the box can handle up to 1200gph not that you MUST pump 1200gph through it. keep in mind that the overflow ratings are usually inflated so a 1200gph overflow may only handle 1,000gph on it's best day
.Get a larger drain and a larger return pump (taking head loss into account) than what you think you need and add a ball or gate valve to your return line to fine tune things.
Thank you!
snupa - I made a mistake in my response. I knew my sump could handle the backsiphon because my drain line (not overflow teeth) was only an inch or so below the water line. Once the water drains below that ar enters the line and breaks the siphon.
No I have it online still. It was skimmerless for almost 2-years. It's a good skimmer and pulls some really nasty stuff but if it went down or broke I probably wouldn't replace it and go back to being skimmerless.
have you noticed any difference from adding a skimmer and a sump to when you were skimmerless/sumpless?
livestock acting different, more nitrate/phosphate, etc?
thanks.
livestock acting different, more nitrate/phosphate, etc?
thanks.
About the only difference I see is more pods. I do weekly water changes and always have and my nutrient levels have always been non detect or 10ish nitrates if anything. If I had a tank full of fish before and after I might have been able to notice a difference but with only the 2 clowns and target feeding them and corals I just don't feel that the skimmer has made a significant impact. Like I said, it's a good skimmer though. My cup is full of dark, stinky skimmate after 3 or so days.
I love ur setup greech, glad to see ur tank has been such a success. I have to say the learning curve on saltwater is steep. I have 5 freshwater tanks and those are on autopilot. The salt tank is constant stuff for me, lol... I have had mine running since may, started with a 28g bowfront and upgraded to a 40breeder after 3 months... I have a sump, extra live rock, chaeto, water changes every week or 2 and my nitrates have climbed upwards to 60-80. I have done a series of 50 percent changes to get it back down, but, man oh man, what a pain... I have a skimmer that is like 15 years old and barely pulls anything. For quite a while, I had the sump, and no skimmer...This is when the nitrates started to climb. I have come to the conclusion that u need a skimmer OR a nice HOB filter for mechanical filtration, or u will get nitrates climbing fast. I only had 2 fish and my nitrates were high... I have actually added a penguin 150 with polyfill to help keep mechanical filtration up there... chaeto has been no help, but i am trying other stuff to get it growing. I think a skimmer is very important if u are not running a HOB...Both do the same thing, but the skimmer is WAY more efficient doing it...Ur skimmer is stopping the detritus from even breaking down into nitrates.
Anyway, I love the updates, ur doing a great job man!
Anyway, I love the updates, ur doing a great job man!
