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my sump design.. any comments?
- Thread starter beno
- Start date
I can't seem to see your sketch,
http://www.htmlgonebad.com/shane/index.php ,
here are some pics of my sump that i made myself. I used an old 10 gallon glass tank, 10 lbs of miracle mud in the bottom, 1 (empty) butter container with holes drilled about an inch below the top edge on the left with a 300 gph submersable pump in it. Another butter container on the right filled with bio-balls and holes drilled in the bottom, its proped up by egg-crate type plastic and has a piece of filter media on top where the overlow dumps the incoming water. the whole tank has a plastic hood with a 12" floresent el-cheapo bulb in it that i leave on all the time, there is about 5" of water in there at any given time and the calerpa is growing very quickly. It all works good and my chem levels are good, i even have fry! I built the whole thing for about 100 bucks and at 300 gph it cycles the tank (55 gal) about 5-6 times per hour. Hope this helps.
http://www.htmlgonebad.com/shane/index.php ,
here are some pics of my sump that i made myself. I used an old 10 gallon glass tank, 10 lbs of miracle mud in the bottom, 1 (empty) butter container with holes drilled about an inch below the top edge on the left with a 300 gph submersable pump in it. Another butter container on the right filled with bio-balls and holes drilled in the bottom, its proped up by egg-crate type plastic and has a piece of filter media on top where the overlow dumps the incoming water. the whole tank has a plastic hood with a 12" floresent el-cheapo bulb in it that i leave on all the time, there is about 5" of water in there at any given time and the calerpa is growing very quickly. It all works good and my chem levels are good, i even have fry! I built the whole thing for about 100 bucks and at 300 gph it cycles the tank (55 gal) about 5-6 times per hour. Hope this helps.
I'd eliminate that funky over the side return. Drill right into the sump for the return and put a bulkhead in it with a 90 degree elbow facing down with about 3/4" clearance between it and the floor of your sump. That will cut down on the suction noise and it will allow your pump to run with a low water level (you never know). Don't forget to add unions on both sides of the pump for quick disconnect and a check valve on the return of your pump. If you're going to hard plumb the overflow into the sump add a union there as well. It just makes life easier if anything bad happens.
Dubai
check valve http://www.marinedepot.com/a_ft_2.asp?CartId=#cv
entire listing http://www.marinedepot.com/a_ft__index.asp?CartId=
check valve http://www.marinedepot.com/a_ft_2.asp?CartId=#cv
entire listing http://www.marinedepot.com/a_ft__index.asp?CartId=
a float valve is just like the one you have in your toilet. The water level either opens or closes it. http://www.aquaticeco.com/aquatic1v1/it ... =0&eflag=0
http://www.aquaticeco.com/aquatic1v1/di ... 58493A5908
http://www.aquaticeco.com/aquatic1v1/di ... 58493A5908
http://www.aquaticeco.com/aquatic1v1/di ... 58493A5908
http://www.aquaticeco.com/aquatic1v1/di ... 58493A5908
ScottC":1fkafayy said:I'd eliminate that funky over the side return. Drill right into the sump for the return and put a bulkhead in it with a 90 degree elbow facing down with about 3/4" clearance between it and the floor of your sump. That will cut down on the suction noise and it will allow your pump to run with a low water level (you never know). Don't forget to add unions on both sides of the pump for quick disconnect and a check valve on the return of your pump. If you're going to hard plumb the overflow into the sump add a union there as well. It just makes life easier if anything bad happens.
How hard is it to drill into glass? Is a major feat or is it something that just about anyone can do. Also does it weaken the glass? I will have ball valves, quick disconnect and one-ways on it. I have most of the items readlly available, so its not a problem to do that.
Tankless in Dubai":nrrzqfvu said:I understand this!
Questions:
1). How will you get water from the main tank down to the sump?
2). Can someone show me a picture of a float valve?
Thanks guys!
I have on the 75ga a overflow that will feed the sump. I have an acrylic tank that I have holes already drilled about 2" from the top in the back. I will just use that for the overflow.
beno, drilling holes in glass has a 25% chance of cracking. Is your sump glass? If so, I have been told that since a glass sump is only half full, due to the uneven water pressure, it will cause it to bow thus causing the seals to weaken and eventually fall apart.
If the tank will eventually fall apart, would I be able to instead of going up over and down like the pic shows, go up into the pump (that will now be located on top of the tank, and then pumped back into the main tank. Would that still cause the pump to burnout faster?
Also. I was looking into a new skimmer. I need to find one that is under 20" tall and can either fit inside of the sump or outside. Any suggestions?
Also. I was looking into a new skimmer. I need to find one that is under 20" tall and can either fit inside of the sump or outside. Any suggestions?
OK this is basic stuff, but please bare with me...
If one has an over flow (a separated compartment with holes at the top for water to enter), how then, does the water in the overflow compartment get down in to the sump?
I understand that the Durso flowpipe is one way, what is another way to get the water from the main tank into the sump? Powerhead? Pump? What are the options?
Thanks guys.
If one has an over flow (a separated compartment with holes at the top for water to enter), how then, does the water in the overflow compartment get down in to the sump?
I understand that the Durso flowpipe is one way, what is another way to get the water from the main tank into the sump? Powerhead? Pump? What are the options?
Thanks guys.
beno, get a acrylic aquarium as your sump, then you can drill it and not worry about it cracking or falling apart later.
Dubai, another method is my gravity. Once the the water starts flowing, its momentum will continue to draw water. Just like a siphon.
Dubai, another method is my gravity. Once the the water starts flowing, its momentum will continue to draw water. Just like a siphon.
You just turn off the pump to stop water from flowing. Drill a hole in the main tank if you can; over the side u-tubes are much less reliable. A durso standpipe is a u-tube also, but it only exists to quiet the water flowing into the standpipe.
Try to do your plumbing using no float valves or check valves. Both yours are unecessary. A properly plumbed tank has no need for these, and they are ultimately just extra complications that can fail.
The inside of the compartment has a hole drilled in its floor, or occasionally in the exterior wall of the tank. You could just leave it like that, but there would be a fair amount of splashing as the water falls over the bulkhead. Most people install a standpipe inside the overflow compartment to raise the water level in the compartment to lessen the splashing. The durso standpipe makes it quieter by eliminating "toilet" type gurgling.
Gravity is the only way! No pumping down. The two options are u-tube over the side (bad) or an internal overflow compartment with standpipe as I mentioned above (good). You also actually can drill a hole in the base of the tank and install a standpipe with no internal overflow. In this case the height of the standpipe controls the water level in the tank itself. I see this at fish stores sometimes- simpler but makes servicing more difficult.
The one place I would recommend valves is on the pipes directly before and after the pump. Not check valves or anything, just regular ball valves. That way when you have to remove the pump for servicing you won't have a flood from the sump. Thats probably the only place you need any valve.
Is your flow into the sump going only through the skimmer? You might want to split that lline as too much flow could be going through the skimmer for it to work properly. I guess that might be another place for a ball valve to control how much of the water goes into the skimmer.
Main points IMO: no float or check valves, and only one pump for circulation. - DC
Try to do your plumbing using no float valves or check valves. Both yours are unecessary. A properly plumbed tank has no need for these, and they are ultimately just extra complications that can fail.
If one has an over flow (a separated compartment with holes at the top for water to enter), how then, does the water in the overflow compartment get down in to the sump?
The inside of the compartment has a hole drilled in its floor, or occasionally in the exterior wall of the tank. You could just leave it like that, but there would be a fair amount of splashing as the water falls over the bulkhead. Most people install a standpipe inside the overflow compartment to raise the water level in the compartment to lessen the splashing. The durso standpipe makes it quieter by eliminating "toilet" type gurgling.
understand that the Durso flowpipe is one way, what is another way to get the water from the main tank into the sump? Powerhead? Pump? What are the options?
Gravity is the only way! No pumping down. The two options are u-tube over the side (bad) or an internal overflow compartment with standpipe as I mentioned above (good). You also actually can drill a hole in the base of the tank and install a standpipe with no internal overflow. In this case the height of the standpipe controls the water level in the tank itself. I see this at fish stores sometimes- simpler but makes servicing more difficult.
The one place I would recommend valves is on the pipes directly before and after the pump. Not check valves or anything, just regular ball valves. That way when you have to remove the pump for servicing you won't have a flood from the sump. Thats probably the only place you need any valve.
Is your flow into the sump going only through the skimmer? You might want to split that lline as too much flow could be going through the skimmer for it to work properly. I guess that might be another place for a ball valve to control how much of the water goes into the skimmer.
Main points IMO: no float or check valves, and only one pump for circulation. - DC
Posted by Mountainbiker:
-Where did you come up with this information??
-This is false if you are using a quality aquarium to begin with. There is absolutely no problem using a glass aquarium for a sump.
Steve
beno, drilling holes in glass has a 25% chance of cracking.
-Where did you come up with this information??
Is your sump glass? If so, I have been told that since a glass sump is only half full, due to the uneven water pressure, it will cause it to bow thus causing the seals to weaken and eventually fall apart.
-This is false if you are using a quality aquarium to begin with. There is absolutely no problem using a glass aquarium for a sump.
Steve
SPC, from my LFS http://www.aquaticwarehouse.com/site/index.cfm
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