Last minute sump quest

[SlingingBuddha]

In a few hours I'll begin building my sump, I just have a few last minute questions before I start.

1. Optimal sump depth is 5.5" so I'm gonna go with 6, should both baffles be the same height or different?
2. The center baffle I was gonna put 1" higher than the rest, good or higher

 

[kschweer]

What skimmer will you be running in the sump? Most have an optimal running depth. I would do the bacfles the same height. And 1" up for the center of the bubble trap is fine.

 

[SlingingBuddha]

I bought the sro 1000 from Chris, optimal is 5.5" was just gonna round it off to 6

 

[jgraz]

Sump depth is entirely up to you. Remember you can always build a stand as I did to raise the skimmer. Example, I used a 40 breeder for a sump. My skimmer, a SWC160 cone is recommended at 7"-9" I believe. I wanted to sun it at 7.5". I had to build a stand to accomplish this since my first baffle is 12"H. My sump is a skimmer/fuge/return style. Here is mine if you need to see an example http://www.njreefers.org/showthread.php?77752-Jgraz-s-Finally-a-Proper-Tank-90-Upgrade/page10

 

[kschweer]

If there's room to Run the simp at a higher level I would do so. I asked to make sure you went deep enough. As Jgraz said you can always raise the skimmer.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I would make the baffles as high as you can to maximize the water volume in the sump. You want to leave enough room to allow back-wash water coming back into the sump when the pump is turned off. As mentioned, just build a shelf for the skimmer to reach the ideal depth. Here’s my sump (40 breeder) with high baffles….and yes I have more than enough room for the water coming back into the sump when the pump is turned off.

You mentioned making the middle baffle one inch higher. I’m just having a tough time picturing this, not knowing where the feed pipe is and whether there are maybe two feed pipes. If you have one feed pipe coming into the sump (at one end), the baffles have to be highest at the pipe end and then may be shorter as you go further from the feed pipe. You can’t have the feed pipe coming into the sump, then have a short baffle, followed by a taller baffle. The water level will be at the height of the tallest baffle.

 

[SlingingBuddha]

Are there benefits to having higher baffles?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Are there benefits to having higher baffles?

Yes....more water volume.

 

[SlingingBuddha]

Yeah I read your post shortly after I said that lol, this is the diagram I'm following. It was posted by a fellow member (no clue who at this point it was awhile ago) I was gonna follow that but my fuge is only 12" with 6" baffles but now I'm considering larger ones

 

[shookONES]

What size is the display, and what size is the sump? You'll need to account for the water that spills over should the power go out. Also, make sure your baffles get smaller as the water flows. Use DVD cases as spacers...worked wonders for my build. Here's a quick snap of my 20g sump used on my 40g reef.

 

[shookONES]

Here's one the day after construction.

 

[jgraz]

Yeah I read your post shortly after I said that lol, this is the diagram I'm following. It was posted by a fellow member (no clue who at this point it was awhile ago)View attachment 4547 I was gonna follow that but my fuge is only 12" with 6" baffles but now I'm considering larger ones

Thats my drawing and my sump. this was my first sump. I had it built for me, and the water level was determined by the recommended skimmer depth.

This is my current. same one in the sketch you posted. I got about 10 gal more volume out of it. I could have gotten more had I made the baffles higher. I still have plenty of room after drain down.

 

[SlingingBuddha]

You think I should have 10" baffles or is that pushing it (12" high tank)

 

[jgraz]

What size is the DT, and the sump? Remember only the first baffle would be 10" high, if you follow the diagram, the remaining will be shorter by 1" then another 1".

 

[redfishbluefish]

You think I should have 10" baffles or is that pushing it (12" high tank)

Insufficient information.


Need to know a couple things to answer this question.

How big is your DT?
How deep are the return lines and is there a siphon break (and how deep is that break)?
How big is the Sump and what are the dimensions of each section?

You can also get a little more back-wash volume by lowering the top-off level in the return section of the sump.

EDIT TO ADD: Oops! I see you answered this John while I was typing.

 

[SlingingBuddha]

I ended up buying one from Chris prebuilt

 

[SlingingBuddha]

Big thanks for Chris for the sump!!