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- Thread starter strout
- Start date
Well, the tank is about 2 inches away from being full, then I have to put some water in the sump. I put the salt in about 2 hours aga, now I have a ton of small bubbles in the tank.
This is a picture of my buddie, shes checking out the new tank.
Got the quarantine tank set up today, I think all I have to do now is wait for my live rock to come in
This is a picture of my buddie, shes checking out the new tank.
Got the quarantine tank set up today, I think all I have to do now is wait for my live rock to come in
Let me start by saying there isn't any mail today, holiday. Ok, heres were we are at, the tank is full and the sump is running. Seeings how I have never seen a sump running I will try and tell you what its doing and ya'll can tell me if it sounds about right. The first chamber in the sump, the drain from the tank, has a glass divider in it, about 2 inchs off the bottom of the sump tank and rises to about 3 inches from the top of the sump tank ( I think this is about a 45 gallon sump tank, just a guess) anyway this chamber is half full and maintains this level. The second chamber, which is fed thru the space from under the first chambers divider has a sponge in it, this second chamber has a divider, and its about half the height of the tank and half the height of the first chambers height. The water works it way thru the sponge and over the divider and into the last chamber where the skimmer sits (not running) and the return pump sits. I have this chamber half full, which means the return pump is just covered with water. At first it was a balancing act trying to get enough water in this chamber so the pump would pump without sucking water and air, anyway, its not sucking air and is maintaining its water level, a balance has been found, between the drain from the tank and the return pump. Does this sound about right or wrong? Also, my LR won't be here as I told you till Thursday, should I turn the pumps off now and put my sand in the tank or wait till I have the LR in the tank?
most sumps are set up with the skimmer in the first section where the drain is....then the water flows into the center which is usually the refugium....then the last is the return.....the water in the return will fluctuate in level as all the evaporation shows up in this section....you will want to ensure that the return and the skimmer are not in the same part. can you take a picture and let us see how this is set up? thanks!
this site will give you some ideas
Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums
this site will give you some ideas
Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums
Okay from what I see......the return is on the left? is that correct.....if so you would want the drain to drain on the right side into the skimmer section. As you will have your skimmer in this section you won't really have a fuge per se....you could probably add some live rock rubble in this section along with heater etc.....how much water sits in the return section on the left.....you would normally want this to be a large section as this is where the evaporation goes on and where you will run your auto top off to......you don't want your drain and return in the same place as the water will bypass the skimmer....I am not sure if I am seeing this right.......
Is there a minimum depth required for your skimmer to work, some in sump skimmers need a certain depth to work efficiently. You may run into problems as you will need to keep the water level at a certain level for the skimmer and at the same time you may be battling evaporation and topoff as it is also the return section. I think I may be tempted to add a couple baffles and create a return section on the far right side. This will let the skimmer section contain a steady water level and the top off into the right return section. This set up doesn't leave you room for a refugium though you could put some macro possibly in the skimmer section. You would have to be careful the skimmer pump doesn't suck any algae into it though.....not exactly an optimal set up but one that will work. I am betting that you rework this sump in the next 6 months..... 
oh, we all do....tinker with our sump set ups....
oh, we all do....tinker with our sump set ups....
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I agree with you about this sump, I had posted here that I didnt like this set up in my sump. I think the skimmer drain hose needs to be feeding another chamber and in that chamber needs to be the return pump to the tank. I cant belive the skimmer and the return pump are in the same chamber, your skimming water and returning it into the pool of water that needs to be skimmed. I went to another LFS , not the one I bought my tank from and he had his skimmers set up the same way mine is, but I dont think its the best way, but who am I to tell these guys there might be a better way.