500+ gallon Build

IMO, I would do cheato and LR in your sump. Maybe a layer of rubble rock in your fuge, great place for pods to party!

One thing I'm having a hard time following, You want to run a large fuge under your DT, then a sump behind your wall? IF that's what I'm reading, you are going to have to have a way to get from the DT, to the fuge, to the sump, then back to the DT. If your sump is lower than your fuge or visa-versa, you will need to plan for that action of moving water thru each level.

 

You read correctly. And I agree... I am leaning strongly to LR and rubble pile and large amount of chaeto unless someone really comes up with a persuasive story otherwise.

Sump and Refugium will both be at ground level. DT will overflow drain into four 2" drains. One drain will go into the fuge so that I don't get too fast of flow in there. Three drains will dump into sump. Fuge will have a connection from the top side of the fuge to the top side of the sump...Two 2" connections, so there's no chance of more supply coming in than the drain can handle. Thus all the water from the fuge will flow into the sump. Return pumps will be in the sump. If the water level in the fuge is higher than the sump, the water will flow that direction....

I am treating both the under tank fuge and the separate sump as one big "integrated sump".... just like you'd typically have under a tank with baffles silicone'd into a breeder for separate compartments.... I will just have my compartments in physically separate tanks... separated by a wall... the flow diagram will be identical to a typical sump...

1) drains dump into socks *
2) bubble trap
3) fuge with LR and chaeto
4) skimmer compartment
5) return pump compartment

Typically, I've seen a bypass from the initial compartment to bypass the fuge so you can moderate how much flow goes into the fuge. I was just going to skip the bypass and put one quarter of my flow into the fuge.

So, just as above where the fuge has a baffle than drains into the skimmer compartment... mine will have the same.... only difference is that my fuge will have two 2" PVC pipes going level to a separate compartment tank for the skimmer and return pumps.

Make sense???

M

 

Mindy (OFK), 110 gallons of Water Volume- that's what my sump keeps when in the running mode.

Close, the 110 is only in my sump, I figure my 180g DT has around 150g WV
I'm probably around 260g Total WV currently

NasaGeek- yes, first of all, welcome back to 3Reef.

I have read the entire thread again, since my last post.
Some great ideas you have, but even better that you are open minded to
other ideas, variations, etc.

FWIW- I rarely have any rock in my sump/fuge
I keep alot of LR- in the DT- isn't that what we put our corals on?

I have a linear flowing sump/fuge. i.e.- no slower flowing fuge part.
I still haven't seen any objective evidence that a slower flowing fuge is better.
Maybe it exists- I'd like to review a peer reviewed, objective comparison study, where that was the only variable on 2 systems, etc.
I do know that I've been doing it this way, and with an API test kit, Nitrates and phosphates always remain at 0.
I realize they are not as sensitive as a Hanna Checker- but I bet it's still REALLY low.

I like the reasoning for space/room and the under DT and in sump room idea too.
Keep up all the planning, etc., I'm sure it's gonna be good.
I'll keep checking in.

Oh, btw- I'm assuming this is going on a ground floor cement slab?

 

Can you build this a little faster please ?

 

Absolutely.... the tank is sitting on slab.... 1000 gals plus everything else.... 10,000 lbs....

Interesting point you make on the slow flow versus fast flow fuges.... I will ponder that one...

 

Switched back to the sump room in the utility room.... added third wall of glass on the tank.

Wall to the left of the tank is all glass with blinders as shown. The glass has UV blocker on it, so virtually zero sunlight heat comes in.

 

NG, did you take that picture in your avatar? I have always wanted to see a shuttle launch, too bad our current administration poo'd that one.

I understand your sump/fuge idea. I just wanted to make sure you had that covered. That's one of those things that I would think of way too late. haha

Todd, you don't think that cheato ball the size of greendale doesn't slow down your flow in your sump??

From what I see, the compartments in a sump are there for mechanical reasons. The drain section of my sump keeps my water level stable for my skimmer. The fuge section is there for my chaeto, the bubble trap before my return section traps my bubbles from getting back to the DT. The return section hosts my Kalk drip, my ATO floats, my ato input point for ro/di water.

So, you have moved your equipment to it's respective heights so you can achieve a sump with no baffles, where there are just different ways of skinning the same beast. I'm no judge to say which way is better. We know a guy who runs a beautiful reef with no macroalgae and no skimmer; that just blows my mind to all this "you have to do it this way or else" mentality you can see around.

NG, didn't mean to get off topic! You layout looks great!
Have you thought about how you are going to reach the bottom of your tank? 3' sure is a long ways down and over... Your favorite frag goes missing and you find it in the back corner and it's face down in the sand. GO!

 

Yes, I had the privilege of taking that picture. That was the Ares-1X launch. A test flight for the Constellation Program that Obama cancelled. Needless to say, I am VERY MUCH not a fan of the current Administration... they have basically destroyed NASA. Very sad.

I've had a great career though... Got to participate in some amazing things.... Shuttle launches and landings, Galileo, International Space Station. It's been fun.

 

And, back to NG's thread/build.
Sounds/looks like some good plans, and any great system starts with a good plan!