Installing sump (BROKE BOX!)

Well, I bought an overflow ($45) and a sump ($50) and I need help installing them. I am planning on hard plumbing everything and getting rid of the flex hose. As you can see, I have a hydor skimmer and a phosphate reactor that I will place in the first compartment. For the middle compartment, my plan is to create some sort of algae scrubber out of egg crate (see last picture). Any suggestions based on the image below? The 3rd compartment will house the return pump. Where should I put chaeto?





Notice the clear supports in the middle that can act as a support for egg crate.....how can I create an algae scrubber?



Lastly, how can I install this top-off system. I have a float switch installed.

 

It's bed time for me but you don't need to hard plumb, I'm not aware of any pros or Cons of it vs flex. I check back tomorrow and suggest more.

 

I'm holding you to it!

 

I'll let someone handle the ATO. First if your going to do an algae scrubber then your not going to wan to add cheato. That will be 2 sources of algae fighting for the same food supply. IMO.
There are pros and cons for hard plumbing. My system has hard plumbing. I like it because it is it is right where I want it. I plumbed it and used all the fittings to get it where I believe it needs to be. You know I can't give you a good reason other than I just like it better.
With the ATO already in the third compartment I would use that as your return compartment. The middle is where you can add your algae scrubber and the first is your skimmer section.
There really is no section that can house a fuge so I think cheato is not a good option anyway.
For an algae scrubber you can almost hang the piping across the top and let the mesh travel down the middle toward the mid section and just have a small pump from the skimmer section feed the scrubber. You will have to get a little creative with with the way that you hang it. I don't think you can have it on the 2 baffles as there will be water all the way to the top of the baffles and you won't get the waterfall action that a scrubber needs.
I think I pretty much covered it. I hope I helped.
Oh and score on that deal. Nice price.

 

In the place of a scrubber, if I put lay egg crate flat in the middle section, do you think I could rest some macro of sort on top of it?

I agree with you assessment on the the first and 3rd sections.

I may go with a gravity driven top off system, if I can figure out how the thing works.

 

A gravity should be pretty easy to hook up. Just have a bucket or whatever you use with the water outlet at the bottom of the bucket and hook the hose to the bucket. The float switch when up should shut the water off and when it goes down turns it back on.

I think if you put egg crate between the 2 baffles you should be good to keep cheato in there. Just remember that the flow rate should be lower for the fuge section. You will have to dial a return pump down or get a smaller sized return pump.

 

I tested the gravity driven float and it works like a charm. I will put a ball valve on the return so I can dial it down. I do not have a pump yet, I need to figure out what GPH model I need.

 

Stand stained and sump in it's hole.

 

Really nice. Looks good and fits great. Glad the ATO float switch works for you. Have you decided on plumbing, are you still going to hard plumb?

 

I sure have. I decided to hard plumb it since I had everything I needed to hard plumb it down in the barn. I plan on gravity feeding the float from a 1 gallon container that will be sitting on top of the sump. In the picture, the sump positioned backwards of how I will have it installed. I had to drill a hole in the back of the stand for the overflow plumbing to stick out. Otherwise, the door wouldn't be able to close.