SUMP DESIGN?? / Best HOB skimmer??

Perfect thanks a lot Powerman!!! K++

 

I WISH my sump was that large! Mine is an 8 gallon and I have all three sections Make just enough room for the skimmer, then make a big section for the fuge, and the rest is return. Looks good.

 

here's my new plan

7 1/2" skimmer/DT drain
2 1/2 for 3 baffles 1 1/4 seperation between each
9 " fuge
10" return

 

You dont need a big return, just enough room for your return pump and or a heater if you place it there.

 

I don't know about making the return as small as possible. I think that may increase the chance of sucking bubbles or air into the pump no? Also what if the ato would fail while you weren't home you should leave yourself some evaporation room. Also if you leave the return area a little wider and run it say half or two thirds full it gives you more rook rlfor drain back. I'm just saying...

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I would even out the space for both the fuge and return. If it were me, I would make the return larger - this is where your evaporation will show and limiting this would make you top off more frequently. If you have an ATO, then vise versa

 

so how about 7" fuge and 12" return? make more sense?

 

All you have to do is figure out how much you top off in a day then figure out the area that takes up in your return section. It's just simple volume and you don't have to guess. Topping off should be a daily thing and loosing a gallon is hardly anything. I lost 2 gallons a day from 110g and that was about 2 inches in my 7" wide return. Doing a 10" return section is a waste of space.... unless you only plan on topping off every three days or 5 gallons which ever comes first.

 

if your 40(prolly a total volume of 50 with sump) is going to have evap of 4 gallons before you top off then that amount of salinity swing is going to really damage your tank inhabitants.mine is 9" in a 29G and i can go 5 days without top off but i wouldn't dare. unfortunately you will have to top off every day or 2 unless you get an ATO. good looking sump design BTW, same as mine, but i regret such a big return since i now have a very cramped skimmer, probe, bio-pellet and heater section...bio-pellets have also destroyed the need for my fuge so i regret that too... GL!

 

Thanks. I've been looking into the ATO route for quite some time now, but it scares the begeesus out of me, the fact that if it fails!

I was looking at elctronic ones, then one with a simple float switch and a kent aquadose.

This tank is still in planning stage and not actually wet yet, just staining the stand.