The quest for a new sump/refugium continues

Thank Jason I'll post pictures of the finished product in the next few days.

 

Looks like it will work. A couple of months ago I posted a DIY sump and it had similar design. I had got it off a web site which I think has now shut down. In that design the bulkhead going into the refuge had a 90 degree elbow facing up toward the surface of water so that water would drain down into it back threw the bulkhead and into the main sump. Good luck

 

Skennelly, check out the site for DIY sumps.
http:www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

 

Raven That site is excellent I have many ideas from this site currently I have everything in the closet but I want to make it all one and cover most of it since it gets a little muggy in the closet. here is a pic of what I have so now wanted to do like the model J in the site.

 

Can you use two smaller ones next to each other and plumb them together?

 

Chetrod, looks like a nice set up, why do you want to change it?

 

It works well but I keep getting Microbubbles and have done everything in my power to stop them. I think I might just get the refugium drilled so that I can put the pump directly connected with a street el. Right now it goes over the side into the fuge and don't know if that is the cause of the bubbles it is definately from the return side. Also there is a tee right where the pump connects on the otherside of the wall.

 

I have another issue with the fuge I am adding to my sump. I've got the fuge build and have 2 1" bulkheads installed. I built a stand for the fuge so it is raised above my existing sump, and the water from the fuge drains into my main sump. I planned on supplying the fuge with water via a maxijet powerhead in the main sump or tapping into my return line.

What I realized when I was testing it out was that my main sump must be large enough to handle both the water from the fuge and the water from my main display tank in the event of a power outage. Right now my main sump can handle the main display tank in the case of an outage, but I don't think it will be able to handle the additional water from the fuge. Water will continue to drain from the fuge until the level goes below the bulkheads. It might only be a gallon or so, but that might be enough to put my main sump over the edge.

So I guess I'm forced to make my main sump bigger??????

Thoughts???

 

The bulkheads should be close to the top of the fuge so that it will only drain so much water into the sump. For example if you have the bulkheads one inch from the top of the fuge the water once a powerfailure hits should only drain just below the bulkheads. In the sump the water level should remain the same if a power failure occurs just as it was before.

 

That's exactly how I have it setup, my bulkheads are a few inches from the top of my fuge so its setup exactly how you said. But how could the water level in the main sump remain the same during a power outage? All the water from the fuge will continue to drain out until it gets below the bulkheads.

I actually calculated how much water actually drains out of the fuge after power is cut off and it was 1 3/4 quarts. I know it doesn't sound like much, but where my current water level is in my main sump, it is close to the edge

The scenerio remains the same..... my main sump must be large enough to not only hold the water from the main display tank when power goes out, but also it has to also hold the additional 1 3/4 quarts from the fuge. I think I can lower the level in my main sump and get it to work without changing it out.

I'll take some pics of my setup and post them so you guys can get a better idea.....