need help building a 40 gal breeder sump /refugium

[bigdog1428]

hey guys ,,,so i bought a 40 gallon breeder from petco for a $1 a gallon and i whanna build a sump/refuge. my problem is i donty know how high to make my baffles and how far apart to put them. im callin the experts on how to finish my project,, thanks in advance guys
15" L X 36" W X 16"
the dimensions of the tank are

 

[bigdog1428]

no one out there can help me with my project ..????

 

[wonderballz]

This is the link I used. The whole site is pretty good

Here is my build thread. I used a 20G long for a sump with acrylic baffles.

 

[TheDumbSter]

hey have a look at this page http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html. i just built mine and you'll need the foot print of the skimmer you'll be using if inside sump/refug. Also i made my bubble trap 3/4" apart and my baffles for skimmer is 9" high

 

[bigdog1428]

dumbster,,,,,what size is ur sump/refuge,, my main concern is how high is each compartment and how far apart to make baffles to put bioballs,,,and are boiballs actually needed.?

 

[rkaragozler]

your main concern on baffle height is determined by what your running water level is for you skimmer (if it's an internal one). for the baffles the closer they are the more flow they will have between them, for a 40 gallon you would need a minimun of 200 gph water flow, making the baffles 1" would be more then adequate. you want to make your baffles (water flow) under, over, under. I have also seen sumps made with 1 baffle just to keep water level for a skimmer, (this type of set up is suppose to dissipate micro bubbles better, I personally have not tried this method)

 

[rkaragozler]

also bio balls are no good

 

[bigdog1428]

lol,,i feel like such a noob,,,, i have a coralife skimmer thats hanging on the back of my tank now, so im goiung to use that for the meantime untill i can upgrade it. ok so im goin to put baffles 1" apart and go over/under/over that is for one side,,,how high should i make the other side,,,,also i have a oppurtunity to have my sump tank drilled,,,,,shoul di get this dont or should i get a submerible pump,, this seems a lil more complicated then i thougth,, im goin to try drawing diagram today

 

[wonderballz]

The height of the other baffle really depends on how deep you want the water in the skimmer chamber to be. Mine is maybe between 8 and 10 inches, though it may be a little more. Can't remember. I went with a non-drilled type. I think it is dependent on how much space you have to work with. I think I would have gone with an in sump return pump regardless though.

 

[TheDumbSter]

sump/refug

i built a 29 gal refug. my skimmer needs at least 6" of water, so my 1st baffle is 8" high, the i have my refug with another baffle about the same 9" high and thats where the bubble trap begins they r 3/4" apart from each other, then i have my return.

dumbster,,,,,what size is ur sump/refuge,, my main concern is how high is each compartment and how far apart to make baffles to put bioballs,,,and are boiballs actually needed.?

 

[bigdog1428]

now ,,i have seen people setting up there sumps all differently some people put the skimmer in the middle part,,,some people put it on the ends,,,,,,,why would it matter where u put it ,,,isnt the filtration all the same?

 

[rkaragozler]

you could use your skimmer just the same way you did in your dt, just hang it on the sump, as far as pump goes wonderballz is right it really depends on how much room you have, also the baffles are under, over. under. you see micro bubbles will rise, doing it this way minimizes them, the way you said it in your post #8 will create more, also if you are planing a fuge I would put the fuge on one side so you could control water flow. try google sketchup it works wonders and its free

 

[wonderballz]

Did you check out melev's site that the dumbster and I linked up? The "How does a sump work" section answers a good amount of questions. In regards to the order o sections, it also depends on your plumbing set up as well as preference. I put my fuge in the right compartment, the skimmer in the middle and the return at the end after my 3 baffles. I mainly did it that way because of how my tank was drilled. I have about 25% of the water from the display tank going into the fuge and the rest into the skimmer section.

 

[bigdog1428]

Ok but then where is the return wwater from the skimmer goin to go ,,,into the dt ,,or back into the sump ?

 

[wonderballz]

Ok but then where is the return wwater from the skimmer goin to go ,,,into the dt ,,or back into the sump ?

The water coming out of the skimmer is going back into the skimmer section and flowing into the return pump section.