Sump design help

[MarkSzy]

Hello all, I am trying to find the best way to control the overflows from splashing into my refugium and making a mess without using filter socks. has anyone used glass deflection baffles or anything like that? this is just a rough drawing and of course my two pumps aren't going to be stacked I just didn't think a side view would help. of course the skimmer and overflow returns will be under the water line but i feel they will just make a mess if I don't deflect the water somehow. What has everyone else done? Any thoughts or design you have done? thanks

 

[chadfish]

Hello all, I am trying to find the best way to control the overflows from splashing into my refugium and making a mess without using filter socks. has anyone used glass deflection baffles or anything like that? this is just a rough drawing and of course my two pumps aren't going to be stacked I just didn't think a side view would help. of course the skimmer and overflow returns will be under the water line but i feel they will just make a mess if I don't deflect the water somehow. What has everyone else done? Any thoughts or design you have done? thanks

View attachment 167843

You should add a weir between the overflow and the refugium.

 

[MarkSzy]

You should add a weir between the overflow and the refugium.

my only thought for not doing this is so all the waste goes right into the refugium and doesn't just sit on the other size of the weir.

 

[cablez]

Get rigid foam........it will act as a baffle of sorts....and you can rinse it clean....Also you can just enxtend drain hose down??? let it drain right into water with rubber? maybe? Also the baffle would touch top of sump, and have opening on bottom for detritus and waste to travel into refugium?? Foam should keep spalshing and sound down

 

[MarkSzy]

Get rigid foam........it will act as a baffle of sorts....and you can rinse it clean....Also you can just enxtend drain hose down??? let it drain right into water with rubber? maybe? Also the baffle would touch top of sump, and have opening on bottom for detritus and waste to travel into refugium?? Foam should keep spalshing and sound down

you mean a baffle like this? with slits or holes in it? the new one with an arrow on it?

 

[rock-n-reef]

You just need a crashbox where the drains come into the sump. it can then overflow into the refugium section. Detritus would be suspended in this section and not settle given the force of water coming down the drain, as long as you keep the chamber small enough.

Either a baffle, or imagine the below filter bracket, just without the bracket.

 

[cablez]

you mean a baffle like this? with slits or holes in it? the new one with an arrow on it?View attachment 167846

Yeap......and if you use the rigid foam....the best part is....it just wedges in....no silicone needed...make it an inch ot two shorter than the length of the tank to allow water flow....on the back side attach I guess a small piece of egg crate would work hella easy,,,,,Ohhh I forgot the even bestest part...its cheap, and removeable incase you dont like iot later on

 

[MarkSzy]

You just need a crashbox where the drains come into the sump. it can then overflow into the refugium section. Detritus would be suspended in this section and not settle given the force of water coming down the drain, as long as you keep the chamber small enough.

Either a baffle, or imagine the below filter bracket, just without the bracket.

View attachment 167847

thanks, i was thinking the waste would settle to easily in something like this.

 

[MarkSzy]

Yeap......and if you use the rigid foam....the best part is....it just wedges in....no silicone needed...make it an inch ot two shorter than the length of the tank to allow water flow....on the back side attach I guess a small piece of egg crate would work hella easy,,,,,Ohhh I forgot the even bestest part...its cheap, and removeable incase you dont like iot later on

thats not a bad idea, you mean use the hard foam for a way to keep the sand in the refugium correct?

 

[cablez]

Yea pretty much dude

 

[Zirky]

I use rigid foam in my trigger triton44 to block light spill and incorporate it for multiple uses in my new sump great stuff I think lifeguard makes it and you can get it at bulkreef

 

[chadfish]

you mean a baffle like this? with slits or holes in it? the new one with an arrow on it?View attachment 167846

You could do it that way, I prefer to have it spill over the top. I use that first chamber for live rock. There is plenty of suspended particles settling in my fuge if I don’t run a filter sock.
If you have the downcomer directly into the fuge, it’s too turbulent. You want nice even constant, linear flow. Lower Reynolds Number for all those ChEs out there. That’s also why it’s called a refugium, because more delicate life can take refuge there.

 

[DaveJ]

Maybe check out the new Eshopps cliffhanger and just don’t use a sock