Sump design question

danzig

Well-Known Member
BRS Member
Hi guys, wondering if anyone can give me a reason why i wouldnt want my sump set up like this. It will be valved off to allow small low flow through refugium, maybe 25% of the flow coming from overflow. Red lines are valves, green scribbles are chaeto, you get the idea.. The other 75% goes to skimmer. The reason i want to do it like this is so raw tank water and any beneficial critters can go right to the refuge without being filtered thru skimmer. The only down side i can see is maybe microbubbles from skimmer dont have enough time to dissipate before back up to display. Basically want to see what people think either way. It seems 90% of sumps i see go.. skimmer, then refugium, then return pump section. Excuse my sh!*** drawing, just whipped it up on notepad lol.
I attached a photo of the setup i used to have many years ago that i did like this and i dont remember if it was a good or a bad thing its been too long.
 

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My sump is similar where return is in the middle, skimmer to left and refugium to the right. Ideally feeding the skimmer and fuge with “unfiltered” water is best and then the fuge overflowing right to the return.
 
What he said.

Slower flow through the fuge is generally preferred. you're design will work well.
 
My sump is similar where return is in the middle, skimmer to left and refugium to the right. Ideally feeding the skimmer and fuge with “unfiltered” water is best and then the fuge overflowing right to the return.

I guess im just confused why more people dont do it this way then? Its a huge number of designs that do the opposite of this. The only downside i can see is the skimmer bubble issue, which i feel like isnt really a big deal and could be adjusted or tweaked. Some people might also say you want the skimmer to filter all of the overflow water to remove detritus etc, but i would argue detritus is ok in a refuge as its feeding the bugs/pods.
 
This is my new sump. Skimmer will be to the left side and I’m planning to add live rock between it and the return plus there is a baffle before the return to catch air bubbles. With enough room the air bubbles can be dealt with but if you’re cramped, it could be a possible side effect
 

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This is my new sump. Skimmer will be to the left side and I’m planning to add live rock between it and the return plus there is a baffle before the return to catch air bubbles. With enough room the air bubbles can be dealt with but if you’re cramped, it could be a possible side effect
Hard to visualize what you mean just because cant see chambers in that one but if what i think youre saying is right sounds like a solid plan
 
Melovesreef sumps are designed that way. The one under his own tank is worth looking at.
 
I guess im just confused why more people dont do it this way then? Its a huge number of designs that do the opposite of this. The only downside i can see is the skimmer bubble issue, which i feel like isnt really a big deal and could be adjusted or tweaked. Some people might also say you want the skimmer to filter all of the overflow water to remove detritus etc, but i would argue detritus is ok in a refuge as its feeding the bugs/pods.
Not everyone sets up a refugium in their sump. Also having the flow from one compartment to the next is simplest and cuts down on plumbing. While I agree with the thought behind the split design, even if 100% of your return is going through the skimmer, you’ll get enough good stuff reaching a refugium after a skimmer since they’re not 100% efficient at removal. Likely cuts down a bit on the amount of detritus you end up with in the refugium, but my guess is the efficiency of socks/roller filters and a skimmer won’t be so detrimental to the success of a thriving refugium.
 
Not everyone sets up a refugium in their sump. Also having the flow from one compartment to the next is simplest and cuts down on plumbing. While I agree with the thought behind the split design, even if 100% of your return is going through the skimmer, you’ll get enough good stuff reaching a refugium after a skimmer since they’re not 100% efficient at removal. Likely cuts down a bit on the amount of detritus you end up with in the refugium, but my guess is the efficiency of socks/roller filters and a skimmer won’t be so detrimental to the success of a thriving refugium.
Makes sense, one other thing i was thinking was that the skimmer kills a lot of pods, at least thats what the guy from lifereef says about needle wheel skimmers. On the other had, I also think a lot of people spend too much time worrying about pod population though.
 
Makes sense, one other thing i was thinking was that the skimmer kills a lot of pods, at least thats what the guy from lifereef says about needle wheel skimmers. On the other had, I also think a lot of people spend too much time worrying about pod population though.
I like Jeff, builds quality stuff.
Never saw him grow a stick or breed mandarins so...........
 
I have a life reef skimmer in a triton sump. I added nuddys and eggs to just the fuge and they made it to the display just fine. Also I have a leopard wrass and a fat healthy manderin. That being said, it makes sense that the split overflow design would add more pods ect to the tank.
 
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