Help me with adding sumps?

[reefann]

OK here is the deal on my 210 I do not have much clearance under the tank soooo I decided to add two rubbermade bins or trash cans(need to see which will fit better) totalling about sixty gallons. One will be a sump for a large skimmer (hopefully a ASM G5) and one will be a fuge. I decided I would just keep my current sump because I would have to take the tank off the stand to get it out, plus down the line I could have the KALK or Calcium reactor effluent going in there.... Here is the plan, place one external overflow box going down to the current sump and a return pump pumping it back up to the tank. And on the otherside another overflow box going into the far bin (they are attached via a bulkhead) and a pump by the skimmer pumping back up into the tank. I was worried that this could somehow present problems with possible overflows or something that I have not thought of. Any input would be greatly appreciated! I will try to do a little diagram tonight.

 

[ZooKeeper1]

A setup basically like this would work.

 

[reefann]

I have drawn out what I want to do in paint, I will have to post it tommorow after work.

 

[Tackett]

I wouldnt put two overflow boxes on it, I tried that and ended up flooding my floor with about 5 gallons of water because I couldnt get the flow's equal, one of the sumps overflowed.

 

[DK]

They (two tubs) have to be connected. In the event one return pump fails, that sump/refugium will overflow.

 

[reefann]

This is what I had planned. What are your thoughts?

 

[DK]

Make sure the connection between the two cans is large enough to handle all the flow that can return, I assume the current sump will not be used??? otherwise, you must connect that one also, with enough capacity!!!!!! If either or both pumps fail, you must have the sump capacity to avoid flooding and therefore avoid low levels on restart. btw, make sure you get the pump savers from Champion Supply.........worth much more than the cost!!!

 

[reefann]

I was hoping to have the two sumps not connected, could this be done?

 

[Anonymous]

I would not try it. If you loose a pump you will still get drainage to that sump. If you connect them they will self equlize and save you some sever head ache.

 

[DK]

"I was hoping to have the two sumps not connected, could this be done?"

The simple answer is NO. Everything must be pumped and collected from the lowest level, and that lowest level must have sufficient capacity to handle all the water.

 

[reefann]

Thanks for the replies.
I guess Ill just take the sump under the tank totally out of the equation. Maybe use it as a water change vat or big KALK topoff vat.
I will then take the two overflows directly to the trashcans.
Do you think that much flow to the sump is overkill considering the skimmer pump equals only 1800GPH. Should I only have like 2400gph flowing to the sump and get the rest of my flow closedloop and powerhead style?
Thanks again
JJ

 

[DK]

Another possibility for the sump is to raise it so the top of the sump is at the same level as the top of the cans, then plumb them together as you plan to do with the cans. I am currently doing this with a 20g and a 40g tall. Since the 20 water level is higher than the 40, I am using a U tube equavilent and two chinese soup containers (one suspended in the 40) plus the all important aqualift to make sure the siphon doesn't break. This is how I recently combined my two systems.