Need Suggestions on sump

[Geoff]

Originally Posted by kayaker97321

I am sure it would except I have seven of them change every night. Then on the weekend wash them.. Sure alot easier that trying to vac a sump....

Tyler

good for you!! i am not able to stay that focused on my maintenance sometimes.

something i forgot to clearify- the thing that causes bio-balls to become nitrate factories is the fact that they are exposed to the air. this type of oxygen rich environmnet supports the bacteria that breaks the wastes down to the nitrate level. so it does not matter what the material is, if it is exposed to the air part of the time it will be breeding these bacteria.

G~

[PufferHead]

Well, I figured I would give the design a test:



So far I only I have 1 very small leak to address...Unfortunately it is from the tank bulkhead assembly. I think it just needs an extra wrap of teflon tape on the fitting. ( I do not think it is from the bulkhead gaskets).

[PufferHead]

Leak has been addressed, dry running system now, but.....

I do have many micro-bubbles returning to the tank.
(And I don't have the skimmer in there yet!). Apparently I am getting a nice blender effect of air & water from the left Durso, and then the flow is fast enough that the pumps are picking up the micro bubbles.

I found a couple listings of "Geoff's MOD", which apparently addresses some of the bubble issues? What is this Mod? I could not find any pics. I am trying to picture it, and it seems like it woudl be a "T" fitted in the drain line, after making the line slant at 45 degrees, therfore making somewhat of a "smokestack" for the air to escape?

[Geoff]

your description is close. i do not have any pics. what is causing the micro-bubbles is the water falling a decent distance than hitting water. what you want to do is ease this fall. so you put a 45 degree elbow as high up as you can so that the water is able to flow into the sump instead of fall into the sump. just above the point where the water level in the sump is you add a T like you said. you then add a short section up and another section down. the one facing up is a way for the air to escape so that more bubbles are not created. the lower part is to keep the water flowing instead of falling. you can also put a cap on the upward facing tube with an 1/8" hole in it to keep the noise down.

hope i clearified it a little.

G~

[PufferHead]

I will give my best effort and then post a pic.
(Apparently I should make them smaller, or learn the "thumbnail" technique).

The theory makes some sense though as the water from the Durso on the right travels all the way accross and then down, so maybe the flow characteristics are different. The one on the left has much less angle to work with. I did move it to the front of the sump to help avoid problems with "the surge effect".

The system runs fairly well if I only have one of the pumps on.
( Eheim 1060's rated for about 600gph, but with the head and 90 degree bend at the return, I have to figure it is well below that.)

[akeyzoo]

You will need to add baffles between your skimmer exit and the return pump pickup. That is where most of your bubbles will come from. This will also help in your durso bubbles from the overflows.

Chris.