I settled on a sump design

[Amstar]

Just trying to determine hole size to drill for the auto-top off switches as well the auto-top off return.  for the external return pump and skimmer (both outlet and inlet) I was going to use 1" bulkheads. 

No worry on the pumps I am not going to use mag drives not do I think i am going to use the skimmer thats in this design.

[MechanicalEngineer]

Did you design that yourself?  If so, very nice!  If not, it still looks good to me!

[larrynews]

nice and fancy looking.....really it looks good

[Amstar]

the idea behind the return of the skimmer being plumbed to the tank is to have more water flow over the macro-algae.  I am just unsure if the skimmer that I have (in the drawing) is a good enough one for my tank. 

[mash35231]

If you have a Barr Aquatic SK1220 skimmer then it's good enough for your tank. I've seen 1 Barr Aquatic skimmer on a system and it was pulling lots of nasty stuff out of a fish-reef tank. It looked like a very high quality piece of equipment.

[Amstar]

okay so i am going to have a 2" and 1" hole drilled at the end of the tank (right side)  a 1" hole drilled on the left end side (pump for skimmer)  a 1" hole for the return of the skimmer.

where would you drill a hole for quick water changes?  I was thinking something like a 1" hole with a ball valve so I could just turn the valve to release the water from the sump.  then, hook the return line (a hose) from a brute trash can to the ball valve and turn on the pump and the water from the brute trash can will fill the sump back up.  should be a quick painless large way to change water in the tank.


also can you drill holes in the sump after there is water in it?  (the size to fit reverse osmosis line in) 

[MITCH]

very nice

[lazylivin]

also can you drill holes in the sump after there is water in it?  (the size to fit reverse osmosis line in) 

If you are above the water line it should be fine if your sump is acrylic. If glass then that may be a bit tricky to keep the glass dust from entering the sump. If you could get another person to hold a shop vac by the bit while you are drilling may be okay.

[Amstar]

just not sure what size hole to drill for a kent float valve.  I want to have a line coming from a 7 gallon "bucket" to the sump via a kent float valve system.  I want the line to go directly into the sump thus I want to drill the tank for the line.

[UDJustin]

If you look at the way Joel does a lot of his sumps he gets a small piece of glass that he glues on an angle in the corner of the sump that has a hole drilled in it for float valves, this takes the worry of drilling into the actual sump. I do believe he still has a couple of pieces that he has not glued into a sump he is working on if you wanted to look at them for an idea

[Amstar]

sounds like a plan.  I was trying to achieve that the top off line would go directly into the tank via a drilled hole for a clean look.  Sounds like joel might have a different way of doing it that may work.

thanks for the heads up

[Amstar]

I have added a new little twist to the design.  where the skimmer return is (inside the sump) I am going to run a pvc pipe (capped at the end) with holes drilled into and mounted to the baffel that holds the DSB.  the baffel will be made to be taller now.  I am going to make that area alittle larger and put some macro-algae in it and use the return from the skimmer (modified pvc pipe) to create a algae tumbler.  The water coming out of the pvc pipe will be facing the water flow and directed down, thus hopefully making the macro-algae float/tumble at the same time. 

does that makes sense? 

[jake]

Do you think the flow from the skimmer might be much for the fuge to handle? I have my fuge running pretty slow. Really nice though I wish I had taken more than 10 minutes to make mine.

[Amstar]

I the return from the skimmer will just be between two baffels and pushing back against the flow of the water coming from main tank. 

I will and try and get pics up of what i mean in alittle bit

[larrynews]

i think i'm going to copy your plans when i do mine if you dont mind me stealing it

[Amstar]

not at all.  I have added and moved a few things around though.  but not a problem

[Amstar]

if my auto top off goes in the same section in which my pump is pulling water to my skimmer will it effect my skimmers performance?