Baffles questions

[wkopplin]

I starting construction on my fuge, converting a 180 into a fuge. My question is how high should I make the partitions? The 180 is 24" tall.

Also, in order for the bubble trap to be effective, the water goes over the first one and under the second right and then flows over the third at water level? Or is it the other way around? I am confused. How many panes should I get to make a good bubble trap / baffle? A pic of a good one or a diagram would be most appreciated.

I am trying to get the glass ordered today.

[TexasState]

Not the exact same thing, but
http://spasse.homestead.com/EcoSystemSump.html

[brewercm]

What you are saying sounds like the best without going two more panes (shich would be overkill IMO). That is the way my bakpak2R skimmer does it and I don't get very many bubbles at all back into the tank.

[TexasState]

http://www.swt.edu/~xp42012/misc/baffles.jpg

[wkopplin]

Ahhh, I see now. That would work. Keep the partitions about 4-5" below the rim of the tank. What does the eggcrate do? Catch bubbles?

[TexasState]

I've just modify the drawing some. The eggcrate should be several inches lower then the top the baffle.
You put the bioballs, or CPR biobale below the eggcrate. The completely submerged bioball/biobale helps to break the water's fall. As well as providing some nitrate for the macroalgae to grow on. Use some glass to make a shelf for the eggcrate. When you turn off your return pump, the tight fitting eggcrate prevent the bioballs from floating out/scattering into your refugium. You can also put fine pad, poly filter over the eggcrate for water polishing, preventing further bubbles. I have more then half a box of Lee's Bioball if you wants to trade it for your fake freshwater plants/decoration.
Initially, you might still have microbubble returning back to the tank, but as your refugium get established, the stem of the macroalgae will act as a bubble trap themself.

I can't tell you about the height of the individual baffle b/c I have never worked with something that large. Usually I just try to scale it from these pictures: http://www.ecosystemaquarium.com/html/sumps_kits.html

Here's some article explaining how the system work: http://www.ecosystemaquarium.com/html/News.html

[TexasState]

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/images/ecoset_up.jpg

[wkopplin]

Interesting. I will look more into that. I have plenty of bioballs, but if you want some fake plants, you can have them. I am not going to use them.

I will check around on how high up the tank I will put the baffles. I guess it mostly depends upon how deep I want the fuge to be.

[TexasState]

I just try to scale past sump to other peoples's design, with a some modification of my own as space permit.
Here's a DIY 40 gallons (36x16x18) sump made by a fish store that specilize in Miracle Mud:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=476731
http://reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=476731

[TexasState]

If you have extra smaller tanks laying around, you might be able to try and use them as baffles themself.

[TexasState]

I've just modify my diagram again (I was in a hurry trying to drive to Austin & back b4 the traffic rush,) the eggcrate on the return side should be higher then the baffle b4 for the water return.

The slot on the drain side should be smaller then your bioball, else you'll have bioball escaping in the refugium area, blocking some light from your plant.
I kind of think you should play around with a smaller sump b4 you modify your big one to understand the different quirks of it. In the past, I've ordered three custom refugiums for growing plants, and each time I always wished that I had done something different. Joshua had one of my old custom design, and z28pwr had my other custom design. Each one is similar, yet different; with improvement over the previous one.

[wkopplin]

I will use a 20L I have laying around to practice. Keep in mind that this will be a fuge only. I have a 55 that will be the actual sump (skimmer will be there), so there will be lots of opportunities to weed out the bubbles. I just need to get a basic design going for the fuge as I need it up and running pretty soon (by Feb 14th). You have given me some very good ideas for this. If you have anything else that you would add, please let me know and I will look into it. Thanks for all of the time you took on this Vinh.

[wkopplin]

In this system I am designing, would having an Eheim Canister filter be of any use? I was thinking of using it to run carbon on occasion, but I could just put it in a bag in the sump.

I might just sell it off.

[matt]

Blake;

Mark Levin, I think is his name, has a website with several good sump/refugium designs. Over-under-over is the typical arrangement for bubble trap. Make sure you have a large area just before the return pump, otherwise you'll be evaporating water from that area REALLY fast, and could run your pump dry easily. Plus, after the baffles, if there's a nice big open area where the water slows down (water speed through a given chamber is inversly proportional to the volume) many of the bubbles will have time to rise to the top and burst. In your case, I'd leave a couple of feet (50-60 gal) after the last baffle. This is assuming you're pushing 1500-2000 gph through the 180. You'd still have 100 gallons of refugium space at least.

[wkopplin]

I was going to leave about 50 gallons or so for the return area. Maybe 60. I ordered all the glass and am picking it up Monday. I have the 180 drained and am cleaning out all of the old sand and junk and should start building the fuge sometime next week.

As far as the skimmer goes, in the sump (not the 180), I was going to have a hole drilled in it for the inflow to the skimmer. How high up should I have it drilled? I was just going to have the return go in over the side of the tank. Do I need a hole drilled for the return?

[matt]

You can run the output of the skimmer over the side of the sump, but you leave the output pipe submerged; this way you don't have back pressure to the the height of the sump wall, only to the level of water in the sump. When you set it up, you want the level of water in the sump to be no higher than the top of the skimmer box, about 8". Sometimes this means putting the skimmer on blocks or a little stand. It's a little neater to have the skimmer output go directly to a bulkhead back into the sump rather than PVC pipe up over the edge and down into the water, but the function is basically the same.

As far as the bulkhead for the skimer pump feed, put it low in the sump, well below water level of course. Probably the exact location should be determined by the placement of your skimmer pump. My guess is you want a ball valve and union to the pump, and not much else if it fits well. Like, if your pump is going to sit on the floor next to the sump, measure the height of the intake fitting, and drill your hole the same distance from the bottom of the sump. The ball valve is for shut off only should you want to remove the pump. You can get one of those nice union/ball valve combos.