Need advice regarding Sump / Fuge design

[MarkLW]

Picture is not to scale. When I increased the live rock area height that will allow to keep same amount of rock in the sump and then moving the wall for the sump area to be bigger (Did not have time to change the picture to reflect moving of the wall).

Yes we will be having live rock in the tank see attachment of what we have in it currently.

[Richard]

A mag 18 and a mag 12 submersed on a 120 will give you temperature problems IMO. That's 255 watts fully submersed and running all the time. When I had my 120 I had a mag 12 for main pump, a mag 5 for the skimmer, pc's 5 " over the tank, open top, large fan running on the sump evaporating 3-4 gallons a day and my tank ran at 83 degrees during the summer.

Go with external pumps.

[MarkLW]

Was not thinking about how much heat those pumps generate...Hmmm, guess back to the drawing board. See that the example posted ~pete~ has externals…and actually Matt who made our skimmer suggested external pump….looks as we may be needing to do some pump exchanging if possible.

[brewercm]

Why not just run the Mags external, not the best pump external but they will work.

[MarkLW]

"Brewercm" we have talked about this with others also and got the same feedback that they are not the best external pumps but would work. So I thinking if we get pushed out side the sump walls Matt gave us some suggestions on pumps that will work better on the skimmer we have so may look to exchange the MAG 12 and get a better fit pump for the skimmer.

May run the MAG 18 external if does generate that much heat. I think even with the SQWD that we should be getting at 1200GPH from that pump....what do you 'guys' think about how much vertical loss and SQWD loss will cause to the GPH?? (At some point we may add a closed loop for extra flow).

My fiancé and I are totally new to all this so we are hoping to drain your guys brains and do it correct the fist time around.

Can someone help out with some suggestions on how I would lay this out keeping the same general idea of the 3 basic chambers but with external pums (NOTE: that we are only working with 4’ of under tank area and we are also needing to put a CA Reactor with CO2 canister and skimmer overflow container all under at 4’ tank). Would still like the high flow area for live rock, a fuge area for 6’ sand bed and some “good green stuff” and then finally a place for the skimmer (I’m teetering on the line about putting the skimmer external but am afraid about ever springing a leek and the consequences of that decision).

[Richard]

Personally, I do not think the liverock chamber is necessary or even desirable. Without a functional sand bed I think that part of the sump will just be a detris trap and either eventually cause you problems with phosphate/nitrate or just be something else you have to clean. Plus you have room for more than enough liverock in your tank so I just don't see what having some in the sump is going to buy.

I like Dan's entry filter with refugium design and that is what I'm having him build for my 215. It's a very simple design and very functional. Then you could go with 30"L x 20" or 21" W. That would leave you 18" on the side for the external pumps. I like the Iwaki pumps although they are kind of expensive, I think the 40RLXT would work fine.

[MarkLW]

Detritus is trapped in the pre-filter bags. I subscribe to the more rock the better and the higher flow over the rock the better...so figure if not all going in tank this is going to be a good place to put it and super high flow. Let the rock do what it does best.

what does "Dan's entry filter with refugium design" look like?

[scuba_steveo]

if you bring the pump external go with a panworld. They are awesome!

[MarkLW]

Thanks...so many decisions to make... what a learning experience to say the least.

[Richard]

Just remembered, I had planned on making a stand out of pvc so that my mag drive pumps would only be partially submersed. That would allow for at least some heat loss. Mag Drives are not self priming but I think as long as the intake is at least 3/4 underwater they would be able to start up. Then use an pvc elbow and extension to extend the intake near the bottom of the sump. My tank sprung a bad leak before I ever got around to trying it so I don't know how well it would work.