Is this a good sump design?

[40gal]

I'm considering building a custom sump for my 45 cube. I'm currently running a 20H as the sump with a 10G topoff reservoir next to it. I want to eliminate the 10G tank to expand the sump area. Below is a to-scale drawing of what I was thinking.

I have a couple things that I would like to build into the sump.

1. Have more room for maintenance
2. Have drop-in filter socks
3. Have a fuge section
4. Have more room for maintenance

My current sump is really hard to work in. My skimmer fits, but barely. Removing it to clean is not an option in the current setup.

Here's what I've drafted. I need to get measurements and make this to scale, but wanted to get feedback if I should change anything up before I got too far.

 

Where should I drain the fuge? I have it draining into the skimmer section in the sketch. For the sake of the pod population, I'm thinking that overflowing into the return section would be better, however I'm concerned that microbubbles will be introduced into the return section. The flow may be low enough that it isn't a problem.

Currently, this should give me about 7 gallons of refugium space, and an 8" water height in the skimmer section. I will add top-off water and any supplements to the filter sock section, as the flow here should theoretically be the highest. The four small holes in the top are for JG fittings to accomplish this. The two cylinders shown are heaters - just to make sure they would fit.

I'm only on my second sump, so hopefully I will get some inputs from others as far as modifications to this design based on experience.

 

[righttirefire]

I'm no sump expert, this is my first sump, 20H.

 

 

It running into itself in this picture, but gives you a good idea. Both my end chambers are narrow, 4.5" if I remember correctly.

Things I'd personally change. My bubble trap, I wish was wider so I could use it as a media rack. And my last divider would be 1/2" shorter.

First chamber has a 4" filter sock, heater, and an ac50 foam filter for setting up a hospital/qt tank. Next is my refugium, it's a deep sand bed, live rock, and chaeto, it's stocked with bristle worms, nassarius snail, astrea snail, and cerith snail, plus pods. The final chamber is my return, I have rubble for frags and ato sensor.

[40gal]

Thanks righttirefire, that is very similar to my current setup. It's hard to tell from you picture, but I'm assuming the drain would enter to the left. From the looks of the baffles, it seemslike you may have them in the wrong order there. Typically, you would have the double baffle towards your return pump to ensure that no bubbles enter back into your DT.

 

The main problem I have with the setup similar to yours is that I'm running a Reef Octopus 150 and it is just a really tight fit, not to mention I had to build a PVC stand for it which was next to impossible to get in the sump under the skimmer just right. I'm afraid to move it after all the trouble I had getting it setup.

 

I will be running a media reactor for GFO/Carbon, so I'm not too concerned with the media rack, but if you're not then that is a really good thing to have IMO. I had that in my past sump IIRC (it was almost 10 years ago now).

[righttirefire]

Youre correct drain from tank on keft. I ran the bubble trap on that side so I could run 1 less baffle. Save space. Bubbles haven't been an issue. No skimmer so can't help. But I'm interested to see what the "experts" have to say

[40gal]

If I understand correctly, you could turn your sump around and it should work just as good for you. I only have two baffles on my return side and it's working just fine. If it's working the way you have it, of course that works as well.

[righttirefire]

Yeah. Its working and wet. I'll change it in my next set up