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Input on my Idea for Mini Sump/Fuge Requested.


reeferx2

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For years now I have run a pretty successful de-rimmed Fluval Edge with the stock AC20 stocked with sponge/chemiblue/and chaeto w/ LED.  I have recently removed my chemiblue from the equation with great results, now realizing that I've been running too clean all this time and seeing better coral growth with roughly a 2 - 5ppm NO3 level. 

 

Fast forward to now, I'd like to clean up the overall look of my tank and remove the HOB, heater, ATO, and circulation pump. 

 

My intent is pickup a 2 gallon tank and only using it for chaeto and equipment. My concern is the plumbing and failure issues, I've attached a really crummy picture of what I imagine and hope the experienced sump guys can offer input. The largest hump I believe is that I want to employ lily pipes for inlet and outlet. The hump being that lily pipe inlets commonly sit super low in the tank. 

 

Also I have no idea where I would have to place valves and fail safe devices or what would even be needed for that sort of thing. 

 

Added a quick top down shot of my tank for some added viewing pleasure to the thread. This is from a few weeks ago, it actually looks better now with the added Nitrate. 

 

 

 

 

sump.jpg

20180205_203917.jpg

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Lilly pipe will work fine for the return on a sump, but not for the siphon.

Lily input pipes are intended for canister filters. When the return pump stops, the siphon line will continue to draw water until it sucks sufficient air to drain the line completely. Unless the sump is large enough to take that entire volume (most of the tank with the low output), you will have a flood. The second problem is that the siphon will not automatically restart, so when the pump turn back on, it will push water into the display until the pump sucks air. Depending on the design of the sump, this will hopefully be sufficient to cover the livestock until you get home, overflow the tank, or let everything dry out and die.

 

I love lilly pipes, but this is the wrong application for them, unless you make a bucket sump (effectively a canister filter) or run a canister, which plenty of people so on smaller tanks.

 

You can use a traditional overflow for the drain, which can be unobtrusive and designed so it is not really noticed and use the lilly for the return. Surface skimming is also really good as a lot of the organics develop into surface film, which will be pulled out of the display and into the filtration, or at least will keep the surface in the display clear for better appearance and oxygen exchange.

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ReefingRelapse

Your either going to need an overflow box or make a pvc overflow (many youtube videos on this)

2 gallon sump is probably going to be way too small. Keep in mind if your pump fails and your discharge line back siphons, it could overflow your sump. So go with the biggest sump you can fit or drill a hole in outlet line to prevent this (keep in mind holes can get plugged!)

 

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I really appreciate everyone's input. It seems like if my setup ain't broke, don't fix it at this point. My setup is super simple, I do a 1 gallon water change every sunday, trim my chaeto, and replace the sponge. Everything prospers, gonna leave it alone. Just wanted to clean up the overall aesthetic of my equipment, but might be more trouble than it's worth adding all these moving parts. 

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