# 20 Gallon Long Sump Design



## grumpy.marine (Oct 8, 2017)

I have been the proud owner of an aquarium for over 8 years. I have been a cichlid owner since 2015. I am now getting ready to move my 70 gallon tank to a new custom built stand and add a sump. I have been searching the internet for the last few months and think I have finally settled on a design. I have finally understood how to avoid flooding my main tank and the sump in the event of power failures or blockages. Most of the research has helped me greatly, but alot of the photos don't display and i see something about 3rd party hosting vice the sump design itself. So i apologize if this has been posted in the past. I am hoping to get some input on the design so that i can start cutting the baffles and constructing the sump.

I apologize for the crude drawings as i have very little artistic skill, but I have wrote notes on the tank that will be used and don't have to worry about scale and all that high teck stuff with 3d drawing programs i can't understand. I have put what pump i plan on buying as it seems to allow flexible speeds easier and will provide more than needed for return flow which means i can upgrade in the future if needed.

The water comes in from the left and filters through the course sponge material to remove debris, then it flows from bottom up through the submerged bio-balls. It then flows down through the chemical filtration area (if needed) and runs through an empty baffle. Then the water is routed through the drip system and finally into the return chamber. The return chamber is 10.5 inches wide to allow the most space for it and hopefully avoid any evaporation issues.

I have a 1 5/8' gap on the bottom of the first two chambers and again in the third chamber to try and keep the area clear of gunk. The top will have 1 5/8 inch gap to allow overflow if the bottom is blocked to prevent flooding. My tank and baffles are glass as that is what i have available for the project. Any input would be greatly appreciated.


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## joselepiu (Jul 22, 2017)

why the drip sys the end?...


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## grumpy.marine (Oct 8, 2017)

that was where the original design had it when i tailored mine to include a chemical filter area. i toyed with splitting the first compartment and having the intake and a drip system in there, just not sure how to design the first chamber to be drip from the beginning and then have the rest of sump be submerged. Most of the designs i liked have drip systems on the end, i guess in my brain it would mean cleaner water hitting those areas to ensure good bacteria develop and not get clogged up with the mess coming from main tank.


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## apexit (Oct 6, 2017)

How did you figure how much water would drain from the DT when the pump turns off? When i was doing mine that was my biggest obstacle.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

You just have to keep adjusting the height of the standpipes until you get good flow and not enough water to cause your sump to overflow if the power goes out. At least that's how I did it on mine...


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## apexit (Oct 6, 2017)

With mine I had a hard time knowing how much was actually going to go from the DT to the sump so I made it a bit bigger than needed. I have about an inch of space before overflow when the pump is off.


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## grumpy.marine (Oct 8, 2017)

From what i have read, on first filling from DT i should leave the pump off and let water drain from DT into the sump. Once it fills the sump i would then turn the pump on and let the sump level out. At this point i would mark the sump so I know my max fill line. This will ensure i don't have a flood during a power failure as the DT would drain until it reaches the siphon break in return line that matches the max level in the sump.

I am not sure if i need to mark the min water level in sump to try and avoid DT flooding, how does one combat that? The only way i can see it happening is if pump sends more back than DT can drain or if the overflow clogs and sump empties into DT.

The pump i have chosen should meet the final needs of the sump, but the actual calculations wont be finished until i have all pipes ran to measure each joint or valve to determine loss of GPH going into tank.


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## grumpy.marine (Oct 8, 2017)

i stand corrected, first i install the HOB overflow box and return line. Then i drain the DT to below the overflow level. I fill the DT just to the point that water enters the overflow. Then i would fill the sump but leave approximately 1 inch. Then turn pump on and mark the water level. This indicates the running position to maintain and ensure flood of sump in power failure doesn't occur.

To eliminate sump clogs i have designed the baffles to have a gap at the top of each one above normal water level. If there is a clog this will allow water to flow across and exit via the pump. I would have loss in filtration but no floods.


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## RosendoDen (Oct 14, 2017)

Very elaborate setup. Can't wait to see how it turns out in the end.


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## Opulent (Jan 20, 2012)

The only concern I'd have with that design is the height of the baffles - with such short distances from the top of the sump, you could risk an overflow when the return pump is switched off. You're going to get back-siphon from the return pipe which will flow back via the pump, and you're also going to get the natural drain from the inlet pipe via your overflow. Don't forget, depending on how you're setting this up, that an amount of water from the display tank will also continue drain (via the overflow) after the pump has been switched off.

On my sump, my baffles are just over half the overall height, which gives me less water volume in the sump, but security in knowing that I can never flood my house in the event of a blockage or power outage. When I switch my pump off, I add about another 3" of height to the water level in the sump. This is my sump:


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## perryclark (Dec 5, 2016)

My dream!


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## joselepiu (Jul 22, 2017)

nice... :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:


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