Question on 2 seperate sumps for a 180?

[steevareno]

If I do 2 seperate sumps with 2 returns and 2 drains, how can i prevent the water from flowing back into a sump if one of the return pumps were to fail? I'm a little worried about 1 of the 2 sumps overflowing, otherwise i love the idea!!!!! Is there a part like a check valve on a air pump that will work similiarly? Are they reliable enough? Where can i get 2 and how much? TIA

 

[~Flighty~]

I think the only way to do it would be to connect the sumps. Otherwise flood city.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I think your best bet on this would be to connect the sumps. If one pump stops, the water will flow to the other sump

Water will keep flowing ot the sump that is shut down
Ask Armando about how well check valves work

or maybe Clam Man can chime in on his setup?

 

[NateHanson]

It's fine as long as you connect the two sumps. Just run a hose between a bulkhead on each sump's return compartment.

 

[nichols]

Can you drill the sumps and tie them together?

 

[ScottM]

why would you have 2 sumps???

 

[nichols]

Many people reading this thread at the same time?

 

[steevareno]

It's fine as long as you connect the two sumps. Just run a hose between a bulkhead on each sump's return compartment.

Great! But will this hinder the efficiency of running 2 skimmers seperatly? I've read that two say 100gal rated skimmers in 1 sump isn't as good as one 200gal rated one. The reason is because i have only about 22" of space under the stand so i can't fit a nice big 24" to 30" skimmer. I'd like the best of 2 medium sized skimmers in either sump. I have a euroreef cs6-1 and was thinking of an ASM g-2 as the second.

 

[nichols]

How about a skimmer rec. mod and feed the skimmers from your drains?

 

[NateHanson]

If you want two skimmers, put them in opposite ends of the same sump. Separate overflows feed each skimmer compartment, and the outflow goes to a common return compartment or one can go through a fuge then the common return.

 

[steevareno]

I like that idea! I think a 75gal with chambers/baffles will work. The refugium part in the middle? skimmers on either end. 2 submersible return pumps. Sound good? How can i get the refugium to have high water level and the skimmers with low to medium water level? Any good links?

 

[JavaJones]

How bout ensuring that neither sump fills to more than 50% capacity?

 

[steevareno]

picture 2 of these end to end but as a 75gal with the fuge in the middle.
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8333&d=1126610006

 

[NateHanson]

If you want the drains to go into the skimmer compartments, those have to have water level equal or higher than the fuge. If you want more water in the fuge, you could put it on one end, have one skimmer fed off the outflow from the fuge. Or you could have a separate fuge in another tank that is fed by some of the overflow flow, and drains into the return compartment. You'd essentially have three compartments that the overflows empty into, each of which in-turn dumps into the common return pump section with two return pumps.

 

[Bill and Elaine]

You can use a check valve if you do.......you want to get a Swing Check Valve like the one at this link

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/8242/cid/2083

An even better check valve is a True Unoin Swing Check......you can open it up and clean it......heres the link

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/8229/cid/2043

 

[nichols]

If you install baffels/bubblr traps you water level will remain constant in the skimmer compartment.

 

[steevareno]

so it would be 1 sump.....2 overflow/baffle compartments on either end.....then 2 skimmer chambers on either end, 2 baffles, 2 return pumps and one big refugium in the middle? Is this do-able?

 

[steevareno]

If you want the drains to go into the skimmer compartments, those have to have water level equal or higher than the fuge. If you want more water in the fuge, you could put it on one end, have one skimmer fed off the outflow from the fuge. Or you could have a separate fuge in another tank that is fed by some of the overflow flow, and drains into the return compartment. You'd essentially have three compartments that the overflows empty into, each of which in-turn dumps into the common return pump section with two return pumps.

Ok, so seperate tank for fuge and then a main sump with 2 skimmers at either end with 1 drain in each. 2 returns in the middle. I'm getting the hang of this, LOL!!!! Thanks for all the help.....

 

[steevareno]

Thanks for that link and picture of refugium! How safe/reliable are those swing check valves?

 

[NateHanson]

They aren't ultimately reliable. I used one to keep my return line mostly full when the pump was off, so I didn't blow tons of air bubbles into the tank everytime I restart the pump. But I wouldn't trust one to prevent a flood, they tend to be slow leakers once they have any calcium built up on the seals.

Don't separate your return pump compartments. They'll work redundantly if they pull from the same compartment, and you won't have issues with evaporation making the two return compartments have uneven levels.