Sump modifications?

[KarenM]

My current system:

My sump is acrylic with an acrylic divider with holes in the top and bottom. Chamber A is on the left, Chamber B on the right and about 1/2 half the size of Chamber A.

Chamber A contains only the tank water from the overflow boxes (plus chaeto, pods & a large sponge).

Chamber B contains the the skimmer Intake and Output pipes, plus the return pump intake, PLUS some tank water that flows into it from the holes in the divider.

Therefore, the skimmer is intaking both tank water and clean water (from the skimmer output). The return pump is also intaking both clean water from the skimmer and tank water from the holes in the divider. So only half of the water put back into the tank has been through the skimmer.

Proposed System:

With a few 90 deg ells and some 1" PVC pipe I think I should modify the sump like this:

Chamber A: Tank water from overflow boxes AND the skimmer intake pipe (plus chaeto,pods, and sponge).

Chamber B: Skimmer output and return pump intake (and a very small amount of water flowing through the divider's partially blocked holes).

This way almost all of the water being returned to the tank will have been thorugh the skimmer.

Of course, I'm sure there's a very good reason why it is like it is. What is that reason? And how bad will I mess it up if I modify it?

[Entropy]

I wouldn't mess with it. The skimmer will skim as much water you put through it and any that gets by it will get processed next time. The only way really to get all the water through the skimmer is to feed the skimmer directly from the drain. Otherwise some of the unprocessed water will get by and to be honest I don't think it is that important. I would feed the skimmer output into the drain chamber though to get the bubble rich exhaust away from the return pump.

[KarenM]

I would feed the skimmer output into the drain chamber though to get the bubble rich exhaust away from the return pump.

Funny you should mention this, I did this today with some extra pipe left over trying to find the source of the bubbles. I've pretty much narrowed it down to the return pump. With the skimmer output moved to the drain side, the side with the return pump is still as can be yet there are tons of bubbles going up the returns.

[GKarshens]

The main problem with your sump is it doesn't have a bubble trap. If you were going to modify it that is what I would add. It is also a good idea to have the skimmer return go to the same chamber the overflows do so any bubbles coming out of the skimmer would have to go thru the bubble trap too.

[KarenM]

Putting in a bubble trap's a little more involved that sticking on some additional fittings. How do I resolve bubbles coming from the return pump? Holding a light up to the clear piping, it looks to me like the water going into the pump is bubble-free, but there are bubbles coming from the pump.

[4R00P3R]

I have my skimmer and return pump in the same chamber. I had to move the pump as far away from the skimmer output as possible to get rid of the bubbles, but now I have no problems. I don't use a bubble trap. If you put the skimmer intake in the side with the cheato it may not process enough water to keep the other chamber submerging your return pump which could destroy the pump. Vice versa; if your skimmer pump is faster then you will have processed water overflowing back into the cheato side or onto the floor and you will have the same or worse problem than you have now. The only way to do what you're talking about is if your pumps turn exactly the same amount of water. If you have a good skimmer you don't need to worry about all that trouble. Most of the water is "clean" that goes through it anyway. Unless you don't have an undersized skimmer you don't need to worry about efficiency for the most part.

Edited November 13, 2007 by 4R00P3R