refugium/sump design! almost there!

[arcab4]

okay. here is my new setup design.

http://www.myfishtank.net/images/mytank/setupdesign.jpg



questions/comments:

1. wary of flooding my floor, the sump will be empty enough that if the pump failed/electricity went out it would have enough room to store the water from the main tank.

2. then i realized what if the overflow clogged (read it at reefcentral)..my pump would continue to pump water into the tank would would flood my floors also and burn out my pump once it ran out of water.

3. so i started to read about the float switches from ultralife. anyone know anything about them? good thing to have? i was going to set it into my sump (a bit above the pump) so if my overflow clogged, my pump would turn off if the water in the sump got to low.

4. now, if i was really anal about it i guess i could extend the main pipe to the opposite side of the sump. why? so that any critters flowing from the refugium wouldn't have to get sucked into the skimmer (hence the positioning of the skimmer to the right of the return pump).

5. and totally random, has anyone grown tang heaven before.

thanks,

 

[dattack]

Hey, I was about to do my plumbing for my 120 this weekend but I was looking into getting a float switch too but I have to research that more.  Sorry, I don't have tang heaven but your design is nice except be wary of your pump getting a lot of bubbles from the skimmer and the overflow pipe.  That's why people install baffles.  If you don't like baffles, you can set your pump in a plastic container and cut notches to let the water flow in.

 

[arcab4]

thanks. i'll do some more research on the float switch. i find it a necessity if i don't want to worry about flooding. let me know how your plumbing plans go. mytank won't be in until thursday now. boo. and that weekend i'll be gone so i can't work on it until the new year.

do u think i should extend the main pipe to the opposite end of the sump?

how are you doing your setup/plumbing?

 

[dattack]

My bulkheads are 2" wide!  I have to figure out this plumbing for such a big tank too because I have to make another refugium.  Stupid me I have a stand that's only 13 inches wide when I constructed the stand.  However, the stand is 40" high which makes the tank almost at eye level.  
Now I just have to find a tank that is long and thing to fit nicely.
Tell me how your plumbing goes so we can share some info.  ;D