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James5032
Hello esteemed aquarists. I have currently purchased a 50/45/45 aquarium. The overflow box is 42cm high, with a volume of 4.725 liters, and there is a 3cm gap from the overflow to the top of the aquarium. I need help calculating the sump dimensions; the length will be 50cm, while the width and height will depend on the calculations. My first question is about the correct formulas for calculating the return section, which I understand should be sized so that if the drain pipe gets clogged and the pump empties water upwards, the water does not spill out of the aquarium. My next question is about when the water drains back into the sump. The return will be a pipe over the top of the aquarium, submerged about 3cm into the water, and as I understand it, if the pump turns off, that 3cm of water will be siphoned back into the sump????? Finally, I'm currently building a homemade protein skimmer. The height I have so far is 18cm, with a 13cm diameter pipe, a 4cm cone, and then the pipe continues upward to the foam collection cup. There will be a regulating valve on the skimmer's output. But I can't figure out the water level inside the skimmer, what it should approximately be, whether it depends on the height of the baffle in the sump, or if it can simply be adjusted with the valve on the drain????? A big thank you to everyone who responds to my silly and not-so-silly questions!!!!