Boomer..Help.. I need.

scarybo

scarybo

Member
Boomer,
I have seen how great you are with sump/refugium. I need your help if you can. I currently have a 40 gal reef. I dont have a sump because I dont understand the plumbing to set it up. I would like to set up a combo sump/refugium. I would only want to use the sump area for heaters or skimmer. The main purpose would be the refugium. I am currently using a cpr bakpak skimmer and wouldnt change right away. Could you give me a design idea I could work with. I'm planning to purchase the sump and overflow. Thanks for any help you can give.
 
scarybo

scarybo

Member
Dave,
I like your ideal. I have a couple questions.
1. could I leave the bioballs off. I would prefer to just use the DSB/LR for filtration.
a. What would be the best way to modify that for skimmer area in the future.
2. Would it be better to have the first glass baffle higher that the baffle by the return. Wouldnt I get better water movement.
Thanks so much for the help. As you can see I'm totally novice in this area
 
scarybo

scarybo

Member
Okay it is 1 am and I have been researching this all evening. I have a few questions.
1. I live in calif so I hate to deal with glass (earthquakes). Could I use a rubbermaid and silicone acrylic from HD to make the inlet chamber and return chamber.
2. What would be the best overflow.
3. What would be the best return pump.
4. If i use rubbermaid can I still keep a heater in it.
 
broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
SCARYBO
What is the "best" is a relative term. What's best for one person, may not be best for another.
1. I live in calif so I hate to deal with glass (earthquakes). Could I use a rubbermaid and silicone acrylic from HD to make the inlet chamber and return chamber.
YES - but gluing partitions can be tricky in a Rubbermaid like container. Suggestion - place one small Rubbermaid inside the larger one. Little one is refugium - larger one is sump.
2. What would be the best overflow. LIFEREEF SINGLE PREFILTER OVERFLOW
3. What would be the best return pump. INSUMP - MAGDRIVE
4. If i use rubbermaid can I still keep a heater in it. YES - but I would suggest using the optional plastic heater guard.
You can still use your Bak-Pak skimmer in the sump. You just need to extend the tube that's connected to your Rio600RT powerhead. Extend it down so it reaches the bottom of the sump water, and hang it on the side of the sump container.
I pieced together some white PVC fittings to form an exit flow path for the skimmer's output. This made it much more quiet and reduced bubbles in the sump. Just an idea for you to consider.
 
scarybo

scarybo

Member
Thanks for the help Boomer and Dave..Boomer how would I get flow through the two rubber maids. I like that ideal. The glass was my biggest concern. How big a size difference would you recommend in the rubbermaids.
 
scarybo

scarybo

Member
Another question..
My LFS also told me I would need to purchase a float switch as safety if my overflow became clogged or stopped. Is this necessary and can I diy.
Also I heard mag pumps run hot and are noisy. The tank is in my living room. Is this true and if so what would work without the additional heat and noise.
Even though I want to avoid glass. I have an old ten gallon. can I have glass cut and use this. I could drop it in a rubbermaid as a safety if the glass breaks due to quakes. Sorry for the long post and so many questions.
 
saltwaterdave

saltwaterdave

Member
Hi,
1. could I leave the bioballs off. I would prefer to just use the DSB/LR for filtration.
Yes,I did'nt use the bio-balls either
a. What would be the best way to modify that for skimmer area in the future.
I made the area where my return pump is a little larger to accodmate a skimmer.
2. Would it be better to have the first glass baffle higher that the baffle by the return. Wouldnt I get better water movement.
Yes but I would reccomend the 'fuge area" to be a lower flow,I made mine that way,but I just made it ever so slighly higher.
I think Boomer answered your other questions for you.I used an old 30 gallon tank I had around,and used acrylic to make the different chambers.I also did something kind of weird,I got a small food container with a lid that fit over the first chamber and put a hole in it that the pvc pipe would fit from the overflow,then I cut 2 pieces of acrylic that fit inside the food conatiner and drilled numerous holes in them,I also drilled the bottom of the food container so the water could flow out,I did this so I could put carbon,or poly filter or anything else U might need to put in there,it also works to makes things a little more quiet...works like a charm!! My fuge area is crawling with life and my mircoalage is doing wonderful.hope this helps you out .
David
:D :D :D
 
broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
If you're interested in doing a Rubbermaid type set up, check out my website for some general information on set up.
I'd be glad, as other's would, to get into specific questions.
It's not hard - you don't need to be a master carpenter or glass/acrylic worker to make it work.
It is what it is - no more - no less.
It looks like Rubbermaid - so if you're into making it look real "professional - acrylic or glass is much better.
If not - it does indeed work fine in my opinion.
 
njtrooper

njtrooper

New Member
If I already have an Amiracle setup on the 125, what is the best way to add the refugium....? Specifically should the water run through wet/dry and skimmer, then be pumped into fuge, then pumped again into tank or is the order not important?........Thanks
Sorry Broomer I read your post to "A&M Aggie 04'", I suppose the only additional info I need is can I maintain proper flow rate by taking the skimmer output and directly feeding the refugium. Also, can the retun be taken directly from the refugium.
 
scarybo

scarybo

Member
Dave and Boomer,
Thanks for the help. I think I finally have it figured out. I can use the 10 gal glass tank I have. Have glass cut to make the overflow walls. Intake wall by over flow will be 3-4 inches in and 10 inches high. Second wall by return pump will be 8 inches (is 2inch diffence too much?). I like Dave's idea with the food container. For a return pump I will use the mag 5. I could use a ball valve to slow the flow if too much. Only thing I'm not sure of is do I need a float valve. I can follow everyone's ideal to drill a hole in the return to avoid back flow. But how do I protect against an accident if my overflow fails and the mag keeps draining the refuge. Will this work. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. I'd be lost without the help.
 
saltwaterdave

saltwaterdave

Member
Just make sure if the overflow fails that it will not flood the main tank, you can't fill the sump/fuge all the way up with water......and visa versa with the over flow you don't want that toi fill up your sump if the return pump fails..........:D
p.s.
I don't think you will nees the float valve,I don't use one
David
 
broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
If you are going with a float valve for an auto top off system - that's fine.
If you're talking about a float valve for normal operation - I would avoid using one.
If you relying on a float valve for "high" or "low" level pump alarm/shut-off, then that's cool.
If you have everything set up right - there should not be a need for a float valve - unless you want redundant alarm/shut-off of a return pump or whatever.
Float valves are another piece of equipment that must be kept clean/maintained. But they're okay I guess.
*************************************************
NJTROOPER
I don't personally feel that it matters so much where the water flows, as long as it's all moving in the system.
Some folks like to have it run in some particular "path", from here to there, with the thought that "cleaner" water exists the skimmer.
I'm sure the water exiting the skimmer IS cleaner - but it's not totally clean.
It takes pass after pass after pass for water to change it's nature - not just one pass by the skimmer and now it's perfect.
Especially when it's pulling water from a "common" area such as a sump. If the skimmer was "In-Line", and all other filtering devices were "In-Line" - then I could see a reason to actually stage these devices in some logical order.
But if the devices are pulling water from a common display tank discharge area ( like a sump ) then I don't think it's all that important.
I really don't think it matters one bit truthfully.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top