Building a refugium

[scubachris]

Ok I am going to build a 10g refugium for my 30g tank. I plan to convert a new 10g tank into the refugium. 3 compartments with the center having a 1-3 inch sand bed with some live plants and some Lr. Using the pump and plumbing from a wet/dry filter I had. Will have a 5 micron sock over the intake into the refugium and eventually a protein skimmer in the last compartment. Any suggestions?

 

[natclanwy]

My first suggestion would be to use larger tank for your sump or reduce the number of chambers. A 10g tank just isn't big enough to accomodate all of that, by the time you divide it up into three chambers none of them will be large enough to be effective plus your return chamber will be very small with little capacity to compensate for evaporation. A 20g is usually the smallest tank reccomended for running a sump/refugium, with a 10g you could run one or the other.

 

[scubachris]

It is only ment to be a refugium. Just want to add filtration, and a place for pods to grow.

 

[natclanwy]

You don't need three compartments for a fuge, I would split the tank into 2/3 and 1/3 sections then use larger half for the fuge and the smaller half for your return pump. That will give you about 2g for evaporation if you run your baffles to the top of the sump. You also will need to run you over flow at the highest level you can and use a syphon break that is above the water in your DT to reduce the amount of backwash you have coming from the DT when the power goes out. Using this setup will give you the maximum amount of water volume, it doesn't really accomodate a skimmer but with a 10g you will need to use an external or HOB skimmer more than likely anyway.

 

[scubachris]

wouldnt the refugium need 3 compartments? 1 where the water enters, one with the live sand and lr, and a third for the return pump? Here is a drawing of what Im thinking of. Any comments?

 

[deejeff442]

you could just split the drain line into ywo then put one in the fuge and the other in the pump.only two sections

 

[natclanwy]

I wouldn't worry about using the sock and you can use an elbow to direct the flow across the fuge so that it doesn't dig into the sand bed.

 

[scubachris]

ok question. Should the first divider be off the bottom or the second? IN the drawing I posted I had the second on off the ground, but then I thought of a problem. If the first divider is to the bottom, it will fill up with the water comming in, and only the new water will flow over. If that first divider is off the bottom, then all the water will flow out of the first chamber and into the second, then sit in there longer, then flow into compartment 3 and back to tank. Any comments?

 

[deejeff442]

look up melevsreef.com it has plenty of info and pics.he makes refugiums.
you need 3 baffle dividers first one to the bottom the second 1 inch off the bottom and 1 inch taller than the first then the third is back to the bottom.all three are the same size but the second is up 1 inch.that way the water will go over the first ,under the second,and over the third.

 

[mr_x]

i wouldn't include any sponge material between the refugium and the return pump. you are adding a place for pods to grow, but not letting them out of the refugium. you want them to get sucked up by the return and head back to the display.
you can't have the partition immediately after the refugium, off of the bottom. the sand and macros will eventually end up in the return area.
i make my sumps with only 2 partitions after the refugium. i like the water to enter the return area from the bottom. this way, the bubbles flow up, and the water flows down.
the other way, if you have some evap in the return area, the splashing down over the last partition will make new bubbles.

 

[deejeff442]

i was thinking of taking the last baffle out in the return pump area.
the waterfall seems to make bubbles.
when i built mine thats all i saw,three baffles.
i thinks he should go get a ten gallon tote for a fuge and drain it into the sump.

 

[scubachris]

OK new question. I am going to omit the filter pad below the second divider, as to not trap the pods from going back into the tank. Here is my new question. Should both dividers go all the way to the bottom? If not, wont the sand spread out either into the intake portion or the return section? If this is right, and both dividers go to the bottom, then what will keep the water flowing through the refugium, and not cause it to just sit in the respective chambers? Would it be better to put both dividers to the bottom and drill holes in the dividers? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks

 

[mr_x]

yes. they should go all the way to the bottom. the laws of physics will keep the water going. as water enters the intake section, eventually, it will overflow into the refugium, and then return areas.
it will be exactly the right amount, because it's only going to overflow exactly what the return pump is sending up.
no. do not drill any holes in the dividers.

 

[dennis210]

One wall on sand side goes to bottom - the second wall stays 1/2 inch up off bottom. Snad kept back water flow over first wall and under second. It is a baffled wall divider.

 

[deejeff442]

hey mr. x ,i took the 3rd baffle out and it works great.
no more bubbles in the tank.
there werent too many in the first place just a little surge every once in a while when the pump section evaporated down a little just before the auto fill kicked on .now perfect.
this poster here needs to see a few pics of fuges.he doesnt seem to follow out instructions.
a fuge system is very simple.
need to see melevsreef.com

 

[scubachris]

well hope to get this thing done over the weekend. Will post a pic when she is done and running. Any other comments or ideas would be appreciated.

 

[scubachris]

Any last minute ideas before I start to build?