DIY fuge

[superhero]

ok well my tank has been set up 4 7 months and i am already wanting to get a fuge. Right now i have a sump with bio balls and that is it. so i was thinking of making my own sump/ fuge. I drew a diagram of what i think i will do and i was sonering if anyone can tell me if it looks ok and if i kinda know what im doing :happy: :happy:

 

[superhero]

bump

 

[dogstar]

Water coming out of drain pipe may be to strong and stir up your sand bad. Could put some baffles there or make something like a spray bar with big holes for water coming in.

 

[msd2]

You may want to think about a design slightly different. Fuges seem to work better w/lower flow and you will want 3 baffles on the side of the sump to reduce the chance of microbubbles.

 

[ballyhoo]

Imo.. I think that you should reverse the fuge in your diagram so that water from the overflow goes where the skimmer is so that your skimmer gets raw water. You should add a baffle so that your return pump will be seperated from sand and bubbles.

 

[jamiehag]

Yes that is true you want to skim the water before it goes to the fuge if it is possible as there will be less wast for the algea to scrub out.

 

[msd2]

The main problem with this design, either skimmer first or last is that the water is moving too rapid for effective nutrient transport in the fuge. If you do a quick search you can see this topic has been beat to death by others w/more experience than I. The perk of spliting the sump/fuge on opposite sides then having the center as a return chamber allows you to keep a high flow turnover rate for the skimmer section (which is what u want) and a reduced flow rate for the fuge area. I simply split the water overflow and attached a ball valve to the side going down to the fuge/sump allowing me to control the rate the water flows through it.

 

[bchdfldian]

Eek!! Don't put the protein skimmer AFTER the fuge. That totally defeats the purpose of the fuge!
The protein skimmer will suck up all of the little guys that are trying to get in to the main tank.
Turn it around like this:
Input w/Protein skimmer > Baffles > Refugium > Baffles > Return
I'm actually making one now that goes like this:
Refugium (input) > Output < Protein skimmer (input)
The input pipe will split with a ball valve on each side so i can adjust a lower flow going to the refug. The PS and Refug will each have high walls with teeth draining over and in to the Output. If air is an issue i'll put baffles btwn the PS and middle output.

 

[superhero]

so would it look sommin like this?? and how should i get the water into the sump from teh main tank?

 

[guyute]

Originally Posted by bchdFLdian
I'm actually making one now that goes like this:
Refugium (input) > Output < Protein skimmer (input)
The input pipe will split with a ball valve on each side so i can adjust a lower flow going to the refug. The PS and Refug will each have high walls with teeth draining over and in to the Output. If air is an issue i'll put baffles btwn the PS and middle output.
much better way to go. if you have your fuge between your skimmer and return pump, it's going to get full flow of your sump. probably more flow than you'd really want for it.
put the return pump in the center and skimmer/fuge on each side of it.
as for getting the main tank water down, if the tank isn't drilled, you'll need an overflow box.
there's 2 sticky threads at the top of this forum regarding plumbing. both worth a read :yes:

 

[annanymous]

the only thing on your diagram i think should be removed is the space in the middle. if you are running an external pump, you dont need the middle space. this space can be added to the fuge-space to make it more efficient.
what size is your tank and what size is the tank you are using for the fuge?

 

[bchdfldian]

Ok, looking at your last diagram do this:
Input (Protein skimmer) > Baffles > Refugium > Baffles (or wall with teeth) > Empty space (return pump)
If you put the return pump in your refugium you'll suck up sand, creatures, and plants. Put it in the empty space. Also, the height should go down. Input is highest, refugium is 2nd highest, and return is lowest.
If you're up for the extra plumbing you can create my return-in-the-middle method. You'll have much more control but it's a little trickier to get the flows right so you don't empty or overfill the sump. Either way keep posting your updated designs here and we'll critique.

 

[superhero]

Originally Posted by annanymous
the only thing on your diagram i think should be removed is the space in the middle. if you are running an external pump, you dont need the middle space. this space can be added to the fuge-space to make it more efficient.
what size is your tank and what size is the tank you are using for the fuge?

my tank is 150 and i will probally use a 20 gallonish size tank 4 my fuge/sump.
as for getting the main tank water down, if the tank isn't drilled, you'll need an overflow box.
I know that and i have an overflow box but i was wondering how to get teh flow down b/c someone said taht teh force of gravity would make the water moving too fast for the fuge but, but will it be ok for this updated version????
(also i really dont wanna do the thing with the fuge and skimmer on opposite sides b/c i am really crammed for space undereneath so will it work the way i have it drawn also???

 

[bchdfldian]

Ok so I made a diagram for you of the correct way your sump should look. Remember, your heater, protein skimmer and extras will go in the compartment on the left where the input is.
I don't think you heard what he said about the overflow box. Overflow boxes are made to pull water up, over the tank edge and let gravity bring it down to your sump. Here are ways to compensate for the speed at which it is brought to your sump:
-Install a ball valve to adjust how quickly the flow from tank > sump goes
-Get a return pump that matches the flow rate going in to the pump with that being pumped out
-Pipe size: The smaller the pipe the slower the flow - 3/4" is fine for a small tank, a refugium doesn't need fast flow anyway
And now for my lovely diagram:

 

[bchdfldian]

Also, the return in the middle method takes up the same amount of space as any other.

 

[msd2]

You could be askin for trouble using only a 20 gallon fuge/sump on a 150. Dont forget if the pump fails the sump/fuge needs to have the ablity to hold the overflow until the siphon stops. Meaning that when the pump stops it the display tank will still be draining water until its to the level below the drain of the main tank. So you may want to calc how much water (gallons) is per inch in height of your tank to give you a necessary degree of safety.