DIY fuge???

broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
bheron
Thanks
Dual overflows for increased water circulation. I don't use powerheads in this tank.
Dual pump for back up as you mentioned, and I now have the mag 7 turning on/off with a timer - and the Mag9.5 is on all the time.
If one pump fails I can still run the tank for a period of time.
Having one pump come on and off just changes the flow patterns in the display tank a little.
Have fun with your projects guys !!;)
 
bheron

bheron

Member
Great stuff Broomer5. Thanks.
Oh, one last question: are your overflows HOB? I currently have one but not sure if I'll use it b/c I've heard some negative stuff.
 
broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
Yep !
Dual U tube - Dual 1" Drains - HOB - Lifereef Overflow 1400 gph total.
If the pump or pumps are selected right, and with normal maintenance - U tube HOB overflows are very reliable in my opinion - especially the Lifereef designs.
Undersizing the pump and not having enough waterflow to move any entrapped air bubbles out the other end of the U tube WILL cause the siphon to break. This is the only danger I see using them.
I've never lost siphon on any of my HOB overflows.
Drilled tanks are always best if you can go that route !
 
bheron

bheron

Member
Very interesting. I dont have a drilled tank so I have to come up with some type of overflow system. Have been using the standard HOB with utube that came with my wet/dry back in '94.
You said you have pumps or the u tubes? is that right? the way my standard hob is now is that i have to get a siphon going myself first (suck and spit out). But I was thinking of adding a pump to do just that? Just have to make sure the flow rate out and in are the same.
 
wyldgunz

wyldgunz

Member
heres a side view of my sump/fuge for ya .. i dont use baffles in it i let the protien skimmer work and the mag has a filter on it i clean a couple times a week
 
overanalyzer

overanalyzer

Active Member
Stole my idea from broomer - needed something to go with my 15 gallon sump .... here it is - 6 inches of DSB and about 14 gallons of water ....
 
skierguy

skierguy

Member
Broncofish I notice you said that you have a plastic guy that you use. I am looking to build a sump. I don't know where to go to buy the acrylic and weld on. I have seen different types of acrylic sheets at Home Depot but I don't know if any of them will work. I live somewhat close to you. If you don't mind could you e-mail the name of your plastic guy. Thanks
skierguy1@yahoo.com
 
lesleybird

lesleybird

Active Member

Originally posted by Bang Guy
My opinions -
Any size fuge is a bonus.
A large footprint is more useful than a large volume.
I would avoid DSB's in anything with less footprint than a typical 29 gal. If it's smaller then about 1/2" of fine sand is still useful.

Hi, why would a person want to avoid a DSB in anything less than a 29 gallon size footprint? What is the logic behind this thought?
Lesley
 
c-17 jet mech

c-17 jet mech

Member
Ok guys rookie question here.
What type of glue is used for the pcv? Silicone is the only tank safe stuff that I can think of. Also is every fiting threaded or are push together conectors with glue fine?
Thanks again
 
wyldgunz

wyldgunz

Member
purple primer and heavy duty pvc glue is ok .. BUT you need to let them cure before running water through them and do not get any into the fuge or display.
 
fishman830

fishman830

Active Member
If i were to maek a fuge and a sump, for hte pumps do you think i could use a battery backup, like the ones for computers??
 
.357

.357

Member
I have considered this my self and come up with these 2 problems.
Battery and Marine environment.
Pumps use more power then computers and would kill the battery quickly.
 
overanalyzer

overanalyzer

Active Member

Originally posted by .357
you might be better off setting up a small generator to run when the power goes out.
I agree with the above statement but if the power does go out and you have a USP back up for a computer than you could at least run an air pump or power head for some water movement - maybe not your whole set-up but it is something ....
did a power outage test on my sump fug last night and everything worked like a charm ......
 
.357

.357

Member
For so of us its' not overflowing the sump that is the problem. Last winter my power was out for 2 days. 2 days no heat no light no movement could cause a problem. I now have access to 3 small generators just in case.
 
wyldgunz

wyldgunz

Member
heres my new set up on my refugium/sump .. its under the tank now and supply and return are off the bottom of the tank.
 
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