First time sump/refugium

truehle

truehle

Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
http:///forum/post/3018336
that looks really good, but you may want to increase the height of the lowest area. the lowest area basically equates how much time you have before you need to top off. also, a big drop will cause microbubbles.
To make sure I understand, are you suggesting to raise the water level in the return section, or to increase the height of the last baffle (baffle #1) in the bubble trap after the refugium....or both?
Attachment 223055
I ran the system with my garden hose and retun pump to my lawn last night. Its amazing how quiet and smooth the system works.
Thank you for the input!
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
by raising the height of 1 to about .75 - 1 " under #3, you will tackle both problems.
have you an estimate of the volume in gallons of the return section (now, and when / if you take my advice) ?
because then you can estimate how often you will be needing to top off, if you already know how much your system evaporates. i just built an ATO for mine to increase the time.
it sucks if you cant leave for a weekend.
 
truehle

truehle

Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
http:///forum/post/3019043
by raising the height of 1 to about .75 - 1 " under #3, you will tackle both problems.
have you an estimate of the volume in gallons of the return section (now, and when / if you take my advice) ?
because then you can estimate how often you will be needing to top off, if you already know how much your system evaporates. i just built an ATO for mine to increase the time.
it sucks if you cant leave for a weekend.
Adding an additional few inches to that baffle shouldn't be a problem.
I think I have the return section holding about 5.5 gallons, and still allow for an additional 7.5 gallons of overflow from the main tank if the pump shuts down, though I shouldn't get more than 4 gallons from the DT.
I don't know the evaporation rate yet. My DT has glass covers and evaporation has been minimal. But because I intend the refugium to only be covered with eggcrate, and have a small fan for circulation, I'm expecting/planning for a gallon or so a day. Does that sound about right?
 
truehle

truehle

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3019054
OMG...I love your cat....LOOK AT MINE
And look at the computer screen in the 2nd pic

They're cute!
We're under the impression that our cat, Toby Baxtor, is part dog!
He will regularly play fetch and carry around toys in his mouth. In addition to that, rolling around in the grass, putting his wet nose on the windows, and talking back when yelled at are all a common part of his routine. AND to add to his weirdness, green chile, oranges, and yogurt are amongst his favorite foods.
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
well it depends on what your DT volume is, the temp / humidity of the room the tank is in, what lights you run, how long, how much surface area, how many fans you have and how they are set up.
but generally, the bigger the system, the more evap.
i have a 180 system and i lose about 2.5g a day.
with a closed top, do you experience problems with pH / Alk ?
 
truehle

truehle

Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
http:///forum/post/3019118
well it depends on what your DT volume is, the temp / humidity of the room the tank is in, what lights you run, how long, how much surface area, how many fans you have and how they are set up.
but generally, the bigger the system, the more evap.
i have a 180 system and i lose about 2.5g a day.
with a closed top, do you experience problems with pH / Alk ?
I live in the high desert, so low humidity is always a factor. Although, in the summer, the low humidity is combated by the evap cooler. So while it might be 20% humidity outside, inside its quite higher.
Alk is a little low at times. I do get pH swings, but that's the difference between night-time pH and day-time pH. I'm hoping as a positive side effect from the refugium is to minimize that swing as I'll have the refugium lights running on an opposite schedule from the DT.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top