Flower's Sump/Fuge Build

2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1600#post_3339300
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1600#post_3339295
I don't see any reason why you can't set up the ATO now if you wanted to.

Won't the water line hange when I add the refugium?
The water line changes from the evaporation. You'll notice the level in the return section start to drop. It will probably rise just a touch when you go to fill the fuge depending on which method you use to fill it and how much water you put in it. So if you put in too much water in you'll notice it start to rise in the return section and just need to take a little bit out. Looking at the last set of pictures you posted...the water level looks like it's actually about perfect right where it is.
For now what I would do is take a piece of tape and stick it on the front of the return section and then take a pen or marker and mark where the water level is at for future reference. You'll want to maintain it at that height. So if you set the ATO up now to maintain the water leve where it is at then you'll be good to go. And once your done adding the stuff into the fuge then just make sure you make your adjustment by either adding enough or taking enough water out afterwards to where the level in the return is at your mark on the tape. Because we already know that is a safe level when the power goes off and the sump is in no danger of flooding.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339307
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1600#post_3339300
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1600#post_3339295
I don't see any reason why you can't set up the ATO now if you wanted to.

Won't the water line hange when I add the refugium?
The water line changes from the evaporation. You'll notice the level in the return section start to drop. It will probably rise just a touch when you go to fill the fuge depending on which method you use to fill it and how much water you put in it. So if you put in too much water in you'll notice it start to rise in the return section and just need to take a little bit out. Looking at the last set of pictures you posted...the water level looks like it's actually about perfect right where it is.
For now what I would do is take a piece of tape and stick it on the front of the return section and then take a pen or marker and mark where the water level is at for future reference. You'll want to maintain it at that height. So if you set the ATO up now to maintain the water leve where it is at then you'll be good to go. And once your done adding the stuff into the fuge then just make sure you make your adjustment by either adding enough or taking enough water out afterwards to where the level in the return is at your mark on the tape. Because we already know that is a safe level when the power goes off and the sump is in no danger of flooding.

Fantastic. Thanks, I will putz with it right after Sabbath this evening. I also plan to go to Wal-Mart and pick up a power strip. I want the pumps that run the sump and overflow on the same line to go off at the same time, right now they are on opposite sides of the tank. If one GFCI outlet should trip off, one or the other may continue and overflow.
It will also create an emergency shut off my mother can do if a problem were to arise while I was at work. I will plug it into a GFCI outlet and hang it above the tank level on the right hand side.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Finally got to the laptop to take a good look at the pics....I have an Iphone, but hate looking for details in the pics on it......But Flower the water level looks about perfect IMHO as Corey had stated earlier.....I would mark the sump with just a piece of tape at this point as a reference line. When the fuge comes online, your water level in the sump shouldn't change. I don't recall off the top of my head what methods were recommended as far as bringing the fuge online, but I know they were mentioned. I think it would probably be a tad easier to bring the fuge online, by adding the correct amount of water to the fuge to just were it's ready to drain through the bulkheads, and then open the valve to feed the fuge.....Any plans for macros in the fuge?
I also took a peak at your parameters, and not looking bad at all. How are the corals looking? Have you thought of bumping your salinity just a tad? You could bump it up a notch 2 tops, and make the adjustment slow, your fish will adjust, and the corals would like it as well. Just a thought!!!!!!! Looking very good!!!!!!
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339361
Finally got to the laptop to take a good look at the pics....I have an Iphone, but hate looking for details in the pics on it......But Flower the water level looks about perfect IMHO as Corey had stated earlier.....I would mark the sump with just a piece of tape at this point as a reference line. When the fuge comes online, your water level in the sump shouldn't change. I don't recall off the top of my head what methods were recommended as far as bringing the fuge online, but I know they were mentioned. I think it would probably be a tad easier to bring the fuge online, by adding the correct amount of water to the fuge to just were it's ready to drain through the bulkheads, and then open the valve to feed the fuge.....Any plans for macros in the fuge?
I also took a peak at your parameters, and not looking bad at all. How are the corals looking? Have you thought of bumping your salinity just a tad? You could bump it up a notch 2 tops, and make the adjustment slow, your fish will adjust, and the corals would like it as well. Just a thought!!!!!!! Looking very good!!!!!!


Thanks, no macro algae in the plans right now...I was planning on doing the fuge just like that, put in my sand...fill it up then turn on the fuge line real slow and adjust as it as it flows. LOL...Famous last words...doesn't sound hard at all.
I have the return pump wide open and all is running great. I didn't have a heater on, and before it stayed at 78. The sump must cool things down it went to 76. Anyway I added my titanium heater to the sump in the return chamber.
I upped the SG from 1.022 to 1.024 so I can add some more salt to my saltwater holding tub waiting on the sand and bump it up to 1.026.
I liked the idea of marking my water line where I know it won't overflow...it is already marked and I just got home from shopping., I got a power strip. So I can put the sump pump and overflow pump on the same line and have a kill switch to be able to stop it in a hurry should anything go wrong.
I had stopped doing daily water changes for a couple of weeks, so I was surprised nitrates were 5.0, the last test read 10 and I thought that was good. Also the last day before I put the sump in I had no filters running at all, just live rock and the Coralife skimmer, which hardly skims.
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Flower,
Would you like me to send you some Macro Algae? In another thread I was raving about how it's tripled in size. I can break off a handful for you and throw it in a bag with some water and send it to you via USPS. Let me know if you'd like that. It could even have some of the amazing brittle stars I was telling you about! :)
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339383
Flower,
Would you like me to send you some Macro Algae? In another thread I was raving about how it's tripled in size. I can break off a handful for you and throw it in a bag with some water and send it to you via USPS. Let me know if you'd like that. It could even have some of the amazing brittle stars I was telling you about! :)

Thanks for the offer, but I don't have a light for the fuge right now. The last time I tried macro algae it was a bust. I tried cheato but it broke apart and to date chunks of it are still floating and being caught in my power heads. I tried the red Gracesomethingorother...it turned to slime. So right now, I don't want any. Just some live sand, some rock and some little good critters and I will be happy.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

Just an update, and I need advice on water changes.
I set up my ATO. On my old skimmer I had a tube running to a jug for collection. The new skimmer has a place to attach a tube, but sitting so low in I don’t know if it can be fed to a jug as before…any ideas, because it was also how I did my water changes…I used the wet skim the old water out and attach my ATO pump to new saltwater as the skimmer dumped old water, the ATO replaced it with new. I liked that system for WC and would like to do the same.
And I also contacted SWF about my sand. They dinged my bank account for it but didn’t ship, I really wonder what’s up..The last time this happened there was a cold warning and not safe to ship and maybe I need to check the weather.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339495

Just an update, and I need advice on water changes.
I set up my ATO. On my old skimmer I had a tube running to a jug for collection. The new skimmer has a place to attach a tube, but sitting so low in I don’t know if it can be fed to a jug as before…any ideas, because it was also how I did my water changes…I used the wet skim the old water out and attach my ATO pump to new saltwater as the skimmer dumped old water, the ATO replaced it with new. I liked that system for WC and would like to do the same.
And I also contacted SWF about my sand. They dinged my bank account for it but didn’t ship, I really wonder what’s up..The last time this happened there was a cold warning and not safe to ship and maybe I need to check the weather.
Hi, Flower! Could you elaborate a little bit on how you did the water changes. Did you have the old skimmer set up to skim wet all the time or did you just do it for like a certain amount of time so that you could do the water change? Just currious.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Flower any pic of where the drain port for skimmers is located? The port should be on the collection cup if it has one IMO!!!!
Water changes should be handled through the sump not through the skimmer IMHO. I say that for the simple fact your changing the adjustment on the skimmer and once you find the sweet spot, you kinda back track getting the skimmer back to the sweet spot and it picking right back up skimming at it's max. Don't know if I'm making sense, but if you just shut the skimmer off during water changes and clean the cup an change water, when you refire the skimmer it's already set and rocking to go vs you making adjustments to dial it back in.
When I do water changes I draw water from my DT an when refilling it is done through my sump to allow the water to mix somewhat!!!
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339523
As far as the sand weather shouldn't have been an issue shipping, they use heat packs
YES, BUT....weather will delay the shipment at the transfer facility......I have had that happen before due to fog in Tennessee....heat packs do not last 2-3 days, and the transfer hubs will not bring our livestock in from the cold either :( the packages just sit there on the pallets
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339521
 When I do water changes I draw water from my DT an when refilling it is done through my sump to allow the water to mix somewhat!!!
I draw mine from the DT...and replace in the DT......stuff settles on the bottom of the sump, and by refilling thru the dt, I don't get the gunk from the sump
It's also a HECK of a lot easier for me to get to everything :)
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339521
Flower any pic of where the drain port for skimmers is located? The port should be on the collection cup if it has one IMO!!!!
Water changes should be handled through the sump not through the skimmer IMHO. I say that for the simple fact your changing the adjustment on the skimmer and once you find the sweet spot, you kinda back track getting the skimmer back to the sweet spot and it picking right back up skimming at it's max. Don't know if I'm making sense, but if you just shut the skimmer off during water changes and clean the cup an change water, when you refire the skimmer it's already set and rocking to go vs you making adjustments to dial it back in.
When I do water changes I draw water from my DT an when refilling it is done through my sump to allow the water to mix somewhat!!!
That's what I was wondering Shawn is if doing the water changes through the skimmer would render it less effective since it would be a constant work keeping it adjusted just right.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

Okay..I don’t understand at all how you do a water change through the sump. Finding that sweet spot was never a big problem… my skimmer worked like crap. LOL..it’s only use was to change the water.
Are you saying for me to set my ATO pump like before in the new saltwater and use another pump to remove water from the DT, and not bother my skimmer at all, is it really tha hard to set? I thought all you had to do with a skimmer is mess with the knob until you see foam starting in the tube of the cup and it will make bubbles rise and make skim that drops into the collection cup.....
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
I'm trying to think of some ideas Flower. I think it would best to fine a new type of way to do your water changes and figure out a schedule that works good for you and the tank. I'd like to see you find a better way than having to do it through the skimmer if possible. I don't think it would be a huge deal If you could manage doing it it just a few hours maybe one day a week. But I think before you were doing it more than that weren't you? I guess alot would depend on how much water and how often. I'm just thinking that constant wet skimming would almost be like a waste of a good skimmer.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339550
I'm trying to think of some ideas Flower. I think it would best to fine a new type of way to do your water changes and figure out a schedule that works good for you and the tank. I'd like to see you find a better way than having to do it through the skimmer if possible. I don't think it would be a huge deal If you could manage doing it it just a few hours maybe one day a week. But I think before you were doing it more than that weren't you? I guess alot would depend on how much water and how often. I'm just thinking that constant wet skimming would almost be like a waste of a good skimmer.

I don't mind finding a new way...just need to know how. The dipping water out from the 90g gets a little old..which is what I did before I used the skimmer. What are other peoples methods. I have never had a sump before.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339577

I don't mind finding a new way...just need to know how. The dipping water out from the 90g gets a little old..which is what I did before I used the skimmer. What are other peoples methods. I have never had a sump before.
Well on my 50gal. I just do 2.5 gallons once a week on Sundays. It's just half of a 5gal. bucket so I don't mind scooping it out since it doesn't take me long. I fill 2.5 gallons in my mixing bucket and mix it up saturday evening usually so it's ready to go on sundays. Then I just pour it in slowly. It's only 5 percent which is usually room temperature in the mid 70's so I don't even heat it up. Comes out to 20% a month.
For the 120gal. I have a syphon hose that hooks up to the kitchen faucet that I use to pull water out of the tank (real easy). And then same thing...I have a 32gal. Brute can for mixing that I set up right next to the tank the night before a water change. Fill it up then mix. Pump it into the tank with a cheap $15-$20 powerhead from ***** that has a hose hooked upto it with a DIY pvc U-tube that hangs over and into the tank. I was doing bi-weekly water changes at 10% that way. I don't like waiting a whole month.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339630
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1620#post_3339577

I don't mind finding a new way...just need to know how. The dipping water out from the 90g gets a little old..which is what I did before I used the skimmer. What are other peoples methods. I have never had a sump before.
Well on my 50gal. I just do 2.5 gallons once a week on Sundays. It's just half of a 5gal. bucket so I don't mind scooping it out since it doesn't take me long. I fill 2.5 gallons in my mixing bucket and mix it up saturday evening usually so it's ready to go on sundays. Then I just pour it in slowly. It's only 5 percent which is usually room temperature in the mid 70's so I don't even heat it up. Comes out to 20% a month.
For the 120gal. I have a syphon hose that hooks up to the kitchen faucet that I use to pull water out of the tank (real easy). And then same thing...I have a 32gal. Brute can for mixing that I set up right next to the tank the night before a water change. Fill it up then mix. Pump it into the tank with a cheap $15-$20 powerhead from ***** that has a hose hooked upto it with a DIY pvc U-tube that hangs over and into the tank. I was doing bi-weekly water changes at 10% that way. I don't like waiting a whole month.

Well I don’t have a laundry drain like meowzer nor a sink handy..My tank is in the living room not close to anything I can drain into. So old water must go in buckets.
What is throwing me for a loop is the fact that the DT is always full, the sump drops the water level. Do you guys just turn off the whole system while you putz with the DT and just change the water from that point? Then turn the sump system back on when you are done?
 
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