Fuge/Sump Above Tank

[bededog]

I posted this on the Equipment/DIY board but it doesn't seem like there is as much activity there so I thought I better put it here too.
Anyone ever put their fuge/sump above thier tank? Any problems I might not have thought of. I was just planning to have it overflow into the tank and pump water back up to it. I don't have room under the tank (46 gallon) and my wife won't let me go through the wall into the closet on the other side of the wall. I was planning to build a bookshelf like stand over the tank for the fuge/sump and probably have a cabinet way up there for books, supplements, etc.....
Any ideas or comments would greatly be appreciated, thanks.

 

[sanangelofish2]

I havent ever heard of that being done. Interesting to say the least let me know how it goes. windman@cox.net i really dont know why that wouldnt work. I can see nosie being a problem and having a pump be able to return enough. good luck

 

[jauringer]

I have seen this before. its a good way to allow safe transfer for Pods from the rufugium to the display. I would put a bulkhead in the fuge and T off the return bump in your sump with a ball valve to send some that water back to the refugium. You obviously don't want a return pump in the display.
edit: sorry, i wasn't reading close enough. I didn't see that you don't have a sump under your tank.

 

[nm reef]

Thats how my refugium works. But my set-up may differ from yours a bit.
My sump/refugium are in the room behind my display...my return pump has three return lines. One feeds a independant refugium that sits higher than my display in the other room...the other two returns go direct to the display...the refugium has 3 returns of its own that gravity flow back to the display. I like the way it works...it does provide a natural food source via pods and such. A added benefit is when I feed the display I can just let the food enter the display via the refugium returns. Gravity returns work great in my opinion.:thinking:

 

[cprdnick]

Originally posted by Bededog
I don't have room under the tank (46 gallon) and my wife won't let me go through the wall into the closet on the other side of the wall.
I'm not married so I don't know how things like this work, but here's my two cents. It's your closet, be a man, stand up to her. Drill your holes and she can't stop you after that. J/K, don't tell you wife I said that, i get tired of hiding.
Basically if it was over the tank, it would be essentially the same as a normal under the tank setup. In that it would work the same. Instead of the Aquarium being the DT, it would be the fuge in a traditional setup. How would you're return to the fuge be setup? External pump? Or would it be pumping from the fuge instead of to the fuge? How is your's setup NM?

 

[nm reef]

Mine is very basic...
the display overflows thru the wall into the sump...the sump & refugiums are behind the wall...the return from the sump goes to the display(via 2 returns) and a third return feeds the refugium...the refugium returns via gravity thru the wall back to the display.:yes: