How do you make homemade sump/refug?

[lennon]

Hi all,
Can anyone help with this. I was told that I do not require a wet/dry system being that I will have plenty of LR and LS.
Suggestions were given that I can make an inexpensive unit using some rubbermaid tubs.
Anyone have pictures showing homemade sumps with refuge or information on how to save some $'s and do it myself?
Thanks a bunch!!!

 

[hurt]

I will try to help, but camera is garbage. So the pic's don't do it just and can be hard to decipher. I made mine from a simple 20g long. I just went to TRU-Value and had 5 plexiglass baffles cut to size. I just measured the width and left a 1/4" gap for room to fit. I then bought aquarium silicon and then glued them in. I ended up taking out 2 of the baffles. If I were you I'd go with 3 also. Make sure when you have the baffles cut they are not as tall as your fuge. You want your baffles at least 3 inches below the top of your tank. My fuge's normal volume runs at least 3 or 4 inches below the top of my fuge. This is done so when the power goes out, your DT will drain down into your fuge to either the point of your overflow intake level or your return pipe level in the DT. In my fuge when this happens it takes on at least another 2-3 gallons from the DT. I'd say my 20g fuge when normally operating has only 15 gallons in it, plenty extra to take on the additional 2-3 when the power goes. In my pictures the H2O drains into the right chamber, where one of my protein skimmers are, I also have some LR and 2 heaters in this chamber. H20 then flows left into the fuge chamber where I have LS and Chateomorpha for my algae scruber, after this H2O continues left into my return pump chamber. On my return line I have since installed a SCWD. Here are a few pic's I hope help. If you have any questions just ask

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[lennon]

Thank you so much for the help. It does help some but I have to keep re-reading it. Like I said, I am totally new and this is all a learning process.
I am getting a smaller tank and have about 36" at the bottom to work with.
I need to create a sump that will hold the refug, skimmer and a top-off system with the rodi small unit. So I have to figure out how to divide that up in there.
Can I attach the ro/di unit and feed it water from a container? I am not 100% sure how they work..but where would the waste water from the ro/di go? Or do I get one of those that fill up a tank..still..doesn't that have to have some water line feeding it?
I get so confused but thank any of you who help me. It is TRULY appreciated and please send more :help: lol

 

[hurt]

Here's a drawing to help you better understand my horrible pics.

 

[msd2]

If your looking to house equipment and a fuge I personally think it is better to divide each side up and have the return pump in the center. This allows you to have high flow for the skimmer, and low flow for the sump. This allows each side to work as effecient as possible. I will attach a pic of how mine is setup. The only difference between the scematic and the finished sump is I increased the space between the baffles. It has worked very well for me. The left side is the sump for the skimmer, and carbon chamber. It also holds the water level constant keeping the skimmer running at optimal levels. I run an auto topoff located in the center chamber since thats the place where water level drops. The water from the display tank is split so a majority goes to the sump side, and a much lower amount to the fuge side.

 

[msd2]

Im home so I took a few pics to give you an idea how mine is setup. The amount of cheato varies in the fuge dependin on how well the Xenia in the display tank is doing. The better the Xenia, the worse (or less) cheato I have. In the pic w/red and blue lines the blue is the return and the red is the output from the overflow.

 

[lennon]

You all are so freaken handy!!!!!!!!!!! lol
I wish it were that easy for me. I get most of it but all the connections..I would have no clue.
I think maybe I can have someone that maintains tanks make this for me and use yours as a guideline because I would not have a clue. Where is your topoff system..the middle? And how do you feed it the water?
Thanks. You guys are great!!
Bella

 

[msd2]

No, I am not that handy. Mine started out as a trueVue tank that I had a local plastic store cut baffles, all I did was weld them in place. The top off is highlighted in red on my system. The reserve DI water is under the plant in the second pic. I will also include a closeup of the way it works. The photosensor keeps the water extremely level and the float switch is a backup incase the sensor fails. Its a Tunze system and I have nothing but praise for it. When the water gets low it turns on its little pump puts water in and then shuts off. It also is timed so if somehow the float switch also fails it will run for 10min then shut down and beep until you reset it. There are lots of ways to setup an auto top off.

 

[lennon]

No, I am not that handy. QUOTE]
oh yes you are! lol
I am going to look into the system you have. It looks pretty simple and I will try and figure it out or get some help. :thinking:
But it definitely beats the oceanic sump they have for $260
Thanks so much for all the help. I'll let you know what I end up with and I am sure I'll need some input then if you are up to it...thanks again