my sump/refugium design

yearofthenick

Active Member
Originally Posted by Dic Wood
http:///forum/post/3047967
Or should the refugium section have a consistent water hight?
I like this one better... it gives you more space for chaeto and stuff.
Also, keep in mind that you'll need some eggcrate on the overflow for your refugium... it's a good way to keep the chaeto in your fuge and you won't have to worry about it snaking over to your return.
 

yearofthenick

Active Member
Originally Posted by Dic Wood
http:///forum/post/3047980
How about this version with micro bubble baffles and sponge?
yeah I really like that one. It's good to keep your skimmer and return pump separate.... but the fuge sponge will clog up really easily - I see it being problematic for you.
When I say eggcrate, I'm talking about this (first pic)... you can get it at any hardware store. Some people have this eggcrate go all the way down to the sand level in their refugiums (second pic) and some people, like myself, just like having a little bit of it at the top of the overflow to keep everything in as it's overflowing into your return channel (third pic - black plexi/eggcrate was used)


 

yearofthenick

Active Member
Also, the fuge doesn't really need a separate water pipe send... if you have a single water pipe send and put your fuge in the mix, this gives more flow to your refugium. You'd be sending clean water to the fuge as well because it's already been filtered by the bio-media. Because you've got your water flow split to two sides of your sump/fuge, that means the half that is going directly to your fuge is unfiltered... you could get all kinds of gunk through there and it could dirty up your fuge. However, your design is good if you want to control the flow to your fuge. In that case you wouldn't even need any baffles either... your right-side water pipe send could pump directly into the fuge... if it's slow enough.
Personally though, I'd have my sump/fuge look like this....
From left to right: Single Water Pipe Send -> Filter Pad/Bio-Media -> Skimmer -> Refugium -> Return
Keep in mind that having a fuge keeps microalgae down - the chaeto in there eats the same stuff other algae eat to live, basically making it uninhabitable for algae inside your display tank. The chaeto is a hog for this stuff and if you can feed your chaeto instead of feeding tons of little algae all over your display, that would be much better. Having a fuge/chaeto keeps your nitrate/phosphate down. It also makes a great breeding ground for little buggers like copepods... with a fuge, you'd probably be able to keep a Mandarin Goby.
Having said all that, it's good to give your refugium some more active flow, making it another stop your water makes before it goes back to the tank, instead of passive flow (giving the fuge it's own water pipe send and regulating it)
Whether active or passive, it's really up to you. It's been done both ways and it's worked both ways. I prefer more active flow because it makes your refugium work harder to keep your water/tank clean. Some people like more passive flow because it gives the fuge the ability to grow copepods faster without most of them getting caught in the current. I would check out DSB (deep sand bed) options too, although it's a bit of a hot topic here... some people hate them, some people love them. Ironically there aren't too many people in between.
Another thing to consider would be your lighting schedule. If you have your display lights on for 8 hours a day, it would be good to have your refugium lighting on for the other 16 hours a day. This is ideal because your chaeto isn't eating when your corals are. This isn't the only way to do it though... some people keep their refugium lights on 24/7. Some only have their fuge lit when the display is lit. I like the reverse-lighting schedule the best. Either that or the 24/7.
Have you thought about putting mangroves in your fuge?
 

dic wood

Member
I was thinking slower flow through fuge. I read that you should not skim before fuge. The skimmer will take out good stuff that the fuge needs.
 

zero26

Member
Planning my sump/fuge, how do you determine the height of the baffles? thanks, sorry for the stupid question, still new!
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Dic Wood
http:///forum/post/3048308
I was thinking slower flow through fuge. I read that you should not skim before fuge. The skimmer will take out good stuff that the fuge needs.
Looks good I would just put the couplings after the valves so you can stop the flow and remove that section of PVC if need be
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Dic Wood
http:///forum/post/3047964
This is my sump/refugium design. Please let me know if this will work for a 75gal DT 27gal sump.

Looks good I would just put the couplings after the valves so you can stop the flow and remove that section of PVC if need be
And lengthen your influent to your refug and put an elbow so you are directing the flow into your refug setting up a little turbulence, which will be beneficial for what looks like Cheato
 

dic wood

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3048604
Looks good I would just put the couplings after the valves so you can stop the flow and remove that section of PVC if need be
And lengthen your influent to your refug and put an elbow so you are directing the flow into your refug setting up a little turbulence, which will be beneficial for what looks like Cheato
How's something like this?
Do you think the media area is big enough about 6"x12"x13"?
My tank is on order,
how dose the pvc connect to the bulkhead, screw, cement ?
As far as the sponge, I had one in my sump/fuge for my 55gal to filter the water from the sump going back to DT and it worked good had to be cleaned every two weeks or so.
 

dic wood

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3048604
Looks good I would just put the couplings after the valves so you can stop the flow and remove that section of PVC if need be
And lengthen your influent to your refug and put an elbow so you are directing the flow into your refug setting up a little turbulence, which will be beneficial for what looks like Cheato

How's something like this?
Do you think the media area is big enough about 6"x12"x13"?
My tank is on order,
how dose the pvc connect to the bulkhead, screw, cement ?
As far as the sponge, I had one in my sump/fuge for my 55gal to filter the water from the sump going back to DT and it worked good had to be cleaned every two weeks or so.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Much better IMO. Put a coupling (make sure you are using couplings and not unions) on your return line after the valve so you can remove your pump for maintenance or replacement. All your couplings (after valves) when disconnected should allow you to remove your Sump/Ref completely from your setup
I would also move the pump chamber to the left giving you more room in your refug
 

dic wood

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3048663
Much better IMO. Put a coupling (make sure you are using couplings and not unions) on your return line after the valve so you can remove your pump for maintenance or replacement. All your couplings (after valves) when disconnected should allow you to remove your Sump/Ref completely from your setup
I would also move the pump chamber to the left giving you more room in your refug
Sounds good to me thanks alot
 
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