Please help with refugium

[the mantis]

I currently have a 300 gal reef with a 40 gal sump below. In my sump there are 2 sections--1 with the skimmer and the other with the return pump under water. Im trying to avoid making another section im my sump for the refugium because it is up and running and I didnt want to disturb it. I would like to add a refugium seperate from the sump. I dont have enough room to put the refugium above the tank so It would have to go next to my sump. Given the order of skimmer to refugium to return can anyone give me ideas of setting up the refugium. Thanks for all the help.....

 

[squidd]

Put the fuge next to the "return pump" side of the sump...
Feed the fuge by "T"ing off the return pump or better yet off the overflow drain line...
Have the fuge "gravity dump" into the return pump chamber...
Baffle as needed to avoid micro bubbles...

 

[the mantis]

Thanks for the response...What exactly is the overflow drain line...and also how would i get the tank to gravity feed the sump below....I can put the new refugium higher than the sump but not higher than the tank...and also does the refugium have to be after the skimmer?...thanks for the help

 

[squidd]

Originally posted by THE MANTIS
Thanks for the response...What exactly is the overflow drain line...
>>>That's the pipe (tubing) coming off your overflow and feeding your sump currently<<<
and also how would i get the tank to gravity feed the sump below....I can put the new refugium higher than the sump but not higher than the tank..
>>>That's it, fuge higher than the sump (slightly) and a U tube or bulkhead hole to "drain" into sump<<<
.and also does the refugium have to be after the skimmer?
>>>skimmer runs "seperately" and does not need to (nor should it)skim the water before or after the fuge<<<
...thanks for the help

 

[the mantis]

Thanks again...I have 4 lines coming down from my tank feeding my sump...so your saying to use 1 of those lines and feed the refugium and then the refugium should have a ''drain plug'' that dumps into the part of the sump where the return pump is?

 

[squidd]

You have 4 lines to your sump..??:notsure:

 

[the mantis]

yea..i have 4 lines gravity fed down into the one side of my sump where my skimmer is and then it channels down into the smaller part of the sump where my under water return pump is...I have 2 leads going back into the tank off that return pump...Appreciate all the help...

 

[squidd]

OK, well depending on the flow from each of the 4, I would think 1 tube directd to the fuge area would be sufficient...
You want that to be a slower flow anyway..about 5-7 x the "fuge" volume...

 

[the mantis]

I was thinking of doing a 40 gal refugium...what do you think about that size? I was going to section the tank into 3 parts....one part about 3 inches wide where the drain line come in...the middle part have the sand, ETC....and the the last part will be my return under water pump pushing the water back to the tank... thanks again...

 

[squidd]

Originally posted by THE MANTIS
... Im trying to avoid making another section im my sump for the refugium because it is up and running and I didnt want to disturb it...
I would like to add a refugium seperate from the sump. ...
It would have to go next to my sump. ...
I thought you were doing it "seperate"...?
If you are talking about "another" 40 next to your sump...then you should make it "all" fuge..
The feed water will be slow enough to not need more than a "spreader" to distribute flow and you won't need a return pump if it "drains" into the sump...
I like this "layout" better than the "fuge in center" ...:yes:

 

[the mantis]

Yes...the refugium will be a seperate 40 gal tank...the only problem i have is that i dont have enough room to put the refugium over the sump to drain into it..so i was gonna put another underwater pump in the refugium to push the water back up....What do you think about that?????

 

[squidd]

Running a "second" pump is going to run you into all kinds of "balancing" (flooding) problems and will not work...:nope:
There is no way to balance the feed (off tank) with the "draining of the fuge (pump) whether you pump to the tank or to the sump...
The feed will either not keep up and the fuge runs dry and burns up the pump, or it will go too fast and overfill the fuge...
If you set the two tanks side by side..you can drill through and add a bulkhead to "connect" the two...or you could start a "U" tube siphon from the fuge to the sump (as long as the water levels are the same)...
Or if you can raise the fuge 2"-3" you can put a bulkhead/drain from top lip of fuge to the sump..

 

[the mantis]

You are right about getting the drain line and the return equally pushing the water back up....I hooked up the seperate tank allready and now im playing with the control valve on the internal pump...Its very hard and time consuming to get the water pushed back up into the tank as fast as its draining in...i might have it equally done.....i hope this goes well with this seperate tank for the refugium...ill let you know how i make out....thanks for the help...

 

[seeweed]

read a book lol:hilarious