roadrunner
Member
I'm trying to peice together a refugium and i'm looking for an overflow...can anyone recommend a good overflow that is as quiet as possible that will be moving about 80-100 gph?
Thanks
Thanks
Recommendations on a Quiet Overflow?
- Thread starter roadrunner
- Start date
roadrunner
Member
WOW...really im sorry! well i think i will stay away from CPR...thanks!
roadrunner
Member
anyone have any other recommondations?
roadrunner
Member
as i continue to read on the overflow and the refugium in general, i become a little discouraged b/c i'm affraid of a flood...i know i can do things to help against a flood occuring...
...is it possible to have an overflow, refugium, and a return pump and never have a flood? i know that refugiums are beneficial but how do you truely know if you need one or not?
thanks
...is it possible to have an overflow, refugium, and a return pump and never have a flood? i know that refugiums are beneficial but how do you truely know if you need one or not?
thanks
jumpfrog
Active Member
100% flood proof? We'll you know in life 'things' happen. But you can certainly minimize it. It sounds as if you want to allow gravity to allow flow from the refugium to the main tank, right? So you're going to pump water from the tank into the refuguim then allow it to drain. If you use a hang on overflow and for some reason the pump stops and the overlfow loses siphon and then the pump starts back up again, your result will be flood. If I went that route I would put a sensor that controls the pump. If water level reaches a certain heigth the pump is then turned off.
A better was I think is to have a bulkhead in the refugium that allows the water to flow out. Unless the bulkhead becomes completely stopped up it would almost impossible to ever overfllow the refugium
Make any sense?
A better was I think is to have a bulkhead in the refugium that allows the water to flow out. Unless the bulkhead becomes completely stopped up it would almost impossible to ever overfllow the refugium
Make any sense?
roadrunner
Member
i know that things happen in life but when you life on the second floor of your parents house, and your tank has already rusted the floor heat (haha) anything else has to be fool proof...my biggest concern would be that the power goes out (its does occasionally in this house) and that water from my main tank will continue into the overflow and down into the fuge were water will build up until it floods...or that the power comes back on and maybe the overflow comes back on but the pump doesn't or vise versa....
anyone understanding?
gravity from the refugium to the main tank wont work b/c there isn't room...if i do infact create a refugium it will be on the floo next to my tank and the water will go travel about 4-5 ft from my main tank to the fuge and then maybe 6-7 feet back to my main tank...
anyone understanding?
gravity from the refugium to the main tank wont work b/c there isn't room...if i do infact create a refugium it will be on the floo next to my tank and the water will go travel about 4-5 ft from my main tank to the fuge and then maybe 6-7 feet back to my main tank...
jumpfrog
Active Member
Ok, that changes things a little but, not in a bad way. Your overflow from the main tank will be set to a certain level, let's say for discussion 3" below the lip. Now things are flowing into the refugium and the pump returns it to the main tank. If the power goes out water will only drain to the level of the overflow. Once it goes below that it can't drain any more. Now the thing to do is to size your refugium to be able to hold all the water that could possibly flow into the refugium if water drains to it's lowest level in the main tank. The size will be determine by the depth of your overflow and size of your tank.
For example, you determine that if the pump stops your tank will drain 5 gallons. Fill your refugium that will hold 20 gallons to the 12-14 gallon point. If all 5 gallons drain, they your refugium will still have some room before it overflows.
This is essentially how all sumps work. Just need to have enough volume in your refugium for the worst case scenario.
Make sense?
For example, you determine that if the pump stops your tank will drain 5 gallons. Fill your refugium that will hold 20 gallons to the 12-14 gallon point. If all 5 gallons drain, they your refugium will still have some room before it overflows.
This is essentially how all sumps work. Just need to have enough volume in your refugium for the worst case scenario.
Make sense?
roadrunner
Member
YES jumpfrog making sence...what i had in mind as far as a refugium was this...i'm thinking of getting a 2 gal tank...and what i planned to do was have atleast half and maybe eeven 2/3rds of the tank be the actual refugium...then i would have a set of baffles that would lead into the area were i want to put my Aqua C Remora skimmer and maybe a second heater...then i would have a 2nd set of overflows that would lead to the return pump...
i took measurements off of our turtle tank and the is what i got (i think its 20 gal) 30"l x 12"d x 12.5" h
if i made the actual fuge 15 inches of the tank, then had a set of baffles 2" then 6 inches used for my skimmer, a second set of baffles 2", and finally the extra 5 inches for the return...
then i though what if the water line for the fuge was kept about an inch below the top of the tank, then the section for my skimmer was 2 inches below the top, and finally the return would be kept very low maybe only having 5 inches of water in to to allow alot of water to spill into it...
how does this sound and if you had to guess how much water would be in the fuge tank and then how much water would be in maybe 10 ft of tubes?
thanks!
i took measurements off of our turtle tank and the is what i got (i think its 20 gal) 30"l x 12"d x 12.5" h
if i made the actual fuge 15 inches of the tank, then had a set of baffles 2" then 6 inches used for my skimmer, a second set of baffles 2", and finally the extra 5 inches for the return...
then i though what if the water line for the fuge was kept about an inch below the top of the tank, then the section for my skimmer was 2 inches below the top, and finally the return would be kept very low maybe only having 5 inches of water in to to allow alot of water to spill into it...
how does this sound and if you had to guess how much water would be in the fuge tank and then how much water would be in maybe 10 ft of tubes?
thanks!
roadrunner
Member
jumpfrog how does this look?
jumpfrog
Active Member
Sounds like it will work. I would think you would have still very close to 20 gallons volume. The return pump and skimmer wouldn't displace too much. Once you get everything set up you can test it by turning off the return pump and see how much it fills up. Be prepared to turn the pump on again if it looks like it's going to overflow. You can adjust the heigth of your overflow to reach a point that is safe.
I'm not familiar with the size of your skimmer and how much space it will need in your sump/refugium and it seems that 5" would be a little tight for a return pump. Are you building the sump/refugium yourself? If so, you may want to have the equipment you plan to use and make sure you space out your baffles so you have enough room.
Hope this helps!
I'm not familiar with the size of your skimmer and how much space it will need in your sump/refugium and it seems that 5" would be a little tight for a return pump. Are you building the sump/refugium yourself? If so, you may want to have the equipment you plan to use and make sure you space out your baffles so you have enough room.
Hope this helps!
roadrunner
Member
all the info you've given me is great help! and yes i plan to make this a DIY so i will be measuring everything 2,3, or more times!