Sump and stocklist questions

cufishfan

cufishfan

Member
I thought I'd combine my 2 questions into one (in the hopes that people won't groan too much when they realize I'm asking the dreaded 'stocklist' question...)
First step.. I'm building a sump for my 75g with skimmer, return and refugium sections. It's a 30" (20L). I have heard from some that the first section should be the skimmer, and some people say first section has to be refugium. Which is it?
As I understand it, you want the refugium section to have access to all the nutrients that the skimmer would eliminate. But if the skimmer comes after the fuge, is there any worry about losing pods or helpful stuff from the refugium?
Secondly, stocklist. I have a drilled 75 (48" long), just starting with corals (PC lighting is limiting me now, until I can upgrade to t5s hopefully by the end of the year). So I'd like to keep it reef safe.
I have:
1 tiny oscellaris clown (about 1")
2 banggai cardinals
2 green chromis (about 1.5" each)
1 royal gramma
Inverts (2 peppermint shrimp, tons of hitchhiker brittle stars, 1 emerald crab, 4 turbos and about 10 nassarius snails)
I'd love some bright color (I'm thinking about a Flame Angel). What else would work? I know all of my fish will grow, but I'm pretty confident that I have a fair amount of space available.
Thanks for all your help!
 
cufishfan

cufishfan

Member
Sadly that might be more plumbing than I can handle.

I know chaeto should "tumble" with water movement... if I used just chaeto and LR (no DSB), would the overflow be too much flow in the fuge? I'm figuring that having the overflow directed into the fuge WITH sand would just be a disaster.
Any fish recommendations to go with it?
 
jdl

jdl

Member
Originally Posted by CUfishfan
http:///forum/post/3003494
I thought I'd combine my 2 questions into one (in the hopes that people won't groan too much when they realize I'm asking the dreaded 'stocklist' question...)
First step.. I'm building a sump for my 75g with skimmer, return and refugium sections. It's a 30" (20L). I have heard from some that the first section should be the skimmer, and some people say first section has to be refugium. Which is it?
As I understand it, you want the refugium section to have access to all the nutrients that the skimmer would eliminate. But if the skimmer comes after the fuge, is there any worry about losing pods or helpful stuff from the refugium?
Secondly, stocklist. I have a drilled 75 (48" long), just starting with corals (PC lighting is limiting me now, until I can upgrade to t5s hopefully by the end of the year). So I'd like to keep it reef safe.
I have:
1 tiny oscellaris clown (about 1")
2 banggai cardinals
2 green chromis (about 1.5" each)
1 royal gramma
Inverts (2 peppermint shrimp, tons of hitchhiker brittle stars, 1 emerald crab, 4 turbos and about 10 nassarius snails)
I'd love some bright color (I'm thinking about a Flame Angel). What else would work? I know all of my fish will grow, but I'm pretty confident that I have a fair amount of space available.
Thanks for all your help!

get a 2nd oscellaris, a flame angel and possibly some firefish gobies.
personally, my return runs directly into my skimmer, then gravity feeds my refuge. However, not all of the water that enters the skimmer area makes it to the skimmer, some of it bypasses and goes to the refuge.
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
when i read about the feed to the skimmer and the fuge thing i redesigned my sump... i am going to have 2 overflow lines so one goes to the fuge and that spills to the return and the other to the skimmer which also flows to the return... i have seen other setups like this... you can do the same if you have one just insert a 'T' to split the line and then a valve on the one to the fuge because that is suppose to have less flow...
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
this is my 30

Right side

Left side.

The middle is open for when I add Live rock rubble and cheato.
Started cycle yesterday see how it goes
 
C

cmaxwell39

Guest
I also split my drain between my skimmer and my fuge and have them both feed into a middle return section. Best of both worlds IMO.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by CUfishfan
http:///forum/post/3003528
Sadly that might be more plumbing than I can handle.

I know chaeto should "tumble" with water movement... if I used just chaeto and LR (no DSB), would the overflow be too much flow in the fuge? I'm figuring that having the overflow directed into the fuge WITH sand would just be a disaster.
Any fish recommendations to go with it?
there are more then enough people on the boads that can talk you through the plumbing if you wish
 
cufishfan

cufishfan

Member
Can it be done with flexible tubing? That's the way my wet/dry is currently set up- and I like being able to see into the pipes so I'll always know if it's blocked or needs cleaning.
Maybe with the current tubing, run to a PVC "T" and then with tubing leading to either end of the sump? How would I connect rubber tubing to the PVC "T"?
 
pbienkiewi

pbienkiewi

Member
Use PVC pipe and search for Uniseals. This product is AWSOME! Slide the uniseal into the hole then the PVC into the Uniseal gasket and it seals itself up. I had bought a in-sump skimmer and had no room to fit it into my sump. I put the skimmer into a five gallon bucket. The drain dumps into the 5 gallon bucket then feed into my sump. Make sure you get the right size PVC to allow the maximum flow. I added 1 inch PVC which restricted the water filing the 5 gallon bucket up. Good thing I had a ball valve on my return pump to slow the return down. I should of done 1 1/2 inch PVC.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by CUfishfan
http:///forum/post/3004188
Can it be done with flexible tubing? That's the way my wet/dry is currently set up- and I like being able to see into the pipes so I'll always know if it's blocked or needs cleaning.
Maybe with the current tubing, run to a PVC "T" and then with tubing leading to either end of the sump? How would I connect rubber tubing to the PVC "T"?
yes you can use felxable tubing and barb fittings to tie into pvc can you post a drawing of your setup
 
bs21

bs21

Member
Originally Posted by CUfishfan
http:///forum/post/3003528
Sadly that might be more plumbing than I can handle.

I know chaeto should "tumble" with water movement... if I used just chaeto and LR (no DSB), would the overflow be too much flow in the fuge? I'm figuring that having the overflow directed into the fuge WITH sand would just be a disaster.
Any fish recommendations to go with it?

IMO no that won't be to much. If not doing a DSB in the fuge then get the chaeto to tumble will help it grow.
p.s. usually there would be a seperate little chamber that the water would go into in the fuge from overflow then spillover that into fuge so sand isn't flyin everywhere.
 
beckto

beckto

Member
I found that feeding my fuge from the return, to be safer/easier. Just "T" the return then a ball valve right before the inlet to fuge to control flow. (as long as you dont have headheight issues) Then I have it spill right back to the return area. Your skimmer will never get rid of everything before it gets to the return. HTH
 
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