Seperate Sump/Refuge Idea

[drpaul84]

Hey guys how are you, im going to be replacing my current sump with one that is larger, and had a brain storming idea in my head, just want to make sure it sounds right, or if i could do it better or differently.
I have a 92 gallon corner tank with the sump directly in the basement below it, I would keep the current sump where it is now (pretty high up from the floor) and put the new sump below that on a new platform, I would drain the display tank into the new sump and have the main return pump feed the display tank. now for the separate refuge tank i would drill the side of the tank pretty high up so it would drain back directly into the new larger sump, and i would use a smaller return pump to feed back up into that tank. so theoretically i could turn off my display tank and continue to circulate between refuge and sump. or turn off the refuge pump and keep the main return pump still running. The main sump will have enough space that when both the main DT and the refuge pumps are off and drain the water would not over flow the sump. i would probably use a 1" bulk/drain off the refuge back into the sump or maybe even smaller since it will not be going through too much water.

I made a very crude illustration in Paint , let me know if it looks semi alright or if anything should be different, thanks again

 

[troywalkerphoto]

Nice, but the drain from the fuge directs to the both return pumps so some of the water will be recycled. Would it be better to swap in an out so that the out hits the bubble trap and then to the return to the display. The export of nutrients might be better.
Also a manifold might be better so you can run multitude of items gate valve to on and off?

 

[duromega]

I seem this same concept on tanks threads here
so my guess is you're good to proceed

 

[drpaul84]

Nice, but the drain from the fuge directs to the both return pumps so some of the water will be recycled. Would it be better to swap in an out so that the out hits the bubble trap and then to the return to the display. The export of nutrients might be better.
Also a manifold might be better so you can run multitude of items gate valve to on and off?

yes the drain from the fuge goes back in to the same area as the main drain, which is fine...just looking for some added water volume and area for refuge/equipment. i wouldnt want the manifold as im not running much external equipment, all i have is a biopellet reactor everything else is self contained.

 

[drpaul84]

I seem this same concept on tanks threads here
so my guess is you're good to proceed

thanks thats what i gathered also just wasnt sure if i missed any components, should the drain off the fuge be anything special or you think a bulkhead plumbed down to the sump will be fine?

 

[duromega]

thanks thats what i gathered also just wasnt sure if i missed any components, should the drain off the fuge be anything special or you think a bulkhead plumbed down to the sump will be fine?

I don't think it has to be something special but I would place the bulkhead on the side of the refugium so the water doesn't drain too fast :scratch:

 

[drpaul84]

I don't think it has to be something special but I would place the bulkhead on the side of the refugium so the water doesn't drain too fast :scratch:

hrmmmm well the bulkhead would probably be on one side an the refuge in the middle and the return in another section on the other side.... just wasnt sure if i had to use an overflow box or anything or just drilling straight through would be fine. which i think it is

 

[drpaul84]

one other thing im thinking of doing, instead of running a pump to pump from the sump to the refuge is to T off the drain from the display tank so it will feed the refugium also (i would put a valve on there so it would be a much slower flow) and then it would go through the refuge then dump back down into the sump.

 

[drpaul84]

also another idea is to feed the refuge from the one side an drain into the return sump so that the refuge water doesnt go back into the sumps filter socks or through the skimmer (and lose the pods an what not )

 

[ravi197699]

second picture is better design. you don't want to put drain from fuge where your return pump is it will cause your pump to pick up bubbles. Just a thought....

 

[drpaul84]

yea thought about that also , was thinking i could put the drain from the fuge prior to the bubble trap in the sump so that the bubbles would get eliminated

 

[lnevo]

I like this one best

Edit: the one in post 9

 

[drpaul84]

Thanks gonna try and get it done this week