sump/refuge set up Question, please help

[bueller]

Hey Everyone,

I'm in the process of finishing up my new 125 gallon set-up. I'm working on the sump/refuge for it now. This is what I have done so far [picture]. My question is can I put some filter material in the 1st buble trap from the drain section or just use a filter on the return pump [mag 12 or 18 ] I don't want to use a sock on the drains. the return will tee off for returns and also tee off into the refuge [still learning trying to figure out this sketch up program...pretty awesome.

Thanks for any help
bueller

 

[drunktank]

i prefer skimmer , refigum then return

 

[jtbone68]

I am going to be replacing a wet dry with a 20 gallon long on a 65 gallon tank I am also thinking about what the set up is going to be I want to add refuge ,what should the flow be if you have a refuge in the sump if it is to high would it just flush all the pods to the main tank???? I am using a mag 9.5 now should I use maybe a mag 7 and just add powerhead ??? and what about placement for skimmer/refuge/and return I was going to do it like bueller.

 

[reefman]

i prefer skimmer , refigum then return

i agree:birthday:

 

[drunktank]

skimmer cleans heavy particles of poo outta ur water, refugium cleans the leftover finner elements that the skimmer missed and then cleanest water goes back into tank. Thats how i see it.
plus it gives more time for bubbles to break down and requires to T's and less ball valves.

 

[dennis]

I built my own refugum (Skimmer-refuge-return) It seamed logical to me to put the return after the refuge so that pods will only have one place to go, the main tank, and not skimmed out. the water flow through the fuge portion is not that aggressive because the algae growing in the compartment restricts the flow to some degree. The only fast moving water is above the refuge the pods and other critters are able to move about and reproduce very effectivly. My tank is loaded with scuds and other pods that keep my mandarin quite happy and fat. If ever in Brooklyn I can give you some scuds to seed your tank and fuge.

 

[bueller]

I copied the set-up from melev on reef central, guy seems to know about sumps/refuge's.

http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/f/sump_f.html

FROM MELEV'S PAGE:

What is the best layout?
There are a number of ways to configure the compartments, including some comments:

Skimmer ? Refugium ? Return
This is a simple layout that keeps the flow going in one direction. One objection often voiced is that “you don’t want to skim out the nutrients in the water going to the refugium.” This isn’t possible to do, unless every drop of water had to go through the skimmer to get into the refugium. Most of the water runs right past the skimmer! Even with a very weak return pump, the water pumped into the skimmer is only a portion of the body of water traveling into the next compartment.
Benefit - all baffles are the same height.

Skimmer ? Return ? Refugium
In this situation, the two outer compartments receive their water from two sources (or one supply line that has been split), and pour into the central compartment.
Benefit - Refugium wall can be taller, and the amount of water flowing through it can be controlled with a ball valve.

Refugium ? Skimmer ? Return
This is a bad idea in my opinion, because the micro fauna (copepods, amphipods and more) that you hope to send up to your display tank as food are going to be skimmed out of the water before they ever reach the Return zone. If this is your layout, have the refugium drain via PVC pipe directly into the Return zone, bypassing the skimmer zone.
Benefit - none.

 

[fritz]

I don't think anyone disagrees with the last setup, they're just pointing out the amount of PVC in Marc's last picture. This setup can have MUCH less PVC if you push all the water in one direction rather then in two. Also Marc didn't make this for himself, he made it to someone else's specifications. If you browse through his sump setups he's made many a sump utilizing ideas and products that he wouldn't do himself (bioball chamber.)

This setup does work the way you have it but I must agree that skimmer,fuge,return is the way to go. However, if you're pushing a lot of water through your sump then setting it up your way, or the way in the melev link is the way to go. You don't want to push a lot of flow through your fuge. If I was to plumb my sump to have a fuge I would do it with the return in the middle because my sump handles 15x my tank volume which is WAY too much for a fuge.

 

[inkblue]

i haVe :happysad: fuGe --> skimmer --> reTurn in mY set up becaUSe thet'S the spAce i haVe allotEd in my home. good oR bad, that'S the way it is and so faR the taNk lookS good

do what workS for you...

 

[bueller]

the set-up is done already SKIM>RETURN>FUGE I am going to tee off the return into the fuge with a ball valve to adjust flow. the main tank is going to be a 125 gallon and was figuring on getting a mag 12 for the return...sound good?

Bueller

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I think the important thing is to have the return last so you're not pumping the Schtuff back into your tank.

 

[bueller]

what if I had 1 drain from the main display tee'd off to drain some directly into the fuge [with a ball valve to adjust flow] and the rest into the skimmer section, and have the other drain go directly into the skimmer section...would that work better?

Bueller

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

skimmer cleans heavy particles of poo outta ur water, refugium cleans the leftover finner elements that the skimmer missed and then cleanest water goes back into tank. Thats how i see it.
plus it gives more time for bubbles to break down and requires to T's and less ball valves.

Most of the reefers here use this setup from what I remember.

 

[jtbone68]

I think when I redo my sump I am going to do Skimmer/fuge/return but what about flow as I said before I have a 65 gallon with a 9.5 mag as my return pump should I go with a smaller return and more powerheads ,my only flow now is my return I was thinking about adding the vortech pump I love the fact that it's motor sits outside the tank as heat is an issue .

 

[samster]

if u keep the inlet pipe underneath water wouldn't that help in a less production of air bubbles? is there any benefits to the water hittin air and droppin into the sump?

 

[Tim]

I like your set up the way it is. I would not tee off into the fuge area I would set up a phosban reactor and have that pump out of the middle compartment and drain into the fuge with a low flow so the plant material can pick up the nutrients.....

 

[kimoyo]

Hey Bueller,

I also like the way your setup is. It allows you to vary your skimmer flow thru rate and your fuge flow thru rate separately. The tees would be fine but I like Tim's idea of a phosban reactor (with carbon/phosban).

My question is can I put some filter material in the 1st buble trap from the drain section or just use a filter on the return pump [mag 12 or 18 ] I don't want to use a sock on the drains.

If your worried about bubbles you can setup the tank so you have no bubbles entering the sump by using Herbie's Silent Overflow System. Works great and no noise either. Then if thats a needle wheel skimmer I would just drain directly into it. Goodluck.

 

[bueller]

i like the phosban reactor idea, I think I will go with that! Thanks for the imput,

BUELLER

 

[Tim]

No problem.....Tim