Refugium

[MikePetisco]

i have a 40g reef tank.
I have a 5g and a 10g all glass tank sitting around. I want to setup a refugium. I already have the 10g tank sitting next to the main tank.
My question is how to get the water back and forth from the main tank to the refugium and vise versa? I have no sump.

any ideas or design aill be appreciated

TIA.

 

[Ph]

The ideal way is to get the 10 or 5 gallon drilled, install a bulkhead fitting, set it above the main tank by just a bit and let it gravity return to the main tank. You then use a small power head to push the water back up to the refugium. He is a nice picture showing this, not mine but very well done.

http://www.nano-reef.com/cgi-bin/forums/topic.cgi?forum=1&topic=1034

The only other choice is with a overflow box and treat it like you would a sump. The only problem with this setup is that you cant keep the water full in the refugium if it is in a sump type setting in case of power fail.


HTH

Ph

[ February 05, 2002: Message edited by: Ph ]</p>

 

[jgagel]

Here is my idea, that I have done and am currently doing again. Take your 10 gallon tank and cut one of the sides out (one end). You will need a strong and sharp razor blade, cut through all the sealant and try and get the top and bottom molds loose. If you can't then just bust the glass on the end you want to remove. Sounds crazy, but it works if you are careful. Then just remove all of the pieces from the other sides of the tank that are stuck with sealant, clean and dry. Next, cut a piece of acrylic with the same dimensions as the missing side and set into place. You can then drill holes in that side and just do whatever you want with the acrylic side. If you wonder about the rest of the tank and will it hold up...you will see that the seals on these tanks are very strong. When you are sealing, just use extra sealant if it will give you a better piece of mind.

 

[Anonymous]

Set the 10 gal on a wooden spacer that is about 2 inches tall. Set up a siphon tube between the two tanks. The water levels will equilize when the siphon is primed. This will dump the 2" of higher water into the main tank, but that should only raise the main tank about 1/2". Now put a powerhead in the main tank with a piece of tubing back to the Refugium. As you pump the water to the refugium it will flow back to the main tank through the siphon. The elevation difference doesn't have to be 2", but that gives the siphon more flow. If they are on the same level, then the refugium will have more chance to overflow if the pump capacity is too large.
You can set up any number of tanks like this and pump to the first one. Put the 5 gal slightly higher than the 10 gal and put all there in the system.
I am sure can figure out some use for the extra space even if you don't light it.