Comments & suggestions on new basement sump setup - long

[sawcjack00]

I am moving my sump to the basement I've got a 100 gallon stock tank, and a 40 gallon stock tank, and here's what I'm thinking. The 40 gallon will be the actual "sump" while the 100 gallon will be my "refugium" My 2 overflows will come down into a 1 gallon bucket located in the 40 gallon sump (to slow up flow). The sump will sit on a platform over the 100 gallon refugium. In the sump I will have my skimmer, my heaters, temp, PH, and salinity probes, and the efluent from my calcium reactor (efluent to drip into the one gallon bucket where turbulence will help remove excess CO2). I will have 2-2" standpipes to maintain the water level in the sump. Water will flow through the standpipes into the refugium which will have a 4" DSB, macros and some LR. The refugium will be lighted by 6 36" NO flourescents (collecting dust in garage). Topoff will be provided by a 30 gallon Rubbermaid container filled by RO/DI and connected to a Kent float valve located in the refugium. The topoff tank will sit above the refugium on the same platform as the sump. The return pump will be plumbed externally to one end of the refugium (opposite the water input end). I will also have a valve hooked up to the refugium which, when opened, will flow to the floor drain for water changes. So the flow of water is from tank to one end of sump down standpipes to one end of refugium to the other end of the refugium to be pumped back to the tank. Any comments or suggestions? TIA

 

[sawcjack00]

Up

 

[cman]

I did something very similar. Two comments. If you haven't already planned to I would add some baffles in the refugium to seperate the return pump from the refugium. The baffles will help control bubbles being pumped back into the tank.
Also you might want to split off one of the overflows and flow some of the water from the display tank directly into the refugium. You can put a ball valve on the line entering the refugium so the flow won't be to strong. The reason for this is to deliver some "food" to the DSB in the refugium. Before I did this all the detritus (food) collected in the sump section and never got consumed by the DSB critters.

 

[srbayless]

Howdy,

Like Cman mentioned, most of the detritous will settle in your sump before getting to the refugium. I would have the return go into the refugium first so "stuff" will get to the organisms that feed on it.

Also, make sure to put the bulkheads high enough so you can maintain the water level in the refugium. I have seen it where the holes were too low, and the water level never got high enough to fill the tub. This was especially true with larger holes, like the 2" ones you are going to use.

Also, I don't know what the GPH will be coming from the tank. If it will be very high, I would suggest at least 3 lines between the refugium and sump. I doubt 2-2" in lines could be overwhelmed, but I always error on the side of caution. The last thing you want is 2" of water on your basement floor.

Good luck,

Scott.