Need help with sump design
- Thread starter danmhippo
- Start date
- Location
- Mexico City
I need some advise on the design of my sump / refugium. I have a 90gal tank with a 1.5 hole drilled on one of the ends. My original plan was to have the first chamber be the refugium, the next be the sump w/ skimmer then baffles with the water being returned by an AMP3k. The problem with this design is all the refugium water will pass through the skimmer. Any suggestions?
Hey Big...
Why not put the skimmer in the firsh chamber? this way the tank water will be skimmed overflow to the fuge and then overflow to the return. event though it is not best to have such a high water flow into the fuge it should work. You will more than likely have to play around with the placement of the baffels.
Walter
Why not put the skimmer in the firsh chamber? this way the tank water will be skimmed overflow to the fuge and then overflow to the return. event though it is not best to have such a high water flow into the fuge it should work. You will more than likely have to play around with the placement of the baffels.
Walter
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by danmhippo:
<strong>Why not use another tank as the refugium (if you have the room). Use a small pump to pump water from the sump to the refugium. Plumb the refugium outflow directly to the return pump (thus bypassing the skimmer section).</strong><hr></blockquote>
I've done this before and it is not a good idea. If the return pump from the refugium fails, the refugium will overflow. Likewise if the pump to the refugium fails, your refugium will dry up. This is all assuming that your sump and refugium are at the same level.
You could plumb water to a refugium ABOVE your main tank and have an external overflow from the refugium feed directly to your main tank. This way you can have the critters in your refugium gravity fed to your main tank. Some say it is better to have your refugium gravity fed to your main tank instead of pumping them, but I personally don't know.
<strong>Why not use another tank as the refugium (if you have the room). Use a small pump to pump water from the sump to the refugium. Plumb the refugium outflow directly to the return pump (thus bypassing the skimmer section).</strong><hr></blockquote>
I've done this before and it is not a good idea. If the return pump from the refugium fails, the refugium will overflow. Likewise if the pump to the refugium fails, your refugium will dry up. This is all assuming that your sump and refugium are at the same level.
You could plumb water to a refugium ABOVE your main tank and have an external overflow from the refugium feed directly to your main tank. This way you can have the critters in your refugium gravity fed to your main tank. Some say it is better to have your refugium gravity fed to your main tank instead of pumping them, but I personally don't know.
not that this will probably dissuade you in anyway as you seem to be determined to have a skimmer but i have a 90 gallon tank mixed with sps and soft leather and mushrooms. i have in total about 25 pieces of good sized coral (soon to be more when i move) and 8 fish. i have 120 pounds of live rock and a live sand that just covers the floor. the tank has been running for 6 months now and all the parameters are bang on (except low calcium, getting a calcium reactor) in fact i have never register any ammonia or nitrates, my ph stays between 8.1 - 8.3. i have had no problems at all since i set this up.
i guess im confused why you would want a refugium and a skimmer. it would seem that you refugium isn't going to be able to add much as you are constantly stripping the water of any beneficial effects that it may add.
oh and if you do do this plan dont have a refugium in the same compartment as the pump return as calurpia always has a way of finding it and clogging motors.
i guess im confused why you would want a refugium and a skimmer. it would seem that you refugium isn't going to be able to add much as you are constantly stripping the water of any beneficial effects that it may add.
oh and if you do do this plan dont have a refugium in the same compartment as the pump return as calurpia always has a way of finding it and clogging motors.
If your fish stocking level is low, and feeding activity of artificial food (non-living) is low, you shouldn't expect much in terms of NO3 and PO4 anyway. Couple that with regular water changes, the need for skimmer is questionable.
I maintain a 150G all softies tank, skimmerless. With their heavy mucus production, and heavy fish-load (15+), regular water changes, and 75G refugium/sump, I am able to maintain zero PO4 and 20ppm NO3.
If I can go skimmerless with a heavy load tank like that, I don't see why you can't go skimmerless with SPS and light-fish-load tank?
BTW, I still have the EV150 plumbed, but just not being used now. I have gone skimmerless for about 1/2 year already.
I maintain a 150G all softies tank, skimmerless. With their heavy mucus production, and heavy fish-load (15+), regular water changes, and 75G refugium/sump, I am able to maintain zero PO4 and 20ppm NO3.
If I can go skimmerless with a heavy load tank like that, I don't see why you can't go skimmerless with SPS and light-fish-load tank?
BTW, I still have the EV150 plumbed, but just not being used now. I have gone skimmerless for about 1/2 year already.
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