plumbing in refugium, seperate from sump...

[rocknut]

I know this should be really common sense, but I'm not 100% sure that I get this...Currently, I have a 90 gallon tank that has a standard overflow that drains into my sump, then using a return pump at the other end of the sump, water is returned back into the main tank. I was looking to setup up another smaller tank next to my display tank, and run it as a refugium. For whatever reason, (maybe I am making things more complicated then they need to be) I don't quite understand how this would be plumbed. Do I need to take all the overflow water into the fuge, then go into the sump, then back into the tank? I have read lots of descriptions about this and usually they tee off from the main drain line, to regulate flow. Like I said, I'm just a bit confused about this, and if anyone can shed some light on this, I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks, Rocky.

 

[npaden]

The simplest and safest way to do it is just setup a small pump to go from the sump to the refugium and have a drain going back to the sump. This is easier to control the amount of water going through the refugium as well. Just make sure you have a siphon break on the output so you don't drain all the water from the refugium back to the sump just like you would have setup on your main tank.

This does take an extra pump but you could get away with a small mag pump or even a maxijet 1200 depending on how high up the refugium is.

FWIW, Nathan

 

[Anonymous]

yep. if you can get the fuge higher than your main tank, it can flow back into the tank via gravity feed.

If not, you could feed it from the sump, and return it to the sump (in a different chamber.)

I actually built a fuge chamber in my sump for my 20 gallon. if I can find pics, I'll post them. It will be fed by a maxijet 400 from the main chamber of the sump, and feeds into the last chamber before the last baffle.

B