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ecchybridLE

Advanced Reefer
Location
suffolk
Rating - 100%
98   0   0
gotta love it when someone is mis informed. in no way does carbon or gfo kill or hurt macro. maybe if you ran the reactors before the refugium and where dumping the output of the reactor directly into the refugium that there could be an issue as the water coming out of the reactor would have considerable less nutrients in it. also , i don't even feel a refugium is even necessary anymore. i ran a refugium in my sump on my 90 gallon and it only caused me headaches. i don't think i would ever run one again unless i had ample space to do so. like if i had a large fish room in the basement or something. trying to fit a refugium under a small tank in a stand is more trouble then it's worth and you could use the room in the stand for more a bigger sump and more water volume witch would help your tank more so.
 

masterswimmer

Old School Reefer
Vendor
Location
NY
Rating - 99.6%
450   2   0
Chefsreef, with all due respect, I have to agree with everyone here, this system is set for catastrophic failure. Using two return pumps is your first mistake. All you need to know is this:

What happens if a snail or crab gets into one pump? That pump shuts down. The water from your other pump continues to pump water into your display. Both overflows continue to work simultaneously. The water fills up the sump (or refugium) where the pump has failed. Since the pump can't pump water out of that tank back to your display, there's only one place for that water to go, up and over the sides of your sump/fuge onto the floor.

Hopefully that will explain enough about changing your design of two separate tanks & pumps. Next, do not submerge the overflow pvc in your sump. I like using filter socks, but even if you don't, just terminate the pvc overflow plumbing above the water line. Submerging it will cause various problems, one of which can be 'flushing'. Also, try to use 45 degree fittings as opposed to 90 degree fittings on your overflow plumbing. 90 degree fittings are much more restrictive, and restricting your overflow is the last thing you want to do.

As mentioned by others, gfo and carbon do not kill the beneficial bacteria & pods we require in our systems. If anything (and I'm not saying it's bad), the UV will kill beneficial bacteria/pods before the gfo and carbon will.

You obviously spent a lot of time building your system. Kudos to a very clean job. The fact that these changes are coming before the system is up and running can save you a LOT of headache down the road. I highly recommend incorporating these changes sooner rather than later.

Hope this helps, best of luck on your new venture.

Russ
 

Imbarrie

PADI Dive Inst
Location
New York
Rating - 100%
61   0   0
As mentioned many times above, this will not end well. It does not even need a snail to cause this to flood. Just the different tank heights will overflow the shorter tank in a very short time.

If you drilled the sump return chambers and connected them you would create an automatic level and you can run this with two pumps. You could even shut one down at night to slow down flow in the tank. This is still not recommended.

Also, the coiled up return line will rob you of efficiency by a significant amount. It is much better to have that line as straight as you can.
 

chefsreef

Experienced Reefer
Location
bronx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ok so I'm will not be doin the 2 sump setup. I ran it with water for a few day and ever min I had fix the flow. By that I have 2 ask will the 30gallon refugium be ok for a 125gallon tank. I still will have gfo and carbon reactor
 

Dre

JUNIOR MEMBER
Location
NY/NJ
Rating - 100%
243   0   0
you could probably fir a 55 gallon under there and use baffels to separate your equipment and have a fuge in the middle

A 55gal is too high...I would keep both sumps and join them. Probably cost about $75 and you'll still have all the space you think you'll need to have a successful tank...
 
Location
Englewood NJ
Rating - 100%
7   0   0
my under cabinet with gfo and carbon reactor
 

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