New Setup

[randyD]

I am going to setup my first reef tank. Here is what I have in mind for now:
75gal main tank, 29gal refugium/sump tank
CPR CS-100 overflow, rated at 800gph
Danner Mag 9 pump rated at 950 gph.
My idea is to have the 75 flow into the refug/sump and then pump back to the 75.
My questions for now are:
Is it OK to have the refug and sump the same?
Is it OK to have that much water turnover in the refug?
ANY comments will be greatly appreciated. I am trying to avoid some of the most common mistakes.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't see any problems with your plan; I have a refugium/sump setup also. There are disadvantages, though, compared to a dedicated refugium - since the water passes through the pump after the refugium, it is thought that some of the critters will be killed by the impeller before they make it to the display tank where the hungry display animals live. That is why a dedicated refugium typically uses a "gentle" gravity feed to the display tank.

However I still think the system benefits a lot from having a healthy growth of critters and macroalgae in the sump.

Have fun...

 

[danmhippo]

I have tested (and so did some other reefers on this board) by passing assorted sizes of "critters" through the return pump and see how many survived the trip by holding a net under the outlet. In my test, the largest average size that can pass through the pump unharmed is 1/2" or less. Most of the pods are much smaller then this.