Hi me again with all these questions. Check out other posts for tank stats. I want to put a sump/ refugium in the bottom section of the stand of my tank but don't have any holes in the tank to prevent constant gravity flow into the sump. I know I need to put a siphon break in but want the best way to go about doing it. :roll:
sump without holes
- Thread starter chefer
- Start date
The siphon break is to prevent water from your main tank siphoning into your sump if your pump goes out (e.g. power outage). Many people return the sump water well below the surface of the main tank. Just drill a hole or two (or more) in your return line (in the main tank) near your water level.
You're going to need a siphon line from the main tank to the sump, which is passively driven (no pump, just gravity feed). Many people overflow the main tank into a surface skimmer/overflow box hanging from the tank, and draining not from the tank, but from the overflow box. There are better ways of doing the siphoning from the tank to sump, but I'm too lazy to sketch that portion in detail.
As one of my friends put it, you WILL lose electricity at some point (usually, when a snail is grazing over the siphon break hole). At that instant, water from the main tank will siphon back thru the return line, into your sump, flooding your floor
and leaving your fish, rocks, and corals high and dry
I'm attaching a line sketch which shows my friend's setup (in a very schematic fashion). BTW, he's a big fan of Robert Metelsky's "Simplified Reefkeeping" book.
You're going to need a siphon line from the main tank to the sump, which is passively driven (no pump, just gravity feed). Many people overflow the main tank into a surface skimmer/overflow box hanging from the tank, and draining not from the tank, but from the overflow box. There are better ways of doing the siphoning from the tank to sump, but I'm too lazy to sketch that portion in detail.
As one of my friends put it, you WILL lose electricity at some point (usually, when a snail is grazing over the siphon break hole). At that instant, water from the main tank will siphon back thru the return line, into your sump, flooding your floor
and leaving your fish, rocks, and corals high and dry I'm attaching a line sketch which shows my friend's setup (in a very schematic fashion). BTW, he's a big fan of Robert Metelsky's "Simplified Reefkeeping" book.
Attachments
Why don't you just get an overflow box. It's much easier and, unlike others would have you believe, will not be any more of a mess/disaster risk than any other method. Just make sure your powerhead is hooked up correctly for restarting your siphon if powerloss is to occur. The only big risk of a overflow box is getting clogged. As long as you check it regularly(once every few days) and don't neglect it(once every month) you'll be fine. They work fine and you don't need to drill a darn thing.
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