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chefer

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Me again, I have a 135 gallon reef tank with a 30 gallon tank on order for my sump/refugeum(sp) I would like to have all the heaters, protein skimmer, and chiller ect in it. What would be the best set up? Do I need to take it to a special glass guy to cut some holes?
 

Desolas

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It all depends on how you'd like to plumb it. It's personal preference. In my setup I did not put bulkheads on the sump, why the added expense? Yes it looks nicer, but it isn't needed. My flex PVC lines just run into the top of the sump and go to the bottom. I use a cable tie to keep them from going anywhere.

You may want to divide up your sump into compartments, again, personal choice. I like having the refugium somewhat seperated with a partition so the caulerpa doesn't end up growing on the return pumps, etc, it helps keep things tidy and limits the amount of microbubbles. I have my overflow split, half goes into the refugium and half goes into the chamber with the skimmer.

My 20G sump has 3 compartments, one for the fuge, one for the skimmer, and one for the return pump. I keep the heater with the return pump as thats where the most of the flow is.
 

Len

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You can always go with a submerged pump, meaning no drilling required. However, in-line pumps are better so if you can have the glass drilled without much of a problem, I'd go that route. Check out the following link for what sizes you'd need drilled:
http://www.marinedepot.com/a_ft_2.asp?CartId=#bh

Most pumps are 1" inlets, but some are 1 1/2". It's up to you which size bulkhead you need to drill.

A 30 gallon is really too small to be both a sump and a refugium, so I'd stick with making it just a sump.

I'd also baffle the sump like Desolas suggested. It helps keep bubbles from going back into the tank. These baffles can simply be glass cut to the width of the tank and secured by silicone.
Here is a rough sketch of a sump with baffles:
download.php

This is way over-baffled and would occupy too much room in your 30 gallon, but it gives you an idea how to arrange the baffles. You would only need 2 or 3 baffles instead of the 4 shown. Make sure to leave enough room on one side for the skimmer and on the other side for your pump (should you decide to use a submersible pump).

Hope this helps a little.
 

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