sump or refugium

[vt]

Hello:

I've been running a five gallon nano reef for a while. Now I think I will do a larger reef system say 75 gallons. I am doing some homework on this. I am still in the planning phase I haven't made any purchases yet. I would like some feedback as to whether I should use a sump system or a refugium system. Does anyone have any opinions? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Arch01]

Why not both? A typical sump can be easily partitioned to include a refugium. Ideally you want to maximize the size of the refugium, but you also want to have room for your equipment in a sump. Check out this website for some good ideas and designs: http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

Alex
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[vt]

Thanx, I'll look into that link. If I run a sump/refugium system will I need to increase the sump/refugium setup. I am currently thinking of running a 30gallon system under the tank.

 

[SDMike]

Go check out my "Tank Mahal" in the DIY section. Why not do both?

Its fun watching the little critters swim around in your refugium.

I SWEAR I have some mantis shrimp in mine... They're 3/8" or less so I'm not too stressed about them.

Mike

 

[Arch01]

Under a 75, I think a 30 would be a good size. It is generally recommended to have a refugium that is at least 20% of your tank volume. Any size is good, but bigger is better.

Alex
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[ded08221]

would about a 20g sump be sufficient for a 55g tank.

 

[Anonymous]

would about a 20g sump be sufficient for a 55g tank.

Sure, and it depends.

The question to ask is 'what am I adding a sump for?' If it is to keep unsightly equipment, then that equipment needs to fit in the sump. If it is for larger water volume, then the bigger the better. I would try to fit the largest sump I could under the tank - or wherever you are putting the sump.

The most important thing about a sump is that there is enough extra room in it to handle whatever water will drain back into it in the even of a power outage.'

There is some debate as to the effectiveness of an undertank 'fuge. The problem is, the critters have to go through a pump to get to the main tank, and some say that this journey hurts them critters. I have a fuge over my tank that gravity drains into the main tank.

 

[Debbie G]

Uh oh. I was planning on using a 30 gallon sump (including using a chamber in there for a refugium) for my 175 gallon tank. Is that not a good idea? *Gulp* I'm still not grasping this "overflow rate..size of sump.. gph pump size" thing.
Thanks
Debbie G

 

[vt]

Hello Righty, a few questions for you. I thought that the "fuge" acts as a biological filter (something to put macro algae into) plus extra space for live rock etc. These critters you are refering to are they the ones inside the rock? Or should I consider adding critters to the fuge, and what types? Should my mobile inverts and fish be able to move between the fuge and the main tank?

Thanks for your info.

vt

 

[ded08221]

on my sump i have a simple pond pump that pumps about 500gph. the reason is the hosing is about 4 feet running back up to the main tank, and you loose a lot of pressure with that. i do now have a refug. so i don't have to worry about little critters. my sump is there mainly to hide the heater and skimmer, and not have to dump fresh ro water in the tank when i do top off's.

 

[Arch01]

vt, the critters Righty is talking about are various types of pods which make good food for critters in the display. You don't want mobile inverts or fish in the fuge because they will just eat all of the pods. The refugium is a 'refuge' for them to hide and grow in, that way you have a replenishable supply for the display.

Debby, a 30 would work, but bigger is always better. As far as overflow and stuff, you just want to make sure you have enough extra room in the sump for your tank to drain in a power outage without causing a flood. You'll probably get more answers if you start another thread, too.

Alex
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[scuba_steve]

What should I do to seed my fuge with those beneficial critters?

 

[Fl_Seagull]

I bought a kit from Inland Aquatics. I had a lot of stuff on the live rock but I wanted to kick start my system.