check out my display sump/fuge design. need critique.

[kgoldy]

Scrapping the last, tried and true, simple design... Going to make it a prettier display fuge up front. (check 75RR thread in my signature for cabinet)

Color coded things for reference-
Yellow - Phosban reactor
White - Filter sock
Red - Skimmer
Green - Return pump
Gray - maxijet 1200 (feeding phosban reactor)

I haven't figured out how to draw plumbing in google sketchup, so please use your imagination a bit.

Flow goes into filter sock (obviously), and into skimmer chamber. Maxijet pumps some of the water up through a flexi-tube into the phosban reactor. From the phosban reactor, it goes into the front, long, fuge chamber. So at the moment, it looks like I'll have about 20 gph running through the fuge, where I'll have a macro algae pack from reefcleaners.

Water from the fuge drops into the return chamber. Everything that doesn't get sucked up by the little maxijet in the skimmer chamber, goes through the bubble trap and then into the return.

I'll have an ATO set up with 20 gallons of fresh water.

 

[kgoldy]

Build thread is on nano-reef... http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=259616&st=0&gopid=3192084&#entry3192084

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Fuge return or bubble trap should be moved so that the fuge doesn't dump directly on the return pump and cause bubbles. Are you building this out of glass or acrylic?

 

[kgoldy]

Fuge return or bubble trap should be moved so that the fuge doesn't dump directly on the return pump and cause bubbles. Are you building this out of glass or acrylic?

Aqueon 40 Breeder, with 1/4 glass for all the baffles.


...And I'm thinking instead of feeding the fuge with the reactors, I'll T off the drain pipe so that I'm not limited to the super slow flow.

 

[rkaragozler]

Idea looks good so far, a couple of things, baffles are reversed. they need to go over, under, over. and last baffle to return pump side should be 1" lower then your running water level. I would recommend t ing off your drain line with a ball valve for the fuge area. the notch you have that is going from your fuge to your return also needs a baffle, other wise splasing water will create bubbles for your return pump. I don't know what your skimmer is or your return pump. need any help just ask.
Very nice looking build you have going, good luck.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

This is going on the biocube right?

 

[kgoldy]

@lfsmarineguy

New 75 RR setup. Not biocube.

Build thread is on nano-reef... http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/inde...&#entry3192084


@rk:
Skimmer - BM 150 Pro, Return - I'm looking at an Ehiem.

 

[kgoldy]

Okay, I think I've got this design figured out. It's going to be a lot of glass cutting and siliconing, but it should be pretty neat looking. Think that new bubble trap will prevent bubbles from the freefall out of the fuge?

 

[kgoldy]

just a few notes....

equipment layout from last sketch will remain the same... Going to use a wye fitting to split the drain into the fuge and skimmer chambers.


edit: and I reversed the baffles as per rk's suggestion.

 

[NYreefNoob]

well one issue is if you cut a 40 breeder down the middle that leaves you 9" width which can cause a problem finding a good skimmer to fit. i personally like the good ole basic design one's like this, how deep do you plan to have the sand in the fuge ?

http://www.aquacave.com/refugium-hd-48-pro-sump-brby-ae-tech-2680.html

 

[kgoldy]

Posted a reply and it didn't show up... weird. I'll try to cover what I said in the last...

@ NYreefNoob, I have plenty of room for my bubble magus 150 pro in there. Sand is going to be super fine grain about two inches, maybe bottom half will be refugium mud. Lots of LR rubble for pods to breed in... And a mix of macros both for function and display purposes. I'm going to ask ReefCleaners to set me up with a nice mix to look good in the display, including mangroves and the rest. I'm going to spray paint some egg crate (light diffuser, what ever those grates are called) and use it to keep the macros where I want them.

The reason for not going with the common design is because this is going to be a display fuge. Below is a pic of the cabinet I built for this set up... There will be a door that closes down to hide all the equipment, and wood trim that covers the plastic of the 40B. It should look really nice and clean when I'm done. I'm even thinking of tinting the front of the glass of the 40B so it's a true blackout in there during the day- and when the fuge light comes on at night it should look pretty sweet glowing through the tint.