Question For Tangster

Ive been reading throught your posts on sumps and refuges and I just want to say it sounds like you really know what your talking about!! Hopfully my question will help everyone here.

I have my 100 gallon running, and I would like your imput on what size sump/refuge to get for it. I have an old 55 gallon that I could use, but from what I just read it sounds tooooo big. But what about a sump?? What volume does it need to be? and is it best to have a sump/refuge combo, and just let the water flow from the refuge to the sump and back to the tank? The tank will be used mainly for fish, so it will have a decent size bio load, but will have a collection of corals as time passes. I just want to get the tank were it needs to be, before I go spending money. Any input would be great!! Thanks for showing me the " Old School " way. Most of the time it is the best way to go, or at least start,

Michael

 

Michael Tangster and Annick are out of town this week. They will be back next week. FYI.

 

OH, lol. Thanks Matt.

 

If anyone else has some info to share, feel free. Im in no rush, I just want to get this running through my head so Ill have it all worked out when the time comes.

 

Michael as far as a fuge or sump there is no such thing as too big. The more water volume the better. The issue with a fuge is that you do not want an overwelming current runing through it. The slower it goes through the better the fuge will clean your system. So if you have a really large fuge it won't be running through so quickley. That is also why some people put a pass through skipping the fuge for some of the water flow. You could always sump/fuge in one by having 2 channels in the 55 for the water to pass.

 

Is the 55 glass or acrylic?

 

If you're looking for a cheap way to do a refegium I made one for my friend from a plastic hanging file folder box, a couple of bulk heads and a cheap power head. You could do a 55 gallon sump with a gravity fed refegium going into it. Would you like me to post some pics? It might be kinda dirty it hasn't been used since he upgraded but as they say it worth a thousand words.

 

Please post a pic, sounds interesting.

 

Will do I should have it up by 730 pacific. It worked quite well for over a year the best part is that since it's that cloudy white plastic light doesn't make it to the sump for unwanted algae growth.

 

Alright here are some pics hope I can figure out this whole picture uploading thing.



okay it might be hard to see what's going on since it's so dirty, basically I used a tiny power head to supply water then attached a bulk head with a strainer on the inside of the refegium and a male fitting to the other side and attached a return hose (not pictured couldn't find). Let me know if you have any questions.