Question For Tangster

OK we are back was busy all week redoing a system for some who got a tad ahead of themselves On a 100 gal tank and looking at a large fish load and then moving over to some corals I'd stay with a refugium of about 15 gals total water volume Add about 4 inches or so of very fine sand or the cheap kitty litter It will become magical mud then flow about 15 gallon of water through the refugium. As for what you use ? like the pictures posed thats fine. And also yes a refugium can be to large .. with something less can be more.. We are dealing with grass here or plants and a lawn or corn field of say 5 acre's won't do well with fertilizer amounts that was used on a 1/4 acre field. Thats why so many have problems . On average I have found a fuge at about 1/10 th. size of the main tanks , sumps water volume and then the total of the fuge tricked through the fuge hourly. I just re did a 2,500gallon system and it has a 250 gal fuge on it.. And if I did not know it would work I sure would not have use a 250 gal fuge

 

When you say 1/10th of the size is that just for the fuge and not the entire sump? I know it may be a silly question but just checking!

 

I should have not mentioned sump I was on nother board and talking or thinking about somthing else.. On A say 100 gal main tank a fuge in total volume size of about 10 maybe 15 gallons tops then trickle just 10 t 15 GPH through the fuge. I try to keep mine around to 1/10th mark

 

Thats great, thanks. I am still planning my tank design so that is most useful. Cheers again.

 

Whilst we are on the subject my new tank is 90gal and the sump is around 40gal. The actual dimensions of the sump will be 36"x18"x15". If going for 1/10th size then the fuge compartment needs to be around 9" to 10" long. As for the remaining space I thought another small section for the skimmer and one large section for the return. Does this sound ok or would you suggest something different?

Cheers again

 

Thanks Tangster!! Im gonna be making my sump system really soon, and this helps alot. Now I know what size to make it. LOL, the 55 would be too big. Plus I cant get the 55 to fit in the stand, even when the tank was not in it. There are to many suports. I thank im gonna get a 30 gallon long, and make a 10g refug compartment, then I can move my heaters, and skimmer down in the sump. Any special light I would need to grow cheato?? I have 2 18 watt lights from my old 55 lighting, or I can get a shop light and hang it over the tank.
How big of an overflow/return pump should I get for the whole sump/refuge sytem? You said 10-15 gph throught the refuge, would I get a return pump rated at around 100 gph to get enough water back to the tank and through the plumbing?? I just have read so much of people getting 700-1000 gph returm pumps, and now it just seems like a waste. This system will be a whole lot easier than I thought.

Michael

 

I have a 2400 gallon per hour return pump and a 1100 gallon per hour on my closed loop circulation. Both pumps have a ball valve attached so they are running all out. I had smaller pumps before but they got so hot and seemed to struggle getting the water up to the tank.

 

, lol. I get it. I think im just gonna make a refug and not a sump. I dont need it right now. I just would like to have the refug to get a nice population of pod, and bacteria going. Plus I can put some macro down there and get the nitrates down, then feed the extra to the tang.

I have an old 10 gallon just laying on the portch, I guess I could just put a power head in there to pump water back to the tank, and make a pvc overflow. And upgrade as needed, lol.

Michael

 

You can never have a closed loop recirculating system on an aquarium. You have a open loop system again another misnomer created by aquarium experts who really don't know what they are talking about.. Just a pet peeve of mine

 

Tangster: what is the exact brand of kitty litter you use for your sump substrate? And what store do you find it at here in CT?