Sump/fuge opinion

What do you think of this?

ADHI Refugium 20 Refugium Sump by Aquatic Design Habitats - AquaCave

If I use an Eheim 1250 pump as the return is the flow going to be too great for the refugium in the middle? Also, it says it has an outlet for an external pump--can I still use the Eheim 1250 as an external? Thanks!

 

Honestly, even if you are only somewhat handy - you can build the same/better sump for a FRACTION of the cost.

you can just get a 20 Gallon Long, and a few pieces of acrylic cut at Lowes/Home Depot and a tube of aquarium silcone. It would cost you about 60 dollars with a brand new tank. Also, you can customize your sump to what you want it to be.

There are a ton of guides on how to make sumps on this forum and even more pictures to help you out.

 

Very true its easy.. Im sure someone on this forum has and already made a thread on it

 

That sounds like a good idea--I only have a 30 gallon, so I was hoping I could use a 10 gallon sump and put a fuge on one end. It makes more sense to put the return pump in the middle, correct? I was thinking the water could be split between the skimmer and the fuge and they could both dump in the middle where the return pump is.

 

What ever is convenient for you. You could do a three chamber (Return/Skimmer, fuge, Return) or (Return/Skimmer, return, Fuge) you could put the return on the roof of your house but seriously long as water is returning to the tank, it doesn't matter where you place the return. And I believe you can make the pump external with a couple extra parts.

 

If the fuge is in the middle wouldn't the water flow be too strong? I thought refugiums didn't need very much water flow, that's why I was thinking some of the water going into the sump could go to the skimmer and some to fuge with both contributing to the return.

Granted, it would be easier to just do skimmer, fuge, return; then I don't need to split the water coming in.

 

dont put the fuge in the middle.


You only need 10% of your total system volume going through the sump/hour.

That is barely a trickle compared to what goes through the rest of the sump.

Fuge on one side with split return and ball valves is the way to go.

 

M is right. I guess I chose a bad set of words to get my point across on the return. Although I have seen some setups, mainly manufacture setups, with the refuge in the middle but I was wrong. My bad.

 

Will the fuge side produce bubbles? I plan on baffling the skimmer side, but will the fuge side give me bubble problems?

 

I'd do the fuge at one end and return in the center that way if you ever want to add a UV sterilizer you can add it in the skimmer section.
The reason is you don't want to kill your pods so if you add it to the fuge you'll kill them off and same goes for the return since the fuge water goes into it.
Also if the fuge is after the skimmer then what will the macro algea "eat" since the skimmer will have taken a large part of the organics out of the water column.
Whatever you decide is right for you good luck.