sump refugium?

I think i get the whole process of a sump. you pump water into a separate tank, filter, heat it then pump it back. but i don't get how you set it up or regulate the flow or even all what it can do with it. then what is a refugium and how do i make an auto top off?

 

Let me see if I can help...

A sump is a secondary tank used to store equipment, filtration, heaters, pumps, etc that you don't want congesting the main tank. It also adds to the overall volume of water in the system, which is a good thing. To regulate the flow most folks I've read on here use an inline ball valve or a bypass valve which is plumbed to allow the excess flow back into the sump. I like this way because it lets the pump run at full speed and doesn't restrict the flow, just diverts it.

A refugium is a separate area designed to be used with a slow flow, like a swamp. It houses substrate and usually some type of algea, like this Saltwater Aquarium Algae for Marine Reef Aquariums: Chaetomorpha Algae - Aquacultured. A refugium is intended to help remove unwanted chemicals from the system (not sure exactly which ones, but someone can help me out) like phosphate (?) which helps keep the main tank free from unwanted algea. The idea is if you "plant" algea in the 'fuge, it will use all the nutrients that the "bad" algea needs.

Both the sump and the 'fuge don't need to be tanks, per se. Many use rubbermaid containers for theirs.

An overflow can be made to run right from a RO unit into the tank with the level controlled by a float valve, or from a storage tank with a dedicated pump controlled by a float valve.

I'm still learning myself, but thats the way I pretty much understand it. Anyone else please feel free to chime in and correct me if I'm way off base (have broad shoulders, can take the critism)

 

You will have two tanks. Your main tank above and your sump/fuge below. The water from the main tank is gravity fed down to the fuge via something called an external overflow (there are other types, but we will stick with this for now). External overflows are rated in GPH capacity. Let's choose a common one of 700 gallons per hour (GPH).

Now, you have 700 gallons per hour flowing down into the fuge. You need to send the water back up via a pump. This is called a return. The two numbers need to be matched closely. So the pump needs to be rated at about 700 GPH (at about 4ft---the distance from your fuge to your tank). It does not need to be exact, but it needs to be pretty close.

So you have your water down and your water up. The advantages of a sump are quite a few. You can store your hardware there. You increase your total water volume. You can create a fuge, add a DSB with some macroalgae and take care of nitrates.

I have a very simple set up right now that needs to get updated, but it still serves a purpose. I have a 15g tall below my 75g main. Water is gravity fed into the sump through a filter sock, processed with my protein skimmer and pumped back into the main tank.

Also, my thermometer is in there as well as a few rogue creatures that just cannot get along and play nice (they are going back to the LFS tomorrow in fact).

So that's it in a nutshell. I want you to visit this site:

Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums

It will give you a good idea of what you can do. Good luck and have fun.

Peace.......John.

 

I've heard that it is important to have your refuge above your tank. That way you can return the water without putting it through a pump. When the copepods go through the pump it chops up the larger specimens. It is also used for algae to eat up nitrates. A sump goes below the tank. It is to filter and house equipment. Hope this helps.

 

Oh yeah, pods......I will have to rethink my setup. Perhaps I will do the sump/fuge for macroalgae and DSB and do a HOB for the pods. Thanks. John.

 

Most people do not think about the pods. Any fish that is picky enough to only eat pods, is not going to eat chopped pods. I am in the process of setting up a refuge. Will post pics soon.