10 gallon DIY fuge

Alright, I'm doin' it...

I've been waiting for a buddy to ship me nice acrylic dividers and baffles for my sump/fuge, but he still hasn't gotten it done after month of waiting. I've had the Amiracle overflow, the MAG7 I'll use for the return and the SCWD for alternating current for sometime now. So today I went ahead and bought the pvc for the plumbing. I also found a 4x6x10 rubbermaid container that I think will do well as a poor man's fuge. Heck, the whole thing is ghetto fabulous. Here's a pic I labled using Paint (the poor man's Photoshop).



As you can hopefully see, I've got a plastic cylinder in the corner that I'll fill with LR rubble and through which I'll have the water enter the sump. The MAG7 in the center will T at the top of the tank and allow water to feed the "fuge".

My question (other than "will this work or will this suck?") is how do I allow water to leave the fuge area? Should it just overflow back in? Or should I drill holes in the side? And if there are holes drilled, how high?

Thanks much for any and all input. Tomorrow I hope to start work on some of the plumbing assembly and perhaps I'll be able to post a pic as things progress.

(I'm attaching the pic since I can't seem to get it to display in the post)

 

That is ghetto fab.

Due to noise and splash factors, I'd drill holes in the fuge just above where you want to keep the water line. This would allow you to place the light on top too.

To determine the water line in the sump I usually start at 50% full and turn off the pumps and see where it fills too and add a margin for error and go from there. Does that make sense?

I take it you have another sump for the skimmer and such? Or is this your main sump?

If so I'd ditch the live rock holder and put the skimmer over there.

Good luck!

matt

 

LOL, it will work but you mite have a problem with bubble because you dont have any baffles. You should just cut slits in the "bucket" and let the water from the sump flow through the refuge. Dont make to many slits though, or it will get to much flow!! Good luck!!!!!!!

Michael

 

LOL that is ghetto... but i will work... If you want dividers but dont want to make them just go the your local glass shop and have them cut glass to your measurements then just silicon them in place. Also make shure they smooth the glass edges cause it can be very sharp. Thats what i did cause i didnt like the acrylic that i could find locally so i went all glass and im not regretting it one bit.

Marc.

 

Thanks for all the input!
Matt: Great advice about finding the proper water level...I've been wondering about that. I plan on moving my Remora down to the sump as well. I'll be crowded as all hell, but I think I can fit it in. I need to decide if I'm going to keep the prefilter box on it. I was hoping the LR cylinder would cut down on bubbles formed as the water enters the ghetto, as I might now call it.
Michael: I've been worrying about bubbles w/ baffles as well. The vertical slits as opposed to a row of holes is an interesting idea.

I'd like to dry fit most of the plumbing today. I have an extra 20H that I'm planning on setting up on the new stand and using to work on. This way I can test out the plumbing, etc w/ freshwater before I make the big move. (My tank is on an old cast iron stand right now and will be moving to a cabinet stand with the sump below it.)

-Eric-

 

Your welcome Eric. So is this going to be the main sump? How big is the aquarium? The reason I ask is that I had a 10 gallon sump on my 20 long and it practically required an auto top-off system as the evaporation brought the level down in that small sump really quick. Something else to think about.

 

It is for my 20H tank...the only tank I've got.
I already have an auto top-off on the system. I was losing at least 2.5 gallons a week. My main goal is to get all of the equipment out of the display tank and get the SCWD hooked up. The cabinet stand will only fit a 10 gallon tank inside.

 

Ahh. There you have it. That should work nice then. Good luck!

 

Will this set up allow copepods and other various tiny tasty things to make their way back to my display tank?