My DIY Ghettorific Refugium/Sump thread

Haha, I get a chance to show that I've learned something on here! Here's the way mine is going together based on advice from a few different folks (the Tangman being a strong voice in that chorus). The drain line goes to the sump, but there's a T with a line running over to feed the fuge also. There will be a valve just below that T so I can adjust backpressure and thus adjust how much water is going over to the fuge, the remainder (which will be most of the flow) goes to the sump.

What this does is allows a high flow rate for the sump while allowing a much much slower rate for the fuge. When water leaves the fuge it will flow into the sump as well, then there is a pump on the backside of the sump pushing the water back up into the display tank.

In short it's something like this: display tank drains through 1 line, this line splits with most of the water to sump and a smaller amount to fuge. Fuge drains into sump. All water then goes back into the display.

In my case I have an internal overflow box so the rate of overflow is dictated by the water being put in, anything over a certain level goes down the drain and makes the circle back up again.

Ok folks, did I get it right? Sure hope so because that's how it's coming together in my head and soon to be coming together with PVC cement - which brings us back to the sniffing glue comment. ;D

 

Yep

 

ok overflow to fuge then off to the sump where it can be skimmed and sent back up the tube to the tank?

(talking/typing out loud)I should put a baffle in the sump part between the in of the p.s. and the outflow goes to the part where the return to the tank will be.

next question, what should the flow rate be and how do you adjust it?

 

Ghettorific!!!!! Funny as he--!!!! You rock cuttingras

 

Same way I run mine! Karma for u'ins!

 

Thanks everyone for your support...even you Aquaboy

I've already got cat litter in it(Hartz pH balanced), salt water and a power head and an air line hooked to a small air pump. I'm thinking the pc's I'm going to use(my old ones) will increase the temp, so I shouldn't need the heater in there.. I'm gonna let it sit in there for a few days, as I'm building the overflow and doing the return stuff. I am going to use some algae stuff Scott from Star Aquatics is going to give me. They give it to peeps starting new fuge's, then when you cut it, you bring it back to them. Cool Idea! I'm thinking I will probably need a few nice pieces of lr in there too.

My only problem right now is figuring how I'm going to get the water from the fuge to the sump. I'm using the black rubbermade container and a cat litter pail. I've got to make some sort of overflow between them, then figure a divider for the output of the p.s. to the return section of the sump. Writing it out helps me figure it out, so if ya'll see that I'm doing something wrong, TELL ME! ugh, this is more confusing as I go, but I'm going one step at a time


p.s. I can't wait for the emperor to go bye bye!!!!!!!!! I really am learning to hate that thing.

 

1/10 the size of the display in gph. 50g tank = 5gph, 100g tank = 10 gph

Prop it up and let gravity pour it back in the sump. Drill a hole in the side of it so when it reaches that level it will just flow in the sump.

 

I had the understanding that you want it to cycle thru the fuge/sump a certain amount of times per hour....is this not correct?


I thought about that too Otty, but it's going to go from the rubbermade container into the cat litter bucket. big to little, know what I mean?

 

The sump will turn the water over by how big of pump you put in. The water to the fuge should be real slow like a marsh so that the algae has time to do it's job. Ever see the water in a marsh or swap move fast??? If you put the water over the fuge too fast then you are defeating the purpose of even having one.

Need some pics or drawing of what you are doing because you are not making much sense.