Refugium/sump plumbing

Hi all. I'm slowly planning to add a refuge / sump to my system. I don't have the whole design drawn up yet but i'm already getting some question marks in my head... :-/

I was planning on letting gravity do its thing to get the tank water to the fuge/sump and i already have a big pump that i will try to slow down for the return. But what if the power goes out my gravity idea will make my fuge overflow. any ideas???

2nd ? whats the best order for the water to flow?
i will have my skimmer, pump and heater in the sump
so refuge, sump, tank or sump, refuge, tank or sump, refuge, sump, tank... i just don't know :-[

so thats it for now i think... i'll probably find some more questions as i keep drawing up this thing

thanks guys.

 

1. Drill a small hole in your retern line above the water line to break the siphon. Leave enough freeboard in your sump to accomodate the flow from your prefilter/overflow box.

2. Gravity feed from display to sump with skimmer, then refugium, then the return chamber.[/b]

 

Thanks again for the reply Craig thats my second post you answered me today.... [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

just a little thing...
If i drill a hole in my return line (being the one from the sump to my tank if I'm not mistaken) wont water "gush" out from the hole cause of the pressure of the pump? Witch means that my wife is going to go nuts cause i got water on the hard wood floor again, are you trying to get me in trouble or am i not getting something???

and i will use the display to sump with skimmer, then refugium, then the return chamber method in my plan.

Thanks again.

 

A small 1/16" hole just above the water line on the in tank side will just barely dribble back into the water column.

 

thanks Craig... now i get it.

 

Attaboy, no problem.