Too Simple...what am I missing?

I am going to be adding a refugium in the next couple of days/weeks depending on you guys response. I have seen elaborate diagrams and systems for refugiums, but after just breaking it down to a simple thought pattern....why can't I just use a 10 gal. (refugium is for a 55 gal.) and use the whole tank as a refugium sump? I have this elaborate plan and the plexiglass to make baffles, but I was lying in bed and thought why? This way I will have more room for my refugium. I will be using my Remora hang on part time on this sump too so I won't be needing a skimmer compartment. Can someone please enlighten me as to what I may be missing here.....it just seems too simple but yet complete....thanks!

 

Haha. I'm getting ready to set up my sump/fuge as well. I'll also be using a 10 gallon, but I'm going to go the baffle and divider route. I've never had or made a sump before, but I believe the main purpose of the baffles and dividers are to keep your fuge substrate out of your return pump and to act as bubble traps to keep microbubbles out of your display tank. Even if you have the prefilter for your Remora like I do (and if you can figure out how the hell to fit that in your sump) you very likely will see bubbles created as water flows down into the sump...
HTH

 

Hey Pisces23 I posted pics of the Remora in the sump/refugium last night. http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/diy-sump-refugium-advice-measurement-help-38460.html As for your refugium make sure you allow plenty of room in your return pump chamber. I have a 55gal with a 30L sump/fuge and I really notice the water level drops in that chamber rather quickly and you don't want your pump to run dry. Just something to keep in mind because with a overflow that is where you will see all of your water evaperation from the tank. FYI;D

 

Hi Rashr,

You are correct in your assumption that a complex fuge/sump design is not necessary. However, you will want to separate your sump from your fuge in some manner because of flow rate. A fuge should only turn it's volume over once an hour or slightly less while your sump should be at a much higher rate. Besides that consideration, you can definitely simplify down your design. My sump/fuge is an old 40 gal tank with one divider; 18 gals for the fuge, the rest for the sump.

 

DYNGOE, karma to you as you took the words right out of my mouth. The refugium is like another filter, however, to get the benefits out of the refugium, the water must be turned over at a much slower rate than the sump!

 

All you would really need is a 5.5 gal tank as a fuge for a 55 gallon main tank. Its always they method I have used and when i see all the Rube Goldberg ing people can do to a simple idea and a refugium I just shake my head and Laugh My off LOL I have never though or seen a sump/fuge combo really work two totally different animals and requirements . Best keep them separated and I think you have the right idea now a 10 will do but not needed if size and space is an issue under the main tank ?
Oh you my have to look up who Rube Goldberg was LOL or ask a older person LOL He could do more things to a mouse trap to mess its functionality up then anyone

 

Flow?

Ok Tangster and Dyngoe....you speak of flow and needing the sump to have more flow than the fuge. I was planning on around 200 - 250 gph (too much?) for the fuge and really don't have a need (unless you can tell me why I would need one) for a sump. I can either put the skimmer on the back of the display tank or leave it alone. I was told and read after the fuge really kicks in the skimmer is almost not needed so I wouldn't need alot of flow for the skimmer either, which is all my sump will be 9fuge and hang on skimmer). Again if I am missing something here please let me know.....thanks so far for all of your help and input. Karma to all!

 

yes that type of flow is way to much IMO what i have found is 1x the fuge total volume per hr. I never found the grass balls the newer guys are using to be worth a dang really It you put say 3 inches of fine sand and or Cat littler for a mud bottom and flow it 1x per hr and RDP and add some better type's of algaes and keep the PH correct until they get a hold you will find that do a much better job then the Cheado and it won't go asexual unless you stress it. Via Lighting to much and sudden spikes in Ph or salinity levels.

As for the sump yes they are a good idea in that they allow you to move water past the skimmer and that water movement is good in that it will mix aerate it far better and keep oils from setting on the surface for the skimmer to get at it better. And the skimmer is very much needed in that it us also more of an Oxygen reactor then at simple skimmer. And with the skimmer you can also use the outlet to run over Carbon as that is also a good idea as the algeas leech out stored minerals they also leech out Chlorophylls and they tend to stain the water a tad green and off color. I have always ran outlet from skimmers through a hang on type of display or specimen cup hung inside the sumps. also you can run your Phosphate or floss when needed ? Its cost nothing and requires no maintenance to use the specimen cups as such..

 

Ok Tangster......when you say 1X volume are you actually saying to have a flow of let's say 10 gal per hour? With that low of a flow it will take almost 6 hours to "filter" the display tank......how is that going to help? If that is what your are saying how am I to change my flow? One quick idea is to add a power head to pump over the extra volume to the return pump area.....would this work? Again I am trying to keep this as simple as possible but will do what is best for the tank and my sanity down the road. Thanks again!

 

You only need about 100GPH or so for the refugium! AS FOR THE SKIMMER, I wouldn't sacrifice the GPH required for the effectiveness of your skimmer at the expense of the refugium. I would purchase the sized pump dedicated for the size of your skimmer and I would not eliminate the skimmer either!!!! By cutting down on the pump size, you are jeopardizing the skimmers ability to work properly and efficiently!!!
This is my opinion however-