Check out sump/fuge design
- Thread starter jc130b
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lvsuckerfish
g funk
i would bring the fuge all the way to the live rock section or reverse the sump section for fuge to live rock then to skimmer then to carbon then to return pump back to the tank
lvsuckerfish
g funk
yeah like that I now this is my personal opinion I like all my water to get skimmed before heading back to the dt. on my current build I have from the display to the skimmer then to the live rock then back to the diplay I am not running a fuge on mine other then a 100 vat full of live rock the skimmer will be a 50 gallon vat which may get cancelled out tomorrow lol not sure yet but i always had floss in the first chamber then fuge then skimmed the water and return minus all the reactors and all. what skimmer are you going with?
lvsuckerfish
g funk
it is ok but all depends on your budget I would go with a bubble magnus or vertex or swc. those are the best bang for your buck skimmers I am getting a Atb 840 for my other system getting a new one for 500 at that price I cannot pass it up.
ac7av
Bring on the FISH!
I like to skim before the DT too. I’ve seen lots of people say to skim as soon as it leaves the tank so you can remove as much debris as you can before processing the water further. Makes since ether way.
mal1099
Well-known member
on your skimmer draining straight to your return wont that cause alot of micro bubbles going back up to the tank. Id have the skimmer do everything in its on section. Also noticed your baffles to your return theres only 2. I would do a 3 baffle there so your skimmer water level will stay constant. I know this from experience and it makes dialing in my skimmer a pain in the butt.
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You could bring the feed to your fuge off of your return line. That's how I set mine up. This way all water goes through your skimmer section and any other mechanical filtration you have in place. This will cut back on the amount of detritus entering your fuge and keep most of it in the sump area
mfinn
Surgeonfish
I would move your skimmer back to the first section, and put the live rock in the display where it belongs. You will end up with a micro bubble problem with the skimmer draining into the return section.
How big is this sump?
Any chance that it is big enough to make the center section into a refugium area?
How big is this sump?
Any chance that it is big enough to make the center section into a refugium area?
ac7av
Bring on the FISH!
I have no baffles from my skimmer to my return pump. They are in the same compartment of my sump and I have no, 0, zilch, micro bubbles going into the tank. I think if a skimmer is working like it should you really don’t get any bubbles coming out of it. On the other side if your concerned at all about bubbles using the baffles can help if you have a skimmer that leeks bubbles.
mfinn
Surgeonfish
I've read countless threads over the years where people complain about micro bubbles coming from their skimmers and ending up in the display tank.
I'm just trying to give the op some good basic advise to avoid common problems.
I'm just trying to give the op some good basic advise to avoid common problems.
ac7av
Bring on the FISH!
I totally agree, don’t get me wrong I feel it’s a safer way to go to prevent bubbles from getting into the display.
I would prefer to have my skimmer in line first but when you’re using the Rubbermaid system you just kind of put things where you can fit them. I wish I had a sump like this to play with. Endless possibilities on what you could due.
ac7av
Bring on the FISH!
Like I said
Two ways to look at it and nether is the correct way for everybody.
Some say to put the skimmer first to remove more waists before entering the rest of your refrugium and filtering system and will help reduce the chance of micro bubbles entering your main display tank.
If you don’t have a problem with micro bubbles on your skimmer or you can baffle it before the return pump to the display tank some say that will help greatly in increasing the oxygen levels in the water for the display tank.
Its really just your own opinion on what will be best for your system or your preference.
As for the live rock, my vote if for putting it in your display tank too. If you have a bunch of rubble that would be a good place for it in your sump. Leave your cheato and live sand in the refrugium with out the rock. Deep sand bed depth depends on the size of the grains of the sand. Sugar size will start to de-nitrate in less then 2 inches. Larger sizes may take up to 6 inches.
That position of the skimmer with the baffles the way they are will not alow you to keep a constant water lever for the skimmer to work well. Putting the return pump where you have the live rock listed and putting the skimmer into the area that the return pump is listed would be best if it will fit and moving the drains to the skimmer side of the sump. This would free up the middle for any other equipment you may want to employ.
Two ways to look at it and nether is the correct way for everybody.
Some say to put the skimmer first to remove more waists before entering the rest of your refrugium and filtering system and will help reduce the chance of micro bubbles entering your main display tank.
If you don’t have a problem with micro bubbles on your skimmer or you can baffle it before the return pump to the display tank some say that will help greatly in increasing the oxygen levels in the water for the display tank.
Its really just your own opinion on what will be best for your system or your preference.
As for the live rock, my vote if for putting it in your display tank too. If you have a bunch of rubble that would be a good place for it in your sump. Leave your cheato and live sand in the refrugium with out the rock. Deep sand bed depth depends on the size of the grains of the sand. Sugar size will start to de-nitrate in less then 2 inches. Larger sizes may take up to 6 inches.
That position of the skimmer with the baffles the way they are will not alow you to keep a constant water lever for the skimmer to work well. Putting the return pump where you have the live rock listed and putting the skimmer into the area that the return pump is listed would be best if it will fit and moving the drains to the skimmer side of the sump. This would free up the middle for any other equipment you may want to employ.
thatguy559
Well-known member
try this
you should not skim the fuge output due to the micro organisms free floating that are beneficial to your tank ie plankton
you should not skim the fuge output due to the micro organisms free floating that are beneficial to your tank ie plankton
ac7av
Bring on the FISH!
Risky business putting a valve below the refrugium, there is already has one on the input. Too much restriction and you’ve got water on the floor. This still doesn’t fix the problem with the water level for the skimmer unless the drawings are way out of scale and the last baffle before the return pump is 8-10 high.
Jc130b if you could supply some dimensions of the setup it may help.
I have never herd anything about free floating beneficial plankton having anything to do with the placement of the skimmer. Wouldn’t you still have free floating beneficial plankton coming form the DT? I would think if you had much in the tank at all the water would be cloudy and that’s what we try to avoid.
Jc130b if you could supply some dimensions of the setup it may help.
I have never herd anything about free floating beneficial plankton having anything to do with the placement of the skimmer. Wouldn’t you still have free floating beneficial plankton coming form the DT? I would think if you had much in the tank at all the water would be cloudy and that’s what we try to avoid.
thatguy559
Well-known member
the valve is only a restriction problem if its closed. this is how i set up my last tank for 2+ years and no no issues.
as far as the free floating organisms come from a refugium the whole point for a fuge is to create a environment for these organisms to form. if you put the output of the fuge before the skimmer you are pretty much defeating the purpose of a fuge.
trust me its not going to cloud your tank. my water has always been crystal clear.
but this is your tank and you should take these opinions and decide whats best for you and your tank needs. feel free to search reef central/reef sanctuary
as far as the free floating organisms come from a refugium the whole point for a fuge is to create a environment for these organisms to form. if you put the output of the fuge before the skimmer you are pretty much defeating the purpose of a fuge.
trust me its not going to cloud your tank. my water has always been crystal clear.
but this is your tank and you should take these opinions and decide whats best for you and your tank needs. feel free to search reef central/reef sanctuary
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The sump is about 15 gallons and I'm using it on my 55 tank now without the fuge, and I don't realy care for it. After reading all the comments and looking at the design and talking it over with a co-work I have decided to make or buy another sump/fuge all in one. Thanks for all the help. I'm sure when I get the new sump I will post it on here and ask more questions.
