Sump/Refugium

[Abissus]

I am trying to partition a sump and have a question.

I am hoping to setup a compartment as refugium, can critters in refugium (pods, mysis etc) survive the trip through main pump or through the skimmer? I am trying to decide whether to have the skimmer before or after the fuge.

Thanks a lot.

 

[cdeakle]

I also had to put alot of thought into this same question before I setup my custom 35 gallon sump/refugium combo.

How I set it up is to have the refugium after the skimmer compartment and before the return pump.

I witnessed first hand that small pods and mysis shrimp will survive the trip through a return pump. I would think that you could loose some criiters through your skimmer.

Better safe than sorry right?

 

[The R/C Man]

Yap, skimmer, fuge, return pump. I am running it like that on my 25gal and have built a larger version for my 150gal tank. For some ideas you can check my gallery for the drawing.... Good luck...

 

[Abissus]

Thanks a lot. Here's what I am thinking:

Is it a concern that the skimmed water enters the fuge from the top, but it also leave on the top? Not sure if that's bad for circulation or not.

 

[The R/C Man]

Looks good.......I don't see a problem with it........ Simple is good.... I just glued some eggcrate in the first baflle to lay a bag of carbon on and to put a mesh filter over that to act as a prefliter. If you need some pods in your main tank just pull it out for a couple days..

 

[wooddood]

looks good to me great job.

 

[kevinpo]

Your skimmer is in the best location because it will be unaffected there by fluctuations in the sump level as evaporation takes place. You have a sound design.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[Thefishcouple]

What kind of calerpa is that anyway:lol: Overall your design looks good but you might want to lower the final wall, the one before the pump. That will be the compartment in which the water level will fluctuate. With the final wall that high you will get a waterfall affect as your level drops causing your pump to suck up the bubbles that crash down. If you lower that wall the water will flow into that compartment as opposed to spilling in. I would set the height of that wall at maybe half as high as the refugium walls. It won't matter though if you plan on keeping the sump filled and topped off.
John

 

[Abissus]

Wow, thanks guys. I did not even think about the fluctuation and such, thanks for pointing that out. I did not know the water levels in the sump compartments can differ so much.

Is the very last baffle even necessary? Sounds like it might be creating bubbles instead of traping bubbles like it is suppose to do.

 

[wooddood]

just use an auto topoff for the return section that way the water line will always be at the correct level and you wont have any problems. very good design by the way congrats.:razz:

 

[Thefishcouple]

If you take the last baffle out than you will need to switch the remaining two baffles so that you go under and then over. You need the last baffle to be an over to force bubbles up to the waters suface.If you don't you will be sending bubbles over the first wall and then under the second wall right into the pumps intake. I don't think you will be able to do that because of the refugium area you are trying to create. My sump has a three walls, an over under over system and I have no micro bubbles in my tank. Just lower that last wall and you should be good to go.
John

 

[Abissus]

Thanks for all the help. John Thanks for explaining to me what those baffles are for , I am mostly copying other's, and yes I'd have used 2 baffles if not to contain the sand in the refugium.

Joyce

 

[The R/C Man]

In both of my set ups I don't have the last baffle. The macro algae remove almost all of the bubbles and the prefilter and mesh carbon bag get rid of the rest..... Although more baffles won't hurt it takes up your fuge room. I guess it boils down to personal preference... Be sure to post some pics when it is done.... Good luck!

 

[Macbeth417]

Hrmm thats look familiar... a very common and sound design.

Heres mine, very similar:

Here it is after BigT whipped it up for me:

Tom sold me on the reversed baffles as well. So now it's time to figure out how much you could possibly back siphon and plan baffle height accordingly.

-Erik

 

[kevinpo]

The baffles should be two touching the floor and one off the floor. As John has said the water loses the most bubbles as it is forced to travel up then down. The first baffle where the water enters from the tank above should always be attached to the bottom so the incoming water must rise up and over the baffle then be forced down under the second baffle. The air bubbles won't want to go down but float up. Any bubbles that make it under the second baffle will dissipate as they go over the top of the third baffle and travel through the plants (if you are using them).

Regards,
Kevin
PS: For high volume water flow you can use 5 baffles (I do).

 

[kevinpo]

Here is a picture of one of my sumps. This one has 5,800 GPH flowing through it. Water is quite clear by the end even without the plants.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[Katchupoy]

Hrmm thats look familiar... a very common and sound design.

Heres mine, very similar:

Tom sold me on the reversed baffles as well. So now it's time to figure out how much you could possibly back siphon and plan baffle height accordingly.

-Erik

I think the last baffle is not needed but instead canbe used to act as first on the left side and lowered instead of elevated... JMHO.

 

[The R/C Man]

Hey Kevin!
Is that the sump you just had built? Looks good.....

 

[szidls]

Here is a picture of one of my sumps. This one has 5,800 GPH flowing through it. Water is quite clear by the end even without the plants.

Regards,
Kevin

Wow....5000+ gal/hr. Just goes to show ya the value of the baffells in the sump. How long is the last section Kevin? I would have thought there would be more micro-bubble dissapation before the last section. Great pic!
Scott