plumbing a refugia tank ?

[dabears1983]

Hi,
I`m trying to get ideas as to how to plumb a 20 gal tank, that will use as a refugia to my main tank, here is the current setup:
30 gallon long w/ a five gallon sump, remora skimmer, 440 watts on a icecap 660 ballast, t/o rate is about 30x`s.
I would like to set up refugia next to the main tank as there is no room inside the cabinet.
I would also like to use miracle mud instead of sand in the refugia,
any suggestions will be highly appreciated,
thanks

[Slphappy]

Are you planning to put the fuge on the floor near the sump or elevate it so that it sits above or along side the main display tank? The reason I ask is it that it makes a difference as to how it is plumbed.

If you can swing it, I would place the fuge above (or next to and slightly above) the main tank and allow it to drain back into the main tank. Plumb it so that water is pumped up to the fuge from the sump. You would need to drill the fuge to allow it to drain into the display tank though (unless it's already drilled of course).

Otherwise you could take the overflow from the main tank and route that into the fuge and allow the fuge to drain into the sump. Of course here again the fuge would need to be drilled...

Or you could allow the sump to drain into the fuge and using baffles create a new return area in the end of the 20 gal and put your return pump in there.

Or you could get rid of the 5 gal and replace it with the 20 gal and using baffles create a sump/fuge type thing...

Good lord there are a lot of choices... Whew... :smokin:

Anyway, you get the point... The first choice I gave would be ideal. But not everyone has the room to or even the desire to have a fuge above or beside their display tank.

Hope this helps... and good luck.

TH

[alan214]

Please take a look at the pics in My Gallery to get a better idea of how I set mine up. The only thing you can't tell very easily is that I used 1/2" hose for both the drain and return lines for the fuge. I have those 2 hoses tucked inside some 2" PVC for cosmetic purposes.

I use a separate 300 GPH pump in my main sump to push water back up to the fuge.

Nothing too elegant but it works! I also get decent mysid and pod transfer in this setup, BTW.

[dabears1983]

thanks Guys for your fast responses,here is following answers to your ?`s.
Fuge will be next to main tank, main tank has a squid on the return line from the sump, the fuge is not drilled, and the 20 gallon will not fit in the cabinet,
hope this helps
thanks

[dendro982]

Here some links: schematic drawing (http://saltaquarium.about.com/library/blank/bldonrefugcloseup.htm), photo of other kind (http://www.reeflounge.com/showthread.php?t=8722), generally speaking, search for side refugium, beside refugium.

Mine (the simplest version):

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/debris_allAug7.jpg
sump-refugium, 2 U-tubes at the front - passive intake (2 - just in case, if 1 - water level lowers slightly), on the back, with flow dispercer, - return pumps, ~300 gph (soft vinyl tubing inside the hard tubing, bad idea). Water goes into 100 micron sock, then - in refugium with chaeto.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/debris_sumpJul30.jpg

Later:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Dec6_90g.jpg
the gray powerhead on the back pumps water into the refugium (out of shot), raw water, no filtration - not good, too much debris and red slime eventually. Big vinyl tubing - passive return.
Basically, pump and passive return:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/sump1dollarcont.jpg


Unaesthetic as it is, but works too:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/Oct17_20LRefa.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/mix/Oct17_20LRef.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Debris%2090g%20tank/90gsumprefJan6_07.jpg
Same set as on schematic drawing listed above, only ends should be fastened.

[Gordonious]

Just keep in mind siphons are dangerous and many people may start to add to this post warning you about them. You could probably take a survey of 50 people who used this sort of thing and find 4-5 people who have had it fail on them at some point flooding there floor or worse.
Who wants to play the odds when there reef tank is up for gamble?

[dendro982]

Sorry, addition: hard plumbing will work probably better, didn't tried yet, as well as drilled tanks, especially if work is done by professionals. :(