Building a Refugium

[MyBoxOfWater]

I am going to build a Refugium for my 29 gallon tank.
I have enough room in the bottom of the stand to place a 10 gallon tank there.
I plan to divide the tank into 3 sections.

Section 1 (5" wide) - Intake with a splash tray running through a filter pad, my Sea Clone 100 Protein Skimmer & a fountain pump to pump water to the Refugium section (around 50 to 100 gph).

Between Sections 1 & 2 I am planning a 4" high wall at the 5" mark, then a wall from the top to within 2" of the bottom at the 6" mark and then another 4" wall at the 7" mark. (Is a 1" flow chamber large enough?)

Section 2 (4" wide) - Return pump. Have a Rio+ 1100 that at 4' should give 180 gph return.

Between Sections 2 & 3 I am planning an 11" wall with a row of 3/4" holles at the 9" mark to allow water from the Refugium to flow back to the water turn section. I plan on putting an 1/8" grate material over the holes.

Section 3 (9" wide) - Refugium

I will be placing a plant light over the Refugium area.

Am I missing anything? This my first attempt and wanted to do it on a small scale to get started.

I am running a Penguin 200 Bio-Wheel filter, do I need the filter pad in the splash area or do I need the Bio-Balls?

I look forward to your feed back.

[THE ROOK]

The bubble trap needs 2"-4" taller, imo.

How tall is the Rio pump?

How deep should the skimmer sit?

Will you be using an ATO? (highly recommended due small return chamber which equates to a fast drop in water level due to evaporation.)

[THE ROOK]

Also what are you referring to by splash area?

If you mean the baffle from the refuge, you can lean it a degree or two towards the fuge chamber & the water will just run down the acrylic instead of creating a waterfall.

[MyBoxOfWater]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14688201#post14688201 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by THE ROOK
The bubble trap needs 2"-4" taller, imo.

How tall is the Rio pump?

How deep should the skimmer sit?

Will you be using an ATO? (highly recommended due small return chamber which equates to a fast drop in water level due to evaporation.)

OK, If I understand correctly, the bubble trap wall should be higher to create more depth for the skimmer pump and the return pump.

The skimmer pump is about 2 1/2" high and the Rio+ is 3 3/4" high.

How much space do I need under the center wall of the bubble trap?

I don't have an ATO yet. Will probably be one of my next projects. I am planning to build a canopy with much better lighting, which will equate to more evaporation. So an ATO will be a big plus.

Thanks for the feedback.

[MyBoxOfWater]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14688213#post14688213 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by THE ROOK
Also what are you referring to by splash area?

If you mean the baffle from the refuge, you can lean it a degree or two towards the fuge chamber & the water will just run down the acrylic instead of creating a waterfall.

I was going to build a shelf with hundreds of holes in it to cut back on the splash, but I like the idea of the slight tilt as well. Maybe a combination of the 2 would be even better.

[krustofsky]

Sounds like a good setup

[MyBoxOfWater]

I will post pics as I assemble the unit.

[THE ROOK]

1 1/2" under the center baffle should be fine.

As for the depth of the skimmer/return chambers, 1" of water in the return section is only 0.2 gallons. I would ideally like to see at least 3" above the pump with no ato. Your likely going to have to top off twice a day or your pump may run dry & burn out. This is why an ato is critical in your case.

[MyBoxOfWater]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14688891#post14688891 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by THE ROOK
1 1/2" under the center baffle should be fine.

As for the depth of the skimmer/return chambers, 1" of water in the return section is only 0.2 gallons. I would ideally like to see at least 3" above the pump with no ato. Your likely going to have to top off twice a day or your pump may run dry & burn out. This is why an ato is critical in your case.

So if I extend the height of the 1st and 3rd baffle wall, will that increase my depth?

I was planning a 1" overflow line to the Refugium with a gate valve to help regulate the flow. Is that adequate?

[THE ROOK]

I'd cut all three baffles for the bubble trap identical. Then simply raise the middle one as required

you'll need to split the drain with 75% of the flow to the skimmer section & the other 25% to the fuge. No science just a rough idea. You can stick with whatever your plumbing is off the bulkhead & use either a tee or a wye fitting as needed.

Now your skimmer section & refuge section depths will be whatever the baffle height is. For the return, it's simply a matter of how much water you add as long as it's below the low bubble trap baffle.

Here's a good website to add to your favorites. Great sump info & tons of other reef knowledge if you take the time to explore it. The second pic down shows how the levels will look. This is exactly how mine is setup.

http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/f/sump_f.html

[MyBoxOfWater]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14689633#post14689633 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by THE ROOK
I'd cut all three baffles for the bubble trap identical. Then simply raise the middle one as required

you'll need to split the drain with 75% of the flow to the skimmer section & the other 25% to the fuge. No science just a rough idea. You can stick with whatever your plumbing is off the bulkhead & use either a tee or a wye fitting as needed.

Now your skimmer section & refuge section depths will be whatever the baffle height is. For the return, it's simply a matter of how much water you add as long as it's below the low bubble trap baffle.

Here's a good website to add to your favorites. Great sump info & tons of other reef knowledge if you take the time to explore it. The second pic down shows how the levels will look. This is exactly how mine is setup.

http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/f/sump_f.html

Thanks! That is a exactly what I am trying to do.