Sump Setup

[ucdcrew]

I have an HOB overflow. Setup is dry right now - I have baffles curing for the skimmer section of the 20gL sump I'm making. It has a single drain line from the HOB to the sump (the previous sump was an old wet/dry filter). I could split it if it would be beneficial to run skimmer - return - refugium. Everything I've read seems to be split 50/50 on skimmer - fuge - return/skimmer - return - fuge. :headwally: Is it a lot more beneficial to run it through the fuge before the skimmer?

[nlgill13]

Mine is set up skimmer - fuge - return...However there is a lot of flow through the refugium in my sump (not ideal).

The other thing that I wish I had in my sump was a bubble trap between the skimmer and fuge. I would really suggest putting one in if you want to do a fuge after the skimmer section.

[ucdcrew]

I did put the bubble trap baffles in already. I've got to pick up one more piece of acrylic for baffles. One of the points listed on melev's reef is that it helps so you can make the baffle higher for the fuge section - but my tank isn't all that tall so I'm not sure that would be of much benefit to me. Keeping the water moving slower through the fuge might help with nitrate - but it would mean replumbing the overflow. Right now its got a flexible hose just running to the skimmer section.

[TomTheWicked]

The skimmer-return-fuge setup is regarded as "standard" and is the most probably the most flexible way to set up a sump (independent flow through the fuge). If you put the fuge before the skimmer (is skimmer-fuge-return) you could end up skimming out many of the beneficial features/critters of the fuge.

[nlgill13]

One of the points listed on melev's reef is that it helps so you can make the baffle higher for the fuge section - but my tank isn't all that tall so I'm not sure that would be of much benefit to me. Keeping the water moving slower through the fuge might help with nitrate - but it would mean replumbing the overflow.

higher baffles in the refugium (even if they are only an inch higher) will create high flow at the surface and low flow at the bottom. This sounds great for getting chaeto to tumble (this is good).

[ucdcrew]

So if I need to split the flow - I'll probably need to replace that flexible line with hard pvc huh and then plumb it down - split with like a gated wye (sorry, firefighter) type thing so I can adjust flow to the fuge?

[nlgill13]

thats one way to do it...finding Y's less then 1&1/2" is a little difficult (probably need to order online). You can also use a tee.

[ucdcrew]

Does the protein skimmer remove nutrients needed to sustain cheato? (T off the initial drain line, or t off the return?)

[nlgill13]

I would t off the drain but that's because I want my return to have only one valve (ie I don't want the pump to work to hard).

People do it both ways though so go with which ever one works better for your system.

Does the protein skimmer remove nutrients needed to sustain cheato?

No, it should do just fine with 18-24 hours of light.

[ucdcrew]

Ugh. Cut the last baffle too small. :headwally: Briefly contemplated gluing a piece to the piece to make it fit, but talked myself into doing it right instead of jury rigging it. Back to the Home Teapot tomorrow. FWIW - my Lowe's does not carry 11x14 sheets of acrylic.