Adding a refugium

[Matthias7]

I want to add a 20 gallon refugium to the system I am currently setting up. Here is my problem the stand I made is 31in high 2x6 top frame and 2x4 bottom frame. The sump is a 40 gallon breeder (will basically sit on the floor). So that will leave me about 8 inches to the bottom of the frame. 20 gallon tank is 12 inches high. The stand is wide and long enough for them to sit end to end. The question is if I raise the refugium so I can run a drain to the sump the bottom of the refugium will be 4 inches lower then the top of the sump. Will there be an issue with draining? The sump will obviously not be full so the water level of the sump will still be lower then the bottom of the refugium. Hopefully that question isn't too confusing. Any help would be great.

[Reefinny]

How are you pumping water into the fuge? I have my overflow going into my sump then through the filtration - skimmer - etc and then my return pump is external and I have a wye that feeds the fuge and the the fuge drains back into the "good" side of the sump so if I pick up pods etc they go back to the DT.

[RobH]

If I'm understanding you correctly, with those numbers, sump 8" to bottom of frame, with a Refugium 12" high, and 4" below sumps top, that would mean the top of the Refugium would be right at the bottom side of the top of the frame?? My concern if it's that tight is maintenance and how you would access the inside of the Refugium.

As far as your question, as long as the drain from the Refugium was a higher level than the sump top, which from how you describe it would be, there would be no issues with draining. You would want to make sure that in the case of a power outage though that the sump can handle the additional drainage from the Refugium and the tank combined.

[Matthias7]

I plan on T'ing a line off the return to supply the refugium so I can control the flow. I think I will lower it a bit so I have a few more inches to maintain it(there is an additional 6 inches --width of the 2x6) so even if I put the refugium against the bottom rail I would have that space as well.

[zachts]

Just connect with bulkheads and pretend it is just an extra baffle in your sump. with both sitting on the ground if fuge water level needs to be higher than sump water level just install a baffle in the fuge for your water level and a bulkhead between it and the sump.