First try at a sump/fuge

[Bkndsdl]

I just got my sump/fuge all in, and thought I would post how I did it. I've gotten alot of help from the fine folks @RC, and I thought I'd try to return the favor, so here goes.......

Here's the old setup. This is a Tidepool sump. It works pretty good, but it is very cramped and doesn't hold much water. Plus, no room for a fuge. Also, I wanted to have room for my heater in here instead of the display tank.

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/old_sump.jpg

I can't get the filters out without taking the skimmer out.....

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/tight_fit.jpg

[Bkndsdl]

Here's the new sump and refugium. The sump is a 20 long I got from a lfs for $15. The tub was purchased by my Wife from WallyWorld for $7.

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/20l_tub.jpg

The new fuge fits PERFECT in the tank; the lip halfway down all around it sits right on the lip of the plastic cap around the top of the tank. I couldn't have asked for a better fit!

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/tk_tub_fit.jpg

[Bkndsdl]

I got the glass for my baffles from Lowes cut to size for $7. Here's a shot of my first baffle; this is the center baffle in the bubble trap (note the foam at the bottom). I measured the footprint area my skimmer needed and added two inches. I could've gotten by a bit smaller, but it turned out ok. I glued the center trap in first so I could get it glued good on both sides, bc once the other two baffles went on, there was no getting to this one again....

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/first_baffle.jpg

And here are the other two going on. I used some foam insulation to make the gaps right, and used another piece of foam to hold them all together at the top.

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/first_second_baffle.jpg

[Bkndsdl]

I put a 3/4" bhd fitting in the bottom of the fuge and put a piece of pvc pipe in the bottom so as to reduce bubbles. I plan on a standpipe.

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/fuge_drain.jpg

And, after a little jostling to get it in, here's the new sump and fuge in place! Notice the heater in the sump instead of the tank.

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/new_sump.JPG

[Bkndsdl]

I ran a line from the discharge of the sump pump to the fuge with a ball valve to control flow. Works great.....

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/new_ppg.JPG

And here's a shot looking down at the fuge. I added a 90 at the end of the pipe later on.

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/new_fuge.JPG

I added some live rock rubble and some macro algae today; everything works great! Now I hope to start getting those nitrates down, and hopefully will get some macro growing to trade for stuff @ the lfs!

I hope by posting this step-by-step someone can get something out of it. It was a learning experience for sure!

[pitt_prodigy]

Good design mike.... looks like it should work out well for you.

[EmergencyDpt]

Very nice design. Thanks for posting it. Daddy like.

[Bkndsdl]

Thanks, guys. The thing I'm most pleased with is the lack of sound from the standpipe.

The fuge kinda sagged a bit when I added the sand, and I've since added a piece of pipe under the center of it to take some of the weight off the tub.

Also, I'm currently running a Mag 5, and will be replacing that with a Mag 7 this weekend to make up for the lost flow in the ells and extra piping.

[sjm817]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6376718#post6376718 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bkndsdl
Also, I'm currently running a Mag 5, and will be replacing that with a Mag 7 this weekend to make up for the lost flow in the ells and extra piping.
You can just change the impeller and convert it to a Mag7 and save a few $.
Mag7 impeller $10 (http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=MAG7-IMP&Category_Code=MAG)

[Bkndsdl]

I already have the mag 7, but that's nice to know I can convert the 5 to a 7! Thanks!

[wpecoul]

Mike-

Your setup is really freakin' cool. Thanks for sharing. I've got some of those same containers - about to see if they fit my 30G sump as well as they fit your 20G.

Will

[sales weasel]

That's a great idea! I was trying to visualize something like that for mine. I'm using a 20 tall and that design will help a lot.

[Nano_reeflover]

bump for a cool DIY:bum:

[Bkndsdl]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys! About the only thing I added was some rubber mat under the sump pump and skimmer. They vibrated a good bit, but the rubber mat pretty much silences them; you can barely hear either one running now.

And now for an updated pic:

http://bkndsdl1.home.mchsi.com/fishtank/tank_pics/macro.jpg


I started with about a half a soccer ball-sized piece, and now it's totally overgrown it. Time to prune!

Notice I'm using the light Melev suggested. It makes this stuff go wild!

[nebraskareef]

lovin' the mangrove leaves.

glad to see you are seeing some growth on it!

[Nano_reeflover]

What kind of plants/animals do you have in the fuge?

[Bkndsdl]

Nebraskareef, I got that from my boss his last trip to the Keys.....I didn't think it would ever do anything until I put the light down there; then it started growing like crazy. When I first put it in there, it was below the water surface.

Nano_reeflover, right now just a couple of snails. I have a shroom in there too. I plan on fragging a few shrooms and putting them in there to heal up.

I see a ton of pods, and I have seen some aiptasia too. No worry, I have a peppermint shrimp in the main tank.....

[sales weasel]

Well, I took today and tomorrow off so I could work on a 55g that I'm setting up in our basement family room. Things were going just fine unitl I removed my brand new AGA 20H . It's a tight fit getting it back into the stand and it slipped and dropped maybe 2-inches. It landed on a wood support and I now have 3 4-in cracks at one of the top corners. So, I went to the local HD and they had a nice supply of plastic products. I now have a new plastic sump that is only 12g. However, I have adapted your upper container idea and did some test fitting in the store.

Here's the new sump design:
12g sump
4g upper container that receives the overflow and feeds the simmer.
15" hang-on fuge that I was going to hang onto the 20g AGA.
QuietOne 3000
MiniJet 606 to feed the hang-on fuge
backpack II skimmer

I'll try to get some pictures posted soon. I'm also going to try to seal the cracks w/some aquarium silicone. Maybe I can use if for something.

[Bkndsdl]

Ok, things I'd do different:

The standpipe gets clogged alot; loose pieces of macro and such. I added a piece of tool (wedding veil stuff) to the top to keep any algae from getting into the display; It gets clogged w/stuff, and it also prob keeps my pods from getting in the display. If I had to do it again, I would probably put the drain for the fuge in the side versus the bottom. I will more than likely put a durso on the standpipe just to get by until I get another container.........

I would also allow for an overflow drain, just in case the standpipe gets clogged. If it does, it just spills over the top into the return, but I was lucky; it could have just as easily poured out the side and eventually on the floor........

[kclewis]

lowes is a great place to get glass. ive had a couple of peices cut for my setup. they were able to cut the peices out of their scrap glass and basically gave them to me. great resource for cheap glass baffles.

[charile1]

what kind of rubber mats did you use? did you put it in the inside or outside of the sump?

[Bkndsdl]

I put the rubber mat in the sump. I work at a shipyard, and snagged a piece of red rubber we use for all kinds of stuff.........

[charile1]

Ok thanks. Is rubber mats safe to use? I'm thinking about going to home depot for some.

[Bkndsdl]

Not sure, but I haven't seen any adverse effects........had it in there for about 2 months now.

[Jabbajaw]

mike this is what I have been looking for, thanks. I have a 20L and want to get a G2 skimmer but it was going to take a lot of my fuge/return space. This should take care of that. How many gallons is that wallyworld tub? Do you think siliconing a little glass baffle underneath it would hold and keep it from sagging?

[Bkndsdl]

Glad I could help, Jabbajaw......

I think it holds around 7-10 gallons of water.

Actually I had come up with a design to hold it better with a sheet of acrylic held up by pvc pipe. Relatively simple and inexpensive....with that design, you'll have to do away with the standpipe and get the overflow off the side, which is the better way of doing it.

I removed the piece of netting on the standpipe last nite, and fished out the few pieces of macro that got into the display......

I also removed what was left of my BTA. 'Wormy', as my oldest called him, will be missed........

[audioaddiction]

i'm not sure i understand why the refugium is in a seperate container above the sump instead of being in that left section of it? i do see it'd give more total water volume... but what is that left space in the sump used for?

[audioaddiction]

anyone?

[Bkndsdl]

Audio, the fuge was separate so I could have a bigger fuge and bigger return. If I partitioned the 20 long, there wouldn't be enough room for the size fuge I wanted, and I would have been adding water twice a day.....