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Unread 12/10/2015, 12:01 PM   #19
slief
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 14,173
Quote:
Originally Posted by alin2 View Post
The return pump chamber is a little low, but it can't go that much higher to avoid the sump overflowing when the return pump goes off. But, even at that level there is no vortex with the pump at 74 watts.

I wanted to avoid having the refugium drain into the skimmer section to help avoid the pods and small fauna getting sucked into the skimmer and to go to the display as a ancillary food source. Of course, right now I have the RE foam around the slot tube on the RD3 return pump to avoid micro bubbles which defeats that purpose anyways. I wanted to avoid keeping that foam on the slot tube as another thing I have to change for maintenance.

I saw a foam insert cut specifically for the degassing chamber on the German RE website and thought if that was available and relatively inexpensive, it would be easier to change that out frequently.
We don't have that foam in the US. While it is reasonably cheap and we could probably include a piece with the next shipment, you could be waiting a month for it to arrive as I don't yet have an ETA on that shipment.


I did some searching and found some similar foam material that is cheap and domestic but the first thing I would try is some filter floss to make sure it will solve the issue. This assuming I were going to pursue the foam route. My concern would be that the foam would inhibit larger pods from making it into the pump and being distributed back into the display. Still, I would probably create a small bubble trap for the refugium drain like the PCV solution I mentioned or a small acrylic box for the refugium drain to enter and overflow from. That or I would experiment with a valve on that drain line to slow the flow down slightly so that the drain pipe is flooded and doesn't have a bunch of air in it. I'd add a float switch to the refugium so that if the drain backed up and the levei in the fuge rose, the refugium pump would be shut and an alarm notification from my controller would be sent out.
Here are some options if you wanted to go that route.

Here are some more foam options for you.
http://www.amazon.com/Dimart-XY-1038...dp/B0182443T4/


http://www.amazon.com/Biochemical-Co.../dp/B015XB09LA

http://www.amazon.com/2x32x12cm-Bioc.../dp/B00SLLYNV2


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