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12/03/2015, 12:33 PM | #1 |
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Adding a standalone refugium alongside a sump
I want to add a refugium to my existing tank and have a bit of a snag. While I am sure this has been done, none of the searches I read addressed this issue.
I have a 75 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump. Because of the equipment in the sump there is no room for a refugium. What I want to do is get a 10 gallon tank, place it next to the sump, and set up the refugium. Where I am hitting a wall is how to get water into, and out of, the tank without any risk of a flood. I know I can T off from the return pump for the 'water in' but how to reliably get the water out of the refugium and back in to the sump? That's where I'm stuck. I'm certain this has been done before so any suggestions, pictures, diagrams, etc., are welcome |
12/03/2015, 12:34 PM | #2 | |
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"Get a reef tank!" they said. "It'll be relaxing!" they said. 65g mixed reef, 30g display fuge, 20L sump/pod fuge, ATI 4x24 + 2 Kessil A360NEs, Aquamaxx EM100, Gyre 130 |
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12/03/2015, 12:49 PM | #3 |
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If you are placing them side by side then drill both the sump and the refugium, with PVC connecting them. You can then have the display tank drain into the refugium then go into the sump, or T the return to the refugium. You can have the hole at what ever height you want so it can control the water level if you want it to or be at the same water level as the sump, your choice but I would probably use an elbow and a strainer. Could even put the refugium on something to raise it and have the PVC go over the top of the sump to drain into it so you don't have to drill the sump.
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12/03/2015, 01:10 PM | #4 |
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A thought.. on our 60g tank we have a 20L sump.. same boat.. so added another 20L on a stand.. drilled it for overflow and return on the back glass.. feed it with a 300gph pump and a pvc spraybar.. works like a champ. The wife liked it so much she filled it with all her zoa's and a few macros.. added 120w led lighting and it became her 2nd DT on the same system.
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Every electronic component is shipped with smoke stored deep inside....only a real genius can find a way to set it free. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef, 150g SPS, 65g SPS |
12/03/2015, 04:03 PM | #5 | |
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12/04/2015, 08:18 AM | #6 |
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Does this help?
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12/04/2015, 09:26 AM | #7 |
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A1t20 -
That is exactly the kind of picture I have been trying to find. Now it makes total sense how to set these up inline. THANKS! |
12/04/2015, 09:39 AM | #8 |
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Make sure you put a union in between the two tanks if you are going to drill both. You want to be able to separate them if you need to.
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12/06/2015, 10:02 AM | #9 |
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IMO it is much preferable to have the fuge supplied by the return pump. If it is feed directly from the tank it will be more likely to accumulate detritus and will require more maintenance. If the fuge will be for plankton production I would also have the fuge empty into the return pump section so you aren't skimming out any plankton that you are hoping to deliver to the main tank. If you are just using the fuge for growing macro to export nutrients then I don't think this is as important.
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Next step on the system is adding A 90 gallon! Current Tank Info: 475 multitank system is now running! Several hundred gallons of additions planned! |
05/11/2018, 03:43 PM | #10 |
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Just wondering about feeding the refugium from the return line. You're saying that the refugium would then drain back into the return portion of the sump. In that case alot of the refugium water goes right back into the refugium right? Just trying to get a handle on that.
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05/11/2018, 03:47 PM | #11 | |
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05/11/2018, 08:03 PM | #12 | |
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Next step on the system is adding A 90 gallon! Current Tank Info: 475 multitank system is now running! Several hundred gallons of additions planned! |
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05/13/2018, 08:41 AM | #13 | |
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John 100 gallon DT and 50 gallon sump with refugium. Reefbreeders Photon V2+. |
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05/17/2018, 01:22 PM | #14 |
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this is how I did mine on a 40 breeder build
Return pump feed both the fuge and the display I did the slanted glass so there would be no splashing in the drain section of the fuge.
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Felix Nice to meet you! Current Tank Info: 60 Gallon Cube |
07/13/2018, 04:46 AM | #15 | |
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Next step on the system is adding A 90 gallon! Current Tank Info: 475 multitank system is now running! Several hundred gallons of additions planned! |
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07/13/2018, 07:01 PM | #16 |
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Felix Nice to meet you! Current Tank Info: 60 Gallon Cube |
07/13/2018, 11:15 PM | #17 |
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Following. Adding a question. If the fuge is elevated above current sump, can someone just added another small pump from sump to the fuge, which would drain back into the sump? Any concerns during a power out?
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07/16/2018, 10:53 AM | #18 | |
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I did something similar to this with my last setup. I had the fuge on a second stand sitting next to the main tank. The main tank was supplied water from one pump and the fuge was supplied water from a second pump. Both tanks then drained back to the same sump. It's really no different than running a multiple-tank setup with a shared sump. The only difference is that instead of having livestock in the fuge, all you have are the macro algae. Some of my guests would spend more time watching the little critters in the fuge than they would spend looking at the display tank. |
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