I'm proud to announce my first DIY sump/fuge :) - Page 2

sales weasel · 01/12/2006, 12:26 AM

Hey guys,
This is a really nice thread! I wonder if anyone uses a UV sterilizer in their system? I'm building a sump/refugium and plan to use a skimmer and a UV sterilizer. I just don't know where in the stream to place the sterilizer. Should I place it after the overflow and before the skimmer?

melev · 01/12/2006, 02:25 AM

Usually there is a limit to how much water should flow through the sterilizer. The slower the flow, the more contact time anything will have with the UV bulb. So it would probably need to have its own pump to move water through it, or the return line should be split with some water going through the UV and then up to the tank, as well as the second line that sends up the rest of the water up to the tank.

The only drawback I can think of is when the return pump is off, any water in the UV would drain back into the sump. I don't know if that would burn up the UV or not.

harday · 01/12/2006, 07:13 AM

Thanks all - for a newb at sumps, I'm still trying to gather as much information as possible before starting the project. Now I understand the evaporation issue much better. I always assumed the water in the sump would evaporate equally among the chambers, but I see that is not the case. And again wojo, nice job you did there. . .

melev · 01/12/2006, 12:06 PM

Keep reading all that you can. When I first was trying to understand sumps and overflows, it was confusing for me as well. I did a lot of research, and then built my own. My site goes into all of this and explains them in heavy detail.

harday · 01/12/2006, 12:09 PM

I've been reading your site all morning Meleve - it's a wealth of information to say the least.

melev · 01/12/2006, 02:10 PM

Good. I hope you read "What is a sump?" because that is really what you need to understand. It explains the refugium as well.

Once you've got that understanding, you can come back to this forum and post your plans as well as any questions so you can DIY - which is something you can be proud of.

sales weasel · 01/12/2006, 02:51 PM

Thanks melev, that makes sense to me. BTW, I've also read your site and it's very informative.

Not to hijack wojo's thread but I'd like to make a couple of other observations: I was a reefer back in the dark ages of the mid 80's and things are quite different today. I stopped in 1992 and started again in 2005. Before 2005, I'd never seen a refugium on a reef system. State of the art in those days was a wet/dry system with a skimmer and ozonizer, which I had. The sand/gravel bed (dolomite) was heart of the bacterial filtration then. We simply looked at live rock as just that...rocks w/things growing on them. RO water was a luxury that most didn't have. I used tap water fed to a mixing bucket via garden hose (the HORROR). My nitrates were always low but I'm sure that water was horrible. We knew lighting was important but the stuff available today was unheard of then. Most people frowned on anything under 30-g for a marine tank and you were considered a fool and fish murderer if you tried anything in the nano size. We knew water turnover was good but not necessarilly water movement in the tank. Propogating and fragging corals was just not done either. Ahh, knowledge is good.

melev · 01/12/2006, 03:18 PM

I did a little lagoon keeping back 30 years ago. And what you said is pretty much true. Canister filters were expensive and high tech.

Wallygator · 01/12/2006, 09:24 PM

I like your sump too! It looks a lot like mine.

One thing about your skimmer... The input to the skimmer should be in the first comportment where the dirty tank water first comes in. The output from the skimmer should go into the next section so as to not recirculate the skimmed water.
You should check out this thread about refuges.

Looks great!!

wojo · 01/12/2006, 10:25 PM

hmm, good point Wallygator, so should i move the output to the fuge?

Marc, what do you think?

lunner · 01/12/2006, 11:44 PM

Hi

Nice!
What you cut those acrylic sheets with?

Thanks

melev · 01/13/2006, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wojo
hmm, good point Wallygator, so should i move the output to the fuge?

Marc, what do you think?

Because your tank is draining water into the sump faster than the skimmer can push it out of itself, plenty of water bypasses it. You aren't reskimming the same water over and over. And even if you were reskimming, once the DOCs are out of the water, the skimmer stops producing skimmate.

wojo · 01/13/2006, 06:56 AM

Lunner, i used the special blade they sell @ Home Depot, it was right next to the section where they sell the acrylic sheets

Marc, Thank you

b14z3 · 01/14/2006, 07:32 AM

nice sumps, I'll post mine once I get it built :P

cateyes · 01/14/2006, 08:12 AM

Wallygator -- nice looking sump/fuge!! what is that little "ledge" a couple of inches below the waterline on the right side of the fuge area????

kappaknight · 01/14/2006, 11:26 AM

Is it just so the incoming water wouldn't disturb the sandbed?

lunner · 01/14/2006, 02:25 PM

What you guys think of the fuge kit sell by ebay user usa_aquarium? Thinking of getting that instead of cutting my own...

Razzagas · 01/14/2006, 03:43 PM

wojo-
what did you use to glue your acrylic baffles in? Silicone? What brand? thanks!

wojo · 01/14/2006, 04:44 PM

Razzagaz, i used "Lexan 100% Silicone Sealant", also picked it up @ HD

lunner · 01/14/2006, 05:56 PM

How is the fuge doing now wojo?

wojo · 01/14/2006, 06:29 PM

its great, i had some major problems with nitrates before, and now they are officially gone

sump/fuge is the way to go...

Razzagas · 01/14/2006, 07:44 PM

thanks for the info on the sealant

melev · 01/16/2006, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lunner
What you guys think of the fuge kit sell by ebay user usa_aquarium? Thinking of getting that instead of cutting my own...

Give me a link and I'll check it out. I saw one sump on ebay a month ago, and wondered how they could ship it so cheaply. Turns out you have to build it yourself. I didn't know that until a buyer told me that.

sales weasel · 01/16/2006, 09:39 AM

lunner,
I've not been able to get my hands on a 20g tank so I've been looking at the same kits. Melev, here is one version of their kit. They sell several sizes and versions:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

lunner · 01/16/2006, 10:57 AM

This is a full kit:

24" Pro Fuge

or Kit:

Kit

01/12/2006, 09:24 PM	#34
Wallygator Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Phoenix,AZ......... But it's a DRY heat!?!? Posts: 209	I like your sump too! It looks a lot like mine. One thing about your skimmer... The input to the skimmer should be in the first comportment where the dirty tank water first comes in. The output from the skimmer should go into the next section so as to not recirculate the skimmed water. You should check out this thread about refuges. Looks great!! __________________ See Ya Later, Wallygator Current Tank Info: 55gRR, Mag 9.5, CPR BPII, 8x54w Teklight, 53lbs LS, 32lbs Fiji LR

01/12/2006, 10:25 PM	#35
wojo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 752	hmm, good point Wallygator, so should i move the output to the fuge? Marc, what do you think? __________________ "you work to live, you don't live to work" Current Tank Info: 75g Reef, 100lbs LR, 20g Sump/Fuge, (2)250W 12k Reeflux MHs, (2)110W Actinic VHOs, Dosing DIY 2-part w/ Aquamedic Twin Doser, all controlled by ReefKeeper2

01/13/2006, 06:56 AM	#38
wojo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 752	Lunner, i used the special blade they sell @ Home Depot, it was right next to the section where they sell the acrylic sheets Marc, Thank you __________________ "you work to live, you don't live to work" Current Tank Info: 75g Reef, 100lbs LR, 20g Sump/Fuge, (2)250W 12k Reeflux MHs, (2)110W Actinic VHOs, Dosing DIY 2-part w/ Aquamedic Twin Doser, all controlled by ReefKeeper2

01/14/2006, 08:12 AM	#40
cateyes Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: OliveBranch, Mississippi Posts: 2,773	Wallygator -- nice looking sump/fuge!! what is that little "ledge" a couple of inches below the waterline on the right side of the fuge area???? __________________ some things in life are not meant to be understood... just accepted.... Current Tank Info: 150 gallon mixed reef, 35ish gallon RBTA tank..

01/14/2006, 11:26 AM	#41
kappaknight Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 319	Is it just so the incoming water wouldn't disturb the sandbed? __________________ Creator of RareZoanthids.com \| @zoanthids on Twitter

01/12/2006, 12:26 AM	#26
sales weasel Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Atlanta burbs Posts: 646	Hey guys, This is a really nice thread! I wonder if anyone uses a UV sterilizer in their system? I'm building a sump/refugium and plan to use a skimmer and a UV sterilizer. I just don't know where in the stream to place the sterilizer. Should I place it after the overflow and before the skimmer?

01/12/2006, 02:25 AM	#27
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Usually there is a limit to how much water should flow through the sterilizer. The slower the flow, the more contact time anything will have with the UV bulb. So it would probably need to have its own pump to move water through it, or the return line should be split with some water going through the UV and then up to the tank, as well as the second line that sends up the rest of the water up to the tank. The only drawback I can think of is when the return pump is off, any water in the UV would drain back into the sump. I don't know if that would burn up the UV or not.

01/12/2006, 07:13 AM	#28
harday Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 139	Thanks all - for a newb at sumps, I'm still trying to gather as much information as possible before starting the project. Now I understand the evaporation issue much better. I always assumed the water in the sump would evaporate equally among the chambers, but I see that is not the case. And again wojo, nice job you did there. . .

01/12/2006, 12:06 PM	#29
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Keep reading all that you can. When I first was trying to understand sumps and overflows, it was confusing for me as well. I did a lot of research, and then built my own. My site goes into all of this and explains them in heavy detail.

01/12/2006, 12:09 PM	#30
harday Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 139	I've been reading your site all morning Meleve - it's a wealth of information to say the least.

01/12/2006, 02:10 PM	#31
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Good. I hope you read "What is a sump?" because that is really what you need to understand. It explains the refugium as well. Once you've got that understanding, you can come back to this forum and post your plans as well as any questions so you can DIY - which is something you can be proud of.

01/12/2006, 02:51 PM	#32
sales weasel Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Atlanta burbs Posts: 646	Thanks melev, that makes sense to me. BTW, I've also read your site and it's very informative. Not to hijack wojo's thread but I'd like to make a couple of other observations: I was a reefer back in the dark ages of the mid 80's and things are quite different today. I stopped in 1992 and started again in 2005. Before 2005, I'd never seen a refugium on a reef system. State of the art in those days was a wet/dry system with a skimmer and ozonizer, which I had. The sand/gravel bed (dolomite) was heart of the bacterial filtration then. We simply looked at live rock as just that...rocks w/things growing on them. RO water was a luxury that most didn't have. I used tap water fed to a mixing bucket via garden hose (the HORROR). My nitrates were always low but I'm sure that water was horrible. We knew lighting was important but the stuff available today was unheard of then. Most people frowned on anything under 30-g for a marine tank and you were considered a fool and fish murderer if you tried anything in the nano size. We knew water turnover was good but not necessarilly water movement in the tank. Propogating and fragging corals was just not done either. Ahh, knowledge is good.

01/12/2006, 03:18 PM	#33
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	I did a little lagoon keeping back 30 years ago. And what you said is pretty much true. Canister filters were expensive and high tech.

01/12/2006, 11:44 PM	#36
lunner Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 305	Hi Nice! What you cut those acrylic sheets with? Thanks

01/14/2006, 07:32 AM	#39
b14z3 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 20	nice sumps, I'll post mine once I get it built :P

01/14/2006, 02:25 PM	#42
lunner Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 305	What you guys think of the fuge kit sell by ebay user usa_aquarium? Thinking of getting that instead of cutting my own...

01/14/2006, 03:43 PM	#43
Razzagas Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 653	wojo- what did you use to glue your acrylic baffles in? Silicone? What brand? thanks!

01/14/2006, 04:44 PM	#44
wojo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 752	Razzagaz, i used "Lexan 100% Silicone Sealant", also picked it up @ HD __________________ "you work to live, you don't live to work" Current Tank Info: 75g Reef, 100lbs LR, 20g Sump/Fuge, (2)250W 12k Reeflux MHs, (2)110W Actinic VHOs, Dosing DIY 2-part w/ Aquamedic Twin Doser, all controlled by ReefKeeper2

01/14/2006, 05:56 PM	#45
lunner Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 305	How is the fuge doing now wojo?

01/14/2006, 06:29 PM	#46
wojo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 752	its great, i had some major problems with nitrates before, and now they are officially gone sump/fuge is the way to go... __________________ "you work to live, you don't live to work" Current Tank Info: 75g Reef, 100lbs LR, 20g Sump/Fuge, (2)250W 12k Reeflux MHs, (2)110W Actinic VHOs, Dosing DIY 2-part w/ Aquamedic Twin Doser, all controlled by ReefKeeper2

01/14/2006, 07:44 PM	#47
Razzagas Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 653	thanks for the info on the sealant

01/16/2006, 09:39 AM	#49
sales weasel Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Atlanta burbs Posts: 646	lunner, I've not been able to get my hands on a 20g tank so I've been looking at the same kits. Melev, here is one version of their kit. They sell several sizes and versions: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1 Last edited by sales weasel; 01/16/2006 at 10:05 AM.

01/16/2006, 10:57 AM	#50
lunner Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 305	This is a full kit: 24" Pro Fuge or Kit: Kit