Schematic Drawing: Nano Cube 28 Gal. HQI Rear Sump With Refugium and Chiller Lines

SkyReef

Member
Hey, All:

Here is Plan A for the plumbing and refugium going in the rear-attached sump to my Nano Cube HQI 28 Gallon aquarium. There was a Plan B, but I won't waste your time--I saw flaws in the design and scapped it.

Note that the chiller will draw water from, and return water to, the outer-most chambers of the sump. The baffle design (not to be confused with a baffling design :smack:) equalizes the water level of both outer-most chambers of the sump. Hence, the closed-loop system to and from the chiller should produce equal flow out and equal flow in, stabilizing the water table of the outer-most chambers. This design appears to be the best way to lay out the lines, given that they do not rely on the gravity-fed, overflow water in the center chamber to keep pace with the water evacuated from any of the three middle chambers.

Please take a look at this diagram, and hopefully, you'll see what I mean and agree with the safety of this design. As always, your comments are very helpful and most appreciated!

Thanks!

2009-10-10NanoCubeRearViewPlanA.jpg
 

Clownfish518

Razorback
PREMIUM
Re: Schematic Drawing: Nano Cube 28 Gal. HQI Rear Sump With Refugium and Chiller Line

I would scrap the live rock in the refugium as it will collect detritus and cause nitrate problems. the filter bag over the chaeto too will become clogged I think.

It seems overly complex. If you lay the heater along the bottom or use a Hydor inline heater on the chiller return you could convert the whole middle section to a refugium and just make the middle section one chamber.
As for two return pumps, one would do fine with a T to go to two returns.

Also get something like a Pacific Coast chiller with a dual stage thermostat and plug the heater into the chiller so that you are only heating or chilling the water. Works much better IME
 

SkyReef

Member
Re: Schematic Drawing: Nano Cube 28 Gal. HQI Rear Sump With Refugium and Chiller Line

Hi, Clownfish:

Thanks for your ideas. Ultimately, the refugium may not work, for the reasons you suggest. As for the chiller, I have a Current USA Prime Chiller, which has the dual-stage thermostat you reference. So we're in agreement on that point.

As for the complicated nature of the sump, I guess the JBJ engineers are complicated folks; the sump was designed by them as depicted, not I. The only thing I complicated it with, is sticking a refugium in the middle chamber, and dropping some chiller lines in two chambers (not that complicated, I hope).

You suggest a T-split on the return lines from the chiller. I'm not sure what that would add, beneficially, to the design. If you look at the baffle design on the sump, returning water in the far-right chamber automatically sends it to the left chamber, via the contiguous moat below. So I'm not sure what would be gained by using a T-split, when the water already spreads out evenly to both sides without a T-split.

As for making the middle, three chambers of the sump one, single refugium, that is an interesting idea, indeed. Laying the heater on its side wouldn't be tough. However, modifying the already-partitioned sump into one partition would require breaking apart two walls of the sump. ("Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!") :chomp: I'm not sure I have the stomach to stare down Communism or risk damage to the sump with attempted modifications, in this regard. Have you known anyone who has done that? I'd be curious to hear about that.

Thanks! :dance:
 
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