Setting up my RSM Refugium

[Reefmack]

Hi mrfishy - you can probably find a tank volume calculator online, somewhere. I've seen them, but can't remember where. Mine is just a standard 10 gallon tank, which I used to leave me space for my ATO reservoir, to keep it all out of sight. Keep in mind that the sump/fuge won't be filled to the top, so you won't get the total volume that the sump could hold - a lot will depend on your baffles, plus you need extra volume to account for the water that will drain back into the sump when the return pump is shut off, or if you lose power.

 

[mrfishy]

thanks reef mack
just found a volume calc and got 19 gallons but as you say i will not get that much water volume,will let you know how my search for a sump goes !!

 

[Rue]

I like the idea of a refugium...but I think I'll have to live without one...

All the plumbing is giving me phobias...

BTW...nothing wrong with your silicon job - I'd do it EXACTLY the same way....:laughroll

And since I have no tank pics to share...I'll share some parrot pics too...

Taken a couple of days ago - my Amazon is playing (and screeching) with me...

Here's the African Grey checking out my camera...

And here's my Pionus 'discovering' the bookshelf (4 months after we bought it)...

 

[Reefmack]

Great to see the birds again Rue. I didn't realize you had 3! That's 5 bird pics in this thread LOL!

 

[Rue]

We need a sub-forum...SW tank owners WITH parrots...

 

[Reefmack]

We need a sub-forum...SW tank owners WITH parrots...

Great idea, but don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. But, we could have a thread in the RSM section for "RSM Owners With Birds", but then we'd need one for dogs, cats, reptiles, amphibians.....

 

[BigAl07]

how about a thread like


"RSM Owners With OTHER pets"

That way just about everyone can "play"

 

[mrfishy]

great idea

 

[doubleduece]

Mr Fishy I had a sump custom made from a local acrylic tank fabricatorWelcome to SP Aquatics!, it cost me about $225(Kinda Pricey The owner is a pre maddonna), with three sections and a shelf for the return pump, deminisions 21x16x16, it works out great with the water level I run in the fuge, during a power failure the water level goes up to a half inch from the top...

[/IMG]

 

[Rue]

Good idea - 'other pets'...don't wanna be exclusive!

LOVE the custom refugium...but it still has plumbing...

 

[mrfishy]

hi doubleduece
your setup is awesome !!!!!!!!!
looks great, i am using an empty cabinet so might even go deeper.like the way you have split the sump back to front,going to see a builder when i get back from skiing to see what he comes up with

:snowski: :snowski: :snowski:
cheers
drew

 

[MatthewJ]

Great info guys...makes me want to do something like this badly. I was thinking of having the refugium sitting next to the RSM and slightly above it so that it can drain into the main display tank without a pump(and so that I can actually view it easily). The sump would still be under the cabinet, but would feed the refugium instead. The sump could be larger this way too, perhaps allowing for a bigger skimmer. Thoughts on this?

 

[Reefmack]

Sounds like a great idea MatthewJ. I've heard of similar setups but I would have no idea how to plumb something like that.

 

[mrfishy]

hi folk
my plans for the sump have had to be put back a couple of months due to a snow boarder taking me out on a skiing trip in italy :bluemad:
broke my shoulder and arm, just had an operation to sort it out.
anyone got ideas of how to do water changes one handed ? i mix my salt water in a spare red sea max then siphon into a container then use a pump to remove the 15 ltrs a week and then reverse this to put the new salt water back in. has anyone got a better method ?????

 

[Rue]

Sorry you broke your arm! That sucks!

My best advice for doing your water changes is to find a friend...

...or use a cup to scoop water out, and then in (I've done that, takes forever, but it's doable...)...

 

[Reefmack]

Wow - that's bad news! I'll agree with Rue - find a friend or pay a neighbor kid to help. Even using the pumps has to be tough with one arm.

Wishing you a speedier than expected recovery!

 

[mrfishy]

thanks guys
at least it was the last day of the holiday !!!
just hate seeing my tank not look as good as it should be
even the basics like testing calcium/dkh etc are proving to be a challenge
the good news is that the dosing pumps connected to my aquatronica setup worked great whilst i was away, calcium dkh and mag levels were spot on. can see great growth on my sps corals in the two weeks i was in italy and hospital
cheers
drew

 

[Reefmack]

Sounds good. Well, at least you found something good in a bad situation - being the last day of your holiday. Small consolation, but better than being on the 1st day.

 

[marine281]

I use one of those auto siphon hoses with the glass ball in the end, sit the containers on a chair & siphon old water out from the display, and new into the sump.

I used a pump for a while, but this is sooo much easier.

 

[Brent F]

After my third flood in the past year and a half I'm converting my RSM back to sumpless