Sump Design Help

ReefApprentice

ReefApprentice

Well-Known Member
So I have been wanting to add a refugeium (around 10 gallons) into my 30 gallon sump. Anyone have any ideas on how to do this? Here is a diagram of it along with some pictures*.(I suck at drawing so please excuse the poor quality of it :/ ).
sumpdesign_zps67bab00a.jpg

sump1_zps79e10f5a.jpg

I would like to organize this to be able to fit a refugeium in it. I was thinking something like the water starts in the filterbag then it goes into the fuge then into the phospban reactor and protein skimmer? Any advice?




*Side note that picture was taken right before I did changed the filter bag and cleaned the skimmer. I took the picture before because it is easier to see before water gets everywhere.
 
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Bearjohnson

Bearjohnson

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RS Ambassador
Hard to tell from the picture on how easy it will be to section it off but....

1. If you can fit the skimmer and the supply from the tank together that may be a good starting point. It looks like you have a ton of room to the right of the sump that looks like wasted space?

2. Ultimately if you can put all of the equipment together on the right. then a small area for the fuge in the middle then the return on the left would be my suggestion.
 
SubRosa

SubRosa

Well-Known Member
Best way to do it is have all of the overflow from the tank feed into the skimmer, then have the skimmer discharge into the bag. Assuming the skimmer can handle it of course. Otherwise add a tee and valve set up to regulate flow into the skimmer.
 
D

DaveK

Well-Known Member
I've got to disagree with some of the prior answers the op has received.

The way things stand now, the sump currently in use is generally ok. However, it's really too small to add a refugium large enough to really do any good. Note how the current sump is already rather full of equipment.

The best thing to do would be to construct the refugium out of another tank. Another solution would be to build a much larger sump and them put the refugium into that.

With a refugium you want comparatively low flow through it. The best way to feed it would be to use a T and valves off the main return pump, or use a small pump to feed the refugium. Ideally it should be fed with filtered water, since you do not want it becoming a dirt trap.
 
SantaMonica

SantaMonica

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I vote for no sock and no filter pad. They are only going to generate more nutrients, and keep food particles from reaching the corals and small fish.
 
SantaMonica

SantaMonica

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Hardly. Thousand of tank run without sock, pads, skimmers, or anything else. Just like the ocean.
 
ReefApprentice

ReefApprentice

Well-Known Member
I think im going to move everything over and add a small compartment to it to add some chateo and start a pod condo with a line directly into the return overflow pumps so they get slowly siphoned off into the DT for coral and fish feed. Thanks for the reply's. Subrosa I don't believe my skimmer could handle all the debris that lands in the bag. I will be keeping my filter sock just because sometimes baby snails, bristle stars, stomata snails ,and pods end up and there and before I clean it with bleach I go through and save what I can. I set up my sump so it goes :filter out all the large objects>skim out the particles/fish poop>filter again in the skimmers sponge attachment>run by the heater>go to the return pump>run through the chiller>then go back into the DT. I might just maybe hook up a small 20-15 gallon to it and use that as a fudge.
 
M

Mpfaff77

New Member
SantaMonica said:
Hardly. Thousand of tank run without sock, pads, skimmers, or anything else. Just like the ocean.
Click to expand...

I agree with the statement about tanks can and do run without these items. Although the ocean does have natural skimming.

Waves act as a skimmer. Ever see sea foam at the beach during a storm???


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
SantaMonica

SantaMonica

Well-Known Member
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Unfortunately, the beach does not really skim....

1. It's too small relative to the ocean.
2. The water washes back into the ocean.
3. The "skimmate" is never removed (worse, it decomposes into nutrients before washing back".
4. There are no rising bubbles to separate solids from liquid.

It's well known in marine biology that reef water is recycled within the reef, and all filtration is done by pelagic and benthic algae. And interestingly, lagoons on average have even lower nutrients that the reef, because of the increased algal particles in the lagoon. SPS grow quite well in lagoons :)
 
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