want to add a fuge

[jck9]

how do i add afuge to my system if i already have a sump? i have a 55 gal with hob overflow into a 20 gal sump. want to add a fuge but cant figure how to get the water in and out without extra chance of flooding. do i put another overflow to the fuge and return back to the display or overflow on the sump to the fuge then return it back to the sump. not sure how to work this. hopefully someone can help. thanks

 

[lcstorc]

You can do it either way. I have my return split between the sump and the fuge and then the fuge flows into the sump in the return area.

 

[jck9]

so your tank overflow goes into the sump and fuge then the fuge returns the water to the return part of your sump. that sound a little better than the idea i had. my overflow flows 600gph and my pump is about 500gph with head loss. for the pump that pumps from the fuge to the sump i should get one about 200 or so gph and put a ball valve on the overflow going into the fuge so that i can control the water level so that it does not have more water going in than out correct? hopefully i didnt ramble too much and this can be understood

 

[lcstorc]

I don't have any pumps in my fuge just a bulkhead that gravity feeds into a bulkhead in the sump that is at a lower level. This keeps the water volume in the fuge the same all the time. We had to play with the valve going into the fuge to make the right amount of water go in, but that was it. Now that it is set I really don't touch it. There are pics of my sump fuge setup in the beginning of my chronicle thread if you want to take a look. It might give you a better idea of what I am talking about. I used 2 standard 29g tanks. One is the sump and the other the fuge. I went with the minimum number of pumps to lessen the chance of a problem if a pump quit on me. The last thing I want is a flood. Most of the work is done with gravity except the return pump.

 

[jck9]

i would have to have the fuge and sump side by side. the fuge could be 4-5 inches highr but i dont think that would do it. i also dont really want to drill the tanks. any other ides? i really want this to work but im not really sure how to make it work. thanks for all the help so far though.

 

[sasquatch]

You could attach the two tanks, one higher than the other and make a spillway, overflow into high one, return pump in lower. Steve

 

[lcstorc]

Yep. We thought about doing it that way as well. Changed our minds but it certainly could work.

 

[jck9]

how would i attach the two tanks and how do i make the water spill over the fuge into tha sump without it spilling onto the floor? would this work? if i drill 3-4 holes into the side of the fuge hat is butted up against the sump (the fuge would be elevated and the holes would be above the sump) and then atach some pvc and 90 elbows to make a spout to dump water into the sump. would that flow enough water through it to keep up with the overflow. i would have the overflow into the fuge and return out of the sump. this seems like it would work if the bulkheads would keep up with the overflow. i dont really wnt to change the flow of the return pump because it is only about 500 gph

 

[sasquatch]

I think one large hole would be easier to manage bubble wise, glass shop will usually charge 10$ a hole, I think its a worthy addition anyway it gets done. Steve

 

[jck9]

one more question. i want the fuge basically for some macro for nutrient export and a place for copepods to grow. my question is how do the pods get back to the display tank without being killed by the pumps? should the flow out of the fuge into the sump skip the skimmer section so that the pods dont get sucked into the skimmer? or is that not a problem? i just want his set up as efficient as possible for my situation. thanks alot for all the help

 

[lcstorc]

Many people believe the pods are fine going through the skimmer or at least that most of them make it through. I didn't want to take a chance with it so my skimmer is in the first area of my sump and the return from the fuge is in the last area right where the return pump is. That way the pods only have to go through the one pump and some pvc.

 

[rDr4g0n]

I think one large hole would be easier to manage bubble wise, glass shop will usually charge 10$ a hole, I think its a worthy addition anyway it gets done. Steve

1 large hole will be better, but $10 aint the price around here. they want $30 a hole and dont guarantee against the tank breaking. heres what i did when i added a tank...

the second tank has 2 holes drilled in it that overflow into the sump. if you make your drain larger than your incoming water supply, there is no chance for a flood (except if the drain gets clogged.) oh and like i said, 1 hole is better than 2.

also in the diagram it says corner overflow... i just ended up using 2 holes, no fancy overflow or anything.

 

[lcstorc]

Looks like gravity is your friend.

 

[rDr4g0n]

Looks like gravity is your friend.

lets just say me and gravity have an understanding.