26 gal project and i still have some questions!

[Charlie97L]

yeah i'm going with fidojoe on the skimmer placement... i have mine in the first chamber, and my main tank is teeming with pods. that's where it should go. get all the bubble production out of the way in the first chamber.

it should go
first chamber (drain input from main tank, skimmer) (these can be 2 chambers if you're doing a 4 chamber sump)
second chamber (fuge)
third (return)

if you put the drain input into the fuge, the water crashing down won't give you the calm area you need for your fuge.

also, in my experience, some lowe's will have and cut acrylic, others will not... or they may all do it, and you just have to find the right person to ask, which can be a huge hassle sometimes. i just got a scriber, and cut/broke mine myself... it's not pretty, but it's close enough. i'm going to redo the sumpe with glass baffles at some point in the future. make sure you get pretty thick acrlic, as the thinnest 1/8" i think will bow and make come undone/need bracing.

also, fidojoe, do you have a 2nd pump actually hooked up for backup? or just laying around? I can swap pumps in about 5 minutes with the way my unions are setup.

[fidojoe]

I just have it laying around. I usually mix my SW up with it. A 740GPH powerhead sure clears the water up fast when mixing

The lowe's by me has a glass/acrylic cutting station by the doors and windows section. The score and snap method works, but as you said it gets messy. Lowe's uses that method too, but they have a big saw like tool specifically for that purpose, so they come out straight.

[roadrunner1659]

Ok well after thinking about it i really cant see why having the intake tube enter into the first chamber were the skimmer is and then the fuge...your right i would sorta controll the flow for the fuge a little better...i think that i will also attach a filter sock with carbon and phosnaban in it...Thanks!

still along the lines of the fuge and the baffles if my fuge is the second chanber...how do i keep the snail and stuff from going into the baffles and into the return? do you put snails and critters in a fuge?

[roadrunner1659]

OK guys i need more of ur help! Tonight i went up to the LFS and had some conversations...anyway...u guys know that im thinking of changing out my sand in my main tank but i was suggested no too b/c it's prolly not bad at all and that i could put in a charge pack to help charge the sand more so...i know that i have bristle worms, pods, and what look like little white snails that come out at night time but they seem to come out of the rocks not really the sand, but resently i found these holes in my sand (against the glass) and i would think that its life right? maybe pods or worms? so the question is...should i change my sand or can i just further charge it?

[Woodstock]

I have those 'tunnels' in my sand too. They're a good sign that the sand critters are thriving

[roadrunner1659]

ok well then i wont change out my sand which should make the whole process a little better right? my RO/DI unit is coming on monday! i caqnt wait!

[fidojoe]

I had a feeling you didn't need to change it out. I think that "re-charging" it is a good idea. Adding more bio-diversity is always a good thing.

[roadrunner1659]

yea i'm going to keep the sandbed that is in there...the tunnels and stuff have only reappeared just in the last few day and one day it was in the left orner and the next it was clear across the front so im going to get a re-harge pack or something to charge it a little better! Since now im keeping everything intacte in my main tank, which will help a great deal!

I have another question...with the refugium...do i have to put baffles or can i have like the intake and the fuge section as one big one and then just have a baffle for the return? im sorry fidojoe i know you've been given me alot of help and i thank you i'm just thinking of all the options and setups!

Thanks!

[fidojoe]

NP

You can do that, the only problem with not having baffles to divide the intake and fuge section is that the flow will be too turbulent for the fuge to do its job. I think you would need a baffle setup of at least 2 baffles (one higher and one lower) to remove bubbles from the water before they get into the return pump. If you just have a single baffle between the fuge and return pump, you will run into microbubble problems because there will be a waterfall effect into the pump chamber.

[roadrunner1659]

yea ok well then i will leave it with 2 sets of baffles...its funny guys b/ i know think i have most of the money need to begin this project and i'm getting cold feet...i'm just worried that all this work isn't really going to do that much for me and its alot of money that im dealing with!

[fidojoe]

I get that all the time Thats why some of my projects fizzle out, lol. The times when I do actually do something (like when I bit the bullet and got my 90g) I haven't regretted it.

[roadrunner1659]

RO/DI unit is setup and almost ready to run! i was wondering though...were do i put the PSI meter?

Thanks