Posting for a friend who needs great advice!

[Reefdummie]

Alrighty ladies and gentlemen
Im not new to the hobby however i have been out of it for a while and have decided to get back into it. Im going to try a new approach and DIY a refugium sump (which i have never had before). I currently have a 75 gal and bought a 20 long the other day for the sump. The tank is not
drilled yet and am planning on doing so. IM looking for opinions and advice. Plan on doing a lil bit of everything.

Been looking at the shadow overflow from
synergy ..... http://synergyreef.com/product/16-shadow-overflow/
1. 16" or 20 " overflow?
2. power head size?
3. LEDS?
4. Return pump size?
5. Glass size
for the sump (3 chambers: Skimmer, refugium, return)
6. Opinions and sand bed depth in refugium (and why please)
- I heard get the reef mud. should i mix sand
and the mud together or just use the mud? I plan on putting algae, snails, and crabs in the sump.... anything else recommend?
7. Flow rates through return and overflow.


Please pick apart and let's see what is working for everyone!

 

[DaveK]

This thread got posted to the suggestion box, so it's likely no one saw it.

Here are my thoughts on what you plan.

Over all it looks ok.

On the Shadow overflow, I have not used it, but it seems to be ok, You still need to drill the tank. Make sure it's easy to clean because your going to need to scrape coraline algae off all those teeth on the intake. Either size will, but I'd go with the larger.

Powerhead size depends upon the tank itself, and each tank is different. You can always add another if it's not enough flow. EcoTeah and Tunze make some great controllable pumps if you don't mind the outrageous cost.

I'd use LED lighting unless I has some very specific reason for not using it. I use 4 AI Hydra 52 on my 125 gal reef, but there are many other good LED fixtures out there. It comes down to a question of features and the quality of light produced. This is why there is such a large variation in price. You get what you pay for.

I'd recommend a DC controllable pump for the return pump it will consume a less power. With a few exceptions, most of the brands are made by the same group in China. Note how the pumps all look very similar.

I would use acrylic plastic for the baffles in the sump. It's lots easier to form, and less likely to break. I would construct the refugium using an additional tank. You can make it larger and you can easily maintain it. Also, a refugium as part of the sump tends to become a dirt trap and nitrate factory. It is in effect a settling area for dirt. Sand depth and type all depends on what you want the refugium to do. It can be anywhere from no sand at all to very deep. What do you expect the refugium to do on your system?

The overflow is self regulating and needs to always be equal to the return pump. A traditional overflow tend to max out at about 1200 to 1500 gph, which is lower that what you need for your tank.

You want a pump that will turn over the water about 5x to 10x per hour. Pump flow rates are measured at 0 head, and the flow rate will drop as you go up to the tank height. Look for a pump rated about 1000 to 1500 gph.