Sump/refugium Thread

[meschaefer]

OK folks, we have a "skimmer thread", a "tank thread" and a "pump thread". When I was researching my skimmer the "skimmer thread" was probably the best resource on the net for comparing skimmers, and now I need to design a sump to fit my new skimmer and I need ideas. When looking around the site, I noticed that lots of people have questions on how to design/set up a sump, so I think that this would be a great resource for us.

Come one people, post some pictures of your sumps, refugiums and anythinig else going on under their tanks!!! Then give us a brief description including the size of the main display tank, the sump and refugium, plus the type of skimmer you are using, return pumps, auto top off, dosing pumps and anything else noteworthy.

Thanks.

Matt

 

[Tim]

My sump/fuge

I have a 40 gallon sump/fuge for my 110gal.The fuge is fed by a phosban reactor and flows back into the sump area where it is returned by a mag 24. my skimmer is a euroreef cs-6 with a pump upgrade( sedra 5000) The main tank drains into the sump area through two one inch drains.....

 

[meschaefer]

I will start it out with what was in my stand untill a week or so ago. The display tank is a 65 gallon tank. As it is only three foot wide there is not much room under the tank.

The sump you see is a twenty gallon long. As the crappy berlin classic skimmer, with Mag 9.5 and Kent venturi, takes up a lot of room with the pump attatched. I placed a single baffle running along the center of the sump with a refugium at one end. I basicly put a glass "T" in side the sump making three compartments, the refugium is at the top of the "T". The overflow and skimmer are on one side of the base of the "T", the return pump sits on the other side. A small pump moves water into the refugium, wich overflow into the sump, portion. As such, the water level in the refugium is slightly higher than the water level in the sump.

I have a mag 12 as my return pump. The black thing you see over the sump, is a ten inch fan which is used to cool the tank during the summer. If you think the messy electric work looks dangerous, that is because it was and it has has all been replaced.

 

[meschaefer]

Tim that is great, thanks for getting things going.

I notice that the refugium takes up most of the 40 gallon tank. How big is the "sump" portion, and how do you top off water. With my old set up, the water level in the sump dropped very quickly through evaporation as it did not hold much water. If my auto top off ran dry, which it ocassionaly does :banghead: , I only had about a day before the return section would run dry.

 

[Tim]

I drip w/ a 5gal doser. it usualy lasts about 2- 3 days. I would say that the sump portion is about 15 gallons total volume......

 

[scarf_ace1981]

here are some pics of my current sump. i plan to incorporate the same style when i put together a larger one.

the first baffle or 'wall' where the skimmer is goes all the way to the top. and there are three holes on the top of the wall that let water escape, like so

the middle chamber is the fuge, followed by three baffles and then the third chamber where the return pump sits in. i really like this set up cuz it allows you to arrange your sump in so many ways.

currently i have the fuge where the skimmer was and skimmer where the fuge was. it only makes sense since i don't have to keep the skimmer elevated any more because the water level in the middle chamber is great for the skimmer.

one other change i would make is a smaller return chamber. allowing more space for the skimmer chamber or the return

 

[jtbone68]

Now I have a wet dry with no bio balls but I am going to redo my setup just like Scarf .Hey Scarf what is that next to your skimmer to the left in the first shot ( I mite have to pick your brain )

 

[meschaefer]

currently i have the fuge where the skimmer was and skimmer where the fuge was. it only makes sense since i don't have to keep the skimmer elevated any more because the water level in the middle chamber is great for the skimmer.

one other change i would make is a smaller return chamber. allowing more space for the skimmer chamber or the return

That is where I would have put the fuge.

You want a smaller return chamber?

I am trying to maxmize my return area for two reasons. 1. The smaller the area the faster the water moves through it, carrying micro bubbles. 2. I am always afraid it is going to run dry. I ocassonally neglect my auto top off, and have a lot of evaporation in my tank. Minimizes the chance that the return area will run dry.

 

[meschaefer]

:bump:

Come one folks, I need ideas. Please give me pictures.

 

[scarf_ace1981]

Now I have a wet dry with no bio balls but I am going to redo my setup just like Scarf .Hey Scarf what is that next to your skimmer to the left in the first shot ( I mite have to pick your brain )

(to the left) is the skimmer output (to the right) that's a drawstring filter sock.

That is where I would have put the fuge.

You want a smaller return chamber?

I am trying to maxmize my return area for two reasons. 1. The smaller the area the faster the water moves through it, carrying micro bubbles. 2. I am always afraid it is going to run dry. I ocassonally neglect my auto top off, and have a lot of evaporation in my tank. Minimizes the chance that the return area will run dry.

i'll be adding an ATO so i'm not too worried about the return chamber running dry. w/ my current set up it would take 2-3 days for the return chamber to start sucking in air. i figure by adding the ATO it will add another day or two.

 

[meschaefer]

How much are you losing to evaporation.

My problem is that I either to lazy..or just to busy. During the summer I was losing two gallons a day, a little less now. With a five gallon ATO, that gives me two-three days of top off, and then I had another two days before my pump would start to suck air. Now this was not really a big problem, but It would get pretty low and then I would have an oh sh.. moment.

I will be cutting down that arcrylic box you gave me this weekend. I have a couple of peices of acrylic on top of that. I am just trying to figure out how to squeeze a refugium under my stand, and make the best use of space.

 

[scarf_ace1981]

i'm probably loosing 1-2g a day.

if i were you i'd get a 10g ATO. if space is a concern i would build a resevoir to fit under the tank.

 

[meschaefer]

if i were you i'd get a 10g ATO. if space is a concern i would build a resevoir to fit under the tank.

That is why I am custom building the sump, fuge and top off resevior. Otherwise it just won't fit.

 

[scarf_ace1981]

yup. thats your best bet.

since i like my stand pretty high, i will try and sit the resevoir on the sump. still debating whether i should do that or not.

 

[meschaefer]

I really need to sit down and draw it all out. But either the refugium or the resevior is going to end up on stilts, standing above the sump. I have so little room, and so much to stick under there, and I want to leave some room for new equipment additions. What will I want next month, next year... a Calcium reactor, a dosing pump, phosban.... all these things take up room and I have such a small footprint.

 

[fritz]

15 gallon gravity fed deltec with 20 pounds or so of LR, one baffle (not siliconed in)
5 gallon RO/DI resevoir

 

[Wes]

this is under my 65g. Sump is a 15g AGA w/ three areas seperated by baffles. Skimmer (Deltec AP600), middle is a refugium w/ cheap HD light, right is return pump section w/ float switches for Auto Top off.

The tank to the left is a 5.5g used for ATO. On top of that is a 2-channel dosing pump for the B-Ionic.

I now have a Phosban reactor sitting right in front of the Dosing Pump that I am using for Zeolith. I just added it last week so it's not in this pic.

 

[cali_reef]

Fritz, you better cover all that up in about 9 months time.

 

[Wes]

wow fritz we have alot of similarities...samp sump, same topoff reservoir, same skimmer, even a RK2!

I know I am hiring for a tank sitter next time i leave town.:biglaugh:

 

[Tonyscoots84]

here is a sump a good friend of mine and I drew up.. i think its gonna kick arse...