1st reef tank need sump/refuge advice

[techhnyne]

Hey guys.
My name is Andrew. this is my 1st reef tank and my 1st tank in 15 years. i stopped the hobby and have always wanted to get back in.

I am setting up a 125 gallon tank i plan to turn reef. I also have future plans to piggyback a 40 or 60 gallon tank off the existing setup.

I am looking for the perfect sump/refuge for this and need help in designing what i should do. I currently have a 40 gallon breeder i planned to use. Though I cangrab a bigger tank if needed since i will have a 126 and a 40-60 also.

Is a 40 gallon good enough for those 2 tanks or should i get bigger??

Also i plan on running a cheato reactor and a protien skimmer since i was given both from a friend. Is that overkill to use both or is it perfectly ok?

Can someone advise me what sump sections i should have and what should i be doing in my refugium if i will be running a cheato reactor? And also the the direction of the water flow through the different parts of my system?
Thanks for any help i greatly appreciate.

 

[samster]

You could use one single large tank or tub as the sump, and have all tanks or add on tanks anytime to the same sump. It all depends on the space you have to work with. One large single system means you only need to clean one sump, water parameters would be more stable, but if anything happens your restricted to one system and can't move livestock to another holding tank if need to be.

If you plane to run three tanks, 125, 40, and 60 I don't think a 40 gallon sump is efficent, would prolly do atleast a 75/100.

It's fine to run both cheato reactor w/ skimmer,

Are the 125, and both piggy 40, and 60 going to be reef, and fish tanks? Or you're planning on using one or another as a fuge/ algae setup?

 

[techhnyne]

You could use one single large tank or tub as the sump, and have all tanks or add on tanks anytime to the same sump. It all depends on the space you have to work with. One large single system means you only need to clean one sump, water parameters would be more stable, but if anything happens your restricted to one system and can't move livestock to another holding tank if need to be.

If you plane to run three tanks, 125, 40, and 60 I don't think a 40 gallon sump is efficent, would prolly do atleast a 75/100.

It's fine to run both cheato reactor w/ skimmer,

Are the 125, and both piggy 40, and 60 going to be reef, and fish tanks? Or you're planning on using one or another as a fuge/ algae setup?

I knly plan on a 125 and a 40 or 60, not both. The 40 will be sump/refuge. Unless i go with a seporate sump and refuge.

can i possibly have a 40 gallon sump with the 60 gallon as a refuge/frag tank?
If I have a cheato reactor what would be good to grow in the refuge?

 

[samster]

That's what was thinking. 125 reef, 60 gallon fuge, 40 gallon equipment sump, so that's pretty much the same as a 125 with a 100 gallon sump. One thing you need to think about is that would all these tanks be on the same level? If not and you have the 125 and 60 let say 36" off the floor and the 40 gallon below that, the 40 would not be able to contain all the back siphoned/over flow water of electricity goes out or pump failure.

 

[techhnyne]

That's what was thinking. 125 reef, 60 gallon fuge, 40 gallon equipment sump, so that's pretty much the same as a 125 with a 100 gallon sump. One thing you need to think about is that would all these tanks be on the same level? If not and you have the 125 and 60 let say 36" off the floor and the 40 gallon below that, the 40 would not be able to contain all the back siphoned/over flow water of electricity goes out or pump failure.

Yes i have the 125 right now with the 40 gallon below and i have room on the side right next to the 125 for up to a 60 cube.
If i do that set up what would i have in the sump? Would i still do a 3 baffle sump? And where in line would i place things like the cheato reactor?

Also i would be running check valves incase of power failure.

 

[samster]

Check valves can fail over time, I would still leave enough space in sump just in case. Sumps are usually to keep tanks clutter free, if the skimmer and reactors can fit in sump, it's most visually appealing to leave them there. Depends on type of skimmer, if it's in sump would need enough space for the skimmer. With a separate dedicated refuge, sump only needs a equipment chamber, and baffles for bubble trap before return pump. Since you'll have the 60 as a refuge setup.

 

[techhnyne]

Check valves can fail over time, I would still leave enough space in sump just in case. Sumps are usually to keep tanks clutter free, if the skimmer and reactors can fit in sump, it's most visually appealing to leave them there. Depends on type of skimmer, if it's in sump would need enough space for the skimmer. With a separate dedicated refuge, sump only needs a equipment chamber, and baffles for bubble trap before return pump. Since you'll have the 60 as a refuge setup.

I have this skimmer. Its an out of tank setup but it has a submergable pump which would allow me to take the tubes off and put directly in the sump.
So i would put this in the sump then from the sump to the cheato reactor to the refuge? Or do i split things somewhere?

Ill draw a diagram for easier visuals

 

[samster]

I personally skim before refuge, but I have seen it the other way around, so I wouldn't know which route would be better, maybe someone else who had tried both methods could chime in on which would be the preferred option for your system. If i was setting up system I would prolly have 125 drain into the 60 as a sump and pump That up to 40 refuge to have that over flow back into the display, that's also assuming you're going to have wave makers and not depending on the return for water movement. im only saying I'll use 60 gallon as sump for more water volume it can handle incase of power outage or pump failure.

 

[theMeat]

First chamber is best for skimmer. So it gets first chance at dirtiest water. After fuge it will get some pods that would likely otherwise make it into to too

 

[carlosceo2175]

I would put the skimmer in the first chamber then refugium followed by chaeto reactor then into return pump ,if you can go bigger better,also if your using pvc pipe for plumbing I would make a manifold with valves for reactors or uv ,so they all can run on one pump

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[techhnyne]

I would put the skimmer in the first chamber then refugium followed by chaeto reactor then into return pump ,if you can go bigger better,also if your using pvc pipe for plumbing I would make a manifold with valves for reactors or uv ,so they all can run on one pump

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Hey is that asynergy sump? Do they use any silicone in the sump at all? Looks so clean like theres none used

 

[carlosceo2175]

Hey is that asynergy sump? Do they use any silicone in the sump at all? Looks so clean like theres none used

It's a trigger system sump ,they don't use silicon it's acrylic welding ,kind of like melting acrylic together for a strong bond


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