How the heck do I connect a refugium

[Be11yDancer]

New tank coming, 150, with a 30 gallon sump.

I have a 30 gallon spare tank for a nice refugium inside the stand. How the heck do I connect it?

How do I keep it from over-flowing if the power goes out or keep from running dry?

 

[Anonymous]

You need to check it out with an empty sump and see how far it will fill your sump......then mark it.

You should have a Max fill line for that case.

If you don't have an auto top off, you might want to unless you are willing to fill it about every 2-3 days from evaporation. When it gets too low, the pump starts blowing air bubbles in your tank.

 

[Len]

I'd have half the overflow drain into the sump and half into the refugium. The refugium would then drain into the sump (after the filtration area). Should the power go out, only a little bit of water (the height above the bottom of the drain bulkhead) will drain into the sump. Make sure the sump can handle those few gallons and you're good to go.

 

[Be11yDancer]

If you don't have an auto top off, you might want to unless you are willing to fill it about every 2-3 days from evaporation. When it gets too low, the pump starts blowing air bubbles in your tank.

Okay, I have 3 LFSs I stroll through frequently. I've never seen an auto-top-off on the shelve. Where should I look and where does that connect? AND does it have to be plumbed in or does it have a reservoir or something?

Like many hobbies, it's good to have a close friend who can answer those questions (and give you hand-me-downs!) I don't have that, I just have this board, (grin)!

 

[Anonymous]

That is exactly why I was advising the auto top off. I go to the windmill all the time and fill my 5ga jugs to top off.

I don't have one, but from looking at soooo many pics, I would assume it needs to be plumbed. I have seen some that have additional tanks but I really don't know.

Len could probably help you more on that area.

 

[Be11yDancer]

This is a used 150 gallon tank I am buying and he only had a power head running the sump.

Maybe I don't need to integrate a refugium with the sump (which I am *guessing* will need drilling)

I will get a real pump for the sump. And then set up the power head in a separate system within the refugium.

Now how do I do that? Will just an in and out hooked over the back of the tank into the refugium work? Drilling new holes is not an option.

*OR* Maybe the water can be pumped into the refugium and then into the sump and then returned to the tank?

My IQ is not high enough to figure out how to keep it from flooding or to theorize how the pumps will get prime . .. . .

Can anyone out there with more brains give explain it to me?

You would think diagrams would work, but none of the ones I've seen do!