50 gallon cube

[Thelonious]

I am having about a 50 gallon cube built for me. It's going to be a really longterm project so I am trying to eliminate future problems from the start.


It is going in a studio suite with cement flooring for 3 years so I cannot risk a flood because it would get everything. I must have a refugium so since this is being custom built, I am trying to get opinions on how this tank should be put together


I want the tank drilled and am thinking about putting the fuge as a hang-on or in the hood if it could be protected from heat. That would be for the short term and eventually this cube will be a breeder/QT and running from a proper sump/fuge

How would you drill/build a tank for a fuge and minimize flooding?

How would you approach the flow issues in a cube without having a sump?


I've chosen a 250 MH pendant and a remora pro for the tank.. It will be a little taller and have a very DSB


It's being built from scratch so anything is possible and all oddball suggestions are welcome... What would you do?

 

[ChrisRD]

Hi and :welcome:

If it were me and one of the primary goals was flood-proofing the setup, I'd avoid the hang-on skimmer. Since you're having the tank drilled, I'd setup a sump and use an in-sump skimmer so that if (when) it freaks out and overflows - no flooding.

As for the fuge - you can do a sump/fuge combination under the tank, or split the return plumbing off so that some goes to the tank and some goes to a fuge that is higher than the tank which then gravity drains into the tank. Properly designed, neither setup should pose much of a flood risk.

It's possible to design/setup a sump so that it's pretty much flood proof if you take a few precautions. For example, I generally setup the main tank so that the waterline normally runs at the bottom edge of the top trim on the tank. This leaves a couple of inches of freeboard in the event that the tank drain(s) gets clogged. I then setup the sump so that there will no be enough water available to the return pump to overcome that freeboard - even if the tank drain(s) gets totally clogged.

Make sure there's enough freeboard in the sump to accomodate whatever water drains down from the main tank in power-off conditions. Also, I prefer to use a cover on overflow boxes as it keeps snails, etc. from wandering into your drain(s). The cover, as well as using opaque material (if you're constructing the overflow(s) yourself) help to keep light out of the overflow(s) as well which minimizes problems with stuff growing in the box that can later break loose and clog the drain(s).

If you're intent on avoiding a sump all-together, then I think your current choice of the Remora Pro as a hang-on skimmer will be one of the better options. That design is less likely to have flooding problems than some of the other hang-on units out there.

For in-tank flow on something like a 50 gallon you can just use powerheads. MaxiJets seem to stand-up best to wavemakers if you're looking to go that route. If you want to avoid powerheads, and since you're drilling the tank anyway, you might consider drilling a few extra holes for a closed loop setup. Many people seem to like the OceansMotions units for creating random flow with closed loop setups these days. SeaSwirls and motorized ball valves are other options.

Just a few thoughts to give you some ideas...

 

[Thelonious]

That was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for taking the time to address my questions so well... Reading a bunch just doesn't give you the practical knowledge to understand some of these things.... I didn't even realize there was a flood risk using hang-ons.


Two more questions if anyone is inclined...


Would an inline pump be better for the tank?

If I split the fuge/sump, what would be the min size each could be and remain effective?

 

[ChrisRD]

IMO there are ups and downs to plumbing the return pump either way (externally or inline/externally). One possible benefit - some external pumps transfer practically no heat to the system water (something not true of most submersibles IME). That can be an advantage in keeping temps down (and trying to avoid the need for a chiller) if you're in a situation where overheating will be a concern. Also (IMO) some quality brands of external pumps seem to require significantly less care/cleaning than submersibles to stay running (at least IME). On the downside, external pumps tend to be a bit louder and more expensive. Of course there are exceptions to every generalization... :wink:

As for the fuge - I think it's a tough thing to put numbers to - any size probably provides some benefit. All I can say is, IME when you try to cram a sump+fuge combo under a small tank stand you end-up with a pretty small fuge after you've sectioned-off enough room for equipment. I ran a setup this way for a while and then tried it without the fuge. I saw no difference (fuge volume was probably about 15% that of the main tank). A larger fuge would probably provide more noticeable benefits, but generally that requires it be a separate vessel. My first choice would be something that could be gravity fed to the main tank. FWIW, there are certainly many great tanks out there that do not employ a fuge. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about it if one does not conveniently fit into your plans.

JMO of course...