sump, fuge and skimmer..

[sly fox]

hi,
currently under my tank is a plastic container which is my sump, and a skimmer and collecting cup...

i have obtained a tank (i was thinking of using as a sump) and a seperate fuge... i can fit the tank, fuge and skimmer/ cup in the stand...

i had thought of weighting a pipe filled with water from the tank sump to fuge, with the water returning to sump via the pump that i was given with it... can i just get a pump that will do the same job to get it in there?

i assumed i could but thought i better ask
cheers

[Aquarist007]

can you not raise the refugium a couple of inches--that's all you need to gravity feed it back to the sump

[Aquarist007]

here is a little trick on that;
placing the T joint in the return line prevents an air emboliism in the line and keeps the flow return going smoothly

[Aquarist007]

you can't see it there but there is only a couple of inches in height difference between the sump and fuge:

[Raimond42]

capn_hylinur

If I understand your setup, you have most of the water from the tank go to the filter on the right, then to the skimmer side. Part of your water goes to your Ref and drains to the skimmer area. Your return to the tank is from the skimmer area.

How much of the water goes to the ref vs the sump? 10%? 30%?

Thanks

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Raimond42
capn_hylinur

If I understand your setup, you have most of the water from the tank go to the filter on the right, then to the skimmer side. Part of your water goes to your Ref and drains to the skimmer area. Your return to the tank is from the skimmer area.

How much of the water goes to the ref vs the sump? 10%? 30%?

Thanks

most of the time 10-15 percent. Once a month I let it go 30 percent or a little more to clean it out. I find if I don't then I start to get cyano on the top of the chaeto.
which is not a bad sign in itself because the chaeto is collecting the phosphates and the nitrates from the system.

[iceman0032935]

so what exactly are all the benefits having a fuge and you want to have the out of the fuge at the top?

[iceman0032935]

also what exactly should go in the fuge

[Larah]

I know I've asked before, but why is there a rather large clown in your sump?

[iceman0032935]

is it just sand and chaeto

[sly fox]

thanks for the pics...hmm guess i could raise the fuge...

[kzickovich]

I have sand and chaeto in mine

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by iceman0032935
so what exactly are all the benefits having a fuge and you want to have the out of the fuge at the top?

benifets include:
added filtration of nitrates and phosphates
added oxygen for the system(through photosythesis of the cheato)
added water volume to the total water column which includes your tank, sump and refugium
safe haven for the reproduction of copopods, a great variety of inverts and useful bacteria for the main tank
a safe way of introducing these copopods back into the water column.
by adding a deep sand bed and reef rock rubble for biological filtration for the whole water column
to name a few

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by iceman0032935
also what exactly should go in the fuge

deep sand bed of medium to coarse argonite
reef rock rubbles and some reef rock if you want. (the rubble supplies more protection for some inverts and it does have a greater surface area for bacteria
chaeto algae(stay away from caulerpa algae)

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Larah
I know I've asked before, but why is there a rather large clown in your sump?

A its looking for its anenome

B its waiting there till I can ship it to you

C its waiting for the shark tank at BA's

D its a complete PITA but I don't have the heart to kill it

[iceman0032935]

thanks for the info.

[Aquarist007]

your welcome--the thank you is appreciated

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by sly fox
thanks for the pics...hmm guess i could raise the fuge...

If you raise it then you do without another pump--gravity will feed it back to the sump

[Aquarist007]

Notice how a t'd off the main export flow from the tank and used separate ball valves for controlling the flow to the refug and to the sump.
This is also a good idea if you are trying to tone down the slow to the sump to match your skimmer output