Refugium Plumbing Question

fftfk · 08/08/2014, 01:08 PM

I'm in the (slow) process of setting up my tank and was wondering the pro/cons of various ways of pluming a standalone refugium into a sump.

I was thinking of plumbing it off of my single overflow similar to this:
http://www.melevsreef.com/articles/p...flow-two-zones

Another option is either to plum it off of my return pump or else have a dedicated pump for it.

Any pro/cons you can see with either set-up? Any other method I should look at?

Thanks.

thegrun · 08/08/2014, 01:30 PM

The other option if the refugium is large enough to handle all the flow is to drain the DT all into the refugium and drain the refugium into the skimmer section of the sump.

Palting · 08/08/2014, 02:12 PM

That design illustrated by Melev is quite popular. Since you'll have a standalone refugium, you'll have to plumb the drain from the refugium to the return section of your sump.

You need a refugium that's at least 10% of the DT to make a difference. I have a 150 gallon DT, so I would have needed at least a 15 gallon refugium. There was not enough room in my sump, so I have a remote dedicated 20 gallon refugium beside my sump. I use a 600 gph pump placed downstream from the skimmer to pump water to the refugium, and plumbed the refugium to drain back to the return section of the sump. The disadvantage to this, obviously, is the need for another pump. But I like the flow sequence: 1400 gph drain from the DT to the mechanical/chemical filters to the skimmer, then 600 gph of that picked up and delivered to the refugium, to join the main flow again at the return section and pump back up to the DT.

I do not like placing the refugium upstream of the skimmer. Pods leaving the refugium can get picked up by the skimmer, and my mandarins and 6 line need those pods more than my skimmer does.

reepher315 · 08/08/2014, 05:07 PM

I have my sump set up

- overflow/skimmer section - return - Refugium

I run a line to the fuge off the overflow pipe so it gets the raw water. some vote against it buy my fuge stock seem to like it.

fftfk · 08/08/2014, 09:28 PM

Thanks for all of the responses!

Fallling · 08/09/2014, 03:37 PM

I have a standalone refugium myself (30 gal tank behind the 125 gal DT tank). I use another pump in the last chamber of the sump (after skimmer) to run a manifold that pumps water to the refugium. The manifold also supplies water to a media reactor and chiller (completely separate from the refugium). The refugium then drains to the return pump section in the sump. I choose to use a separate pump for few reasons. First, don't think I would have been able to T off the DT drain because of the way the DT overflow and drain are designed. Second, I use this pump to also feed a UV Sterilizer that is placed right before the refugium. Third, I was already planning on another pump to run a manifold, so that just makes sense to use the manifold to also supply the refugium.

It's been up and running for about 6 months like this, and so far, I really appreciate having the extra water volume not to mention so much more room in the sump to work with (an extra pump easily fits plus a pump for a closed loop). Technically, there's nothing in fuge right now except 3 hitchhiker urchins I need to find a home for, but once they're gone, I'll do lots of cheato or maybe a mangrove biotope.

08/08/2014, 01:08 PM	#1
fftfk Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 240	Refugium Plumbing Question I'm in the (slow) process of setting up my tank and was wondering the pro/cons of various ways of pluming a standalone refugium into a sump. I was thinking of plumbing it off of my single overflow similar to this: http://www.melevsreef.com/articles/p...flow-two-zones Another option is either to plum it off of my return pump or else have a dedicated pump for it. Any pro/cons you can see with either set-up? Any other method I should look at? Thanks.

08/08/2014, 02:12 PM	#3
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	That design illustrated by Melev is quite popular. Since you'll have a standalone refugium, you'll have to plumb the drain from the refugium to the return section of your sump. You need a refugium that's at least 10% of the DT to make a difference. I have a 150 gallon DT, so I would have needed at least a 15 gallon refugium. There was not enough room in my sump, so I have a remote dedicated 20 gallon refugium beside my sump. I use a 600 gph pump placed downstream from the skimmer to pump water to the refugium, and plumbed the refugium to drain back to the return section of the sump. The disadvantage to this, obviously, is the need for another pump. But I like the flow sequence: 1400 gph drain from the DT to the mechanical/chemical filters to the skimmer, then 600 gph of that picked up and delivered to the refugium, to join the main flow again at the return section and pump back up to the DT. I do not like placing the refugium upstream of the skimmer. Pods leaving the refugium can get picked up by the skimmer, and my mandarins and 6 line need those pods more than my skimmer does. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

08/08/2014, 01:30 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	The other option if the refugium is large enough to handle all the flow is to drain the DT all into the refugium and drain the refugium into the skimmer section of the sump.

08/08/2014, 05:07 PM	#4
reepher315 Humble Student Join Date: May 2014 Location: Geneva, NY Posts: 816	I have my sump set up - overflow/skimmer section - return - Refugium I run a line to the fuge off the overflow pipe so it gets the raw water. some vote against it buy my fuge stock seem to like it.

08/08/2014, 09:28 PM	#5
fftfk Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 240	Thanks for all of the responses!

08/09/2014, 03:37 PM	#6
Fallling Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 455	I have a standalone refugium myself (30 gal tank behind the 125 gal DT tank). I use another pump in the last chamber of the sump (after skimmer) to run a manifold that pumps water to the refugium. The manifold also supplies water to a media reactor and chiller (completely separate from the refugium). The refugium then drains to the return pump section in the sump. I choose to use a separate pump for few reasons. First, don't think I would have been able to T off the DT drain because of the way the DT overflow and drain are designed. Second, I use this pump to also feed a UV Sterilizer that is placed right before the refugium. Third, I was already planning on another pump to run a manifold, so that just makes sense to use the manifold to also supply the refugium. It's been up and running for about 6 months like this, and so far, I really appreciate having the extra water volume not to mention so much more room in the sump to work with (an extra pump easily fits plus a pump for a closed loop). Technically, there's nothing in fuge right now except 3 hitchhiker urchins I need to find a home for, but once they're gone, I'll do lots of cheato or maybe a mangrove biotope.