Sump/Refugium Design

fmjnax · 06/14/2016, 01:28 PM

Hi all,

First time poster, just getting started in the saltwater world (I come from the planted freshwater realm). I'm putting together all of my equipment and doing my research. The piece I am stuck on right now is designing my sump/fuge. My DT is a 50 gallon and I am using a 20 gal tank as the sump. I've been thinking of setting it up so that the skimmer chamber is on the left and the fuge is on the right. The skimmer output will bubble trap in to the center and fuge will overflow then bubble trap into the center. Then the return pump takes over to push the water back. For plumbing, my tank is drilled with just 1 overflow so I will T the drain to provide most of the water to the skimmer and the rest to the fuge. The return will be gated so that I can adjust the return with any excess flowing back to the skimmer section.

My questions are this:
1) Is this the recommended design? I've also been seeing where a single drain is feeding the skimmer, which then feeds the fuge, which then feeds the return (in a left-to-right manner). I thought that the skimmer needed more flow and the fuge was better with low flow, thus why my plan is the way it is. This left-to-right manner seems like one wouldn't be able to provide high flow then low flow.
2) If so, should I send my excess return gate to the skimmer or to the fuge (or to the return sump)?

Greybeard · 06/14/2016, 01:54 PM

Welcome

You can't really pump too much water past your skimmer. A refugeum can have different purposes, dictating different flow rates.

The classic fuge is literally a refuge, for small critters to have a predator free area to live and breed. Isopods, copepods, gammarus and mysid shrimp, worms... that sort of thing. Flow rates through that sort of fuge can be variable, as long as there are some low flow areas for the critters.

Many folks are using a fuge as a macro algae growing area these days. I no longer do so, but when I did, I had full sump flow passing through it. Space and lighting would probably be more important than flow for this type of fuge.

My sump splits flow, so that some goes through the fuge (critter refuge) and then to the return pump, some goes through the skimmer/heater/reactor compartment, and then to the return pump. it's something close to half and half.

Your plan seems similar, though it's implemented differently.

A straight side to side flow is more common, and perfectly acceptable. Splashdown area, with or without filter socks, through the refugeum, then to the skimmer section, then the return area. It's simple, and effective.

Hope this helps!

uvijaya · 06/14/2016, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fmjnax

Hi all,

First time poster, just getting started in the saltwater world (I come from the planted freshwater realm). I'm putting together all of my equipment and doing my research. The piece I am stuck on right now is designing my sump/fuge. My DT is a 50 gallon and I am using a 20 gal tank as the sump. I've been thinking of setting it up so that the skimmer chamber is on the left and the fuge is on the right. The skimmer output will bubble trap in to the center and fuge will overflow then bubble trap into the center. Then the return pump takes over to push the water back. For plumbing, my tank is drilled with just 1 overflow so I will T the drain to provide most of the water to the skimmer and the rest to the fuge. The return will be gated so that I can adjust the return with any excess flowing back to the skimmer section.

My questions are this:
1) Is this the recommended design? I've also been seeing where a single drain is feeding the skimmer, which then feeds the fuge, which then feeds the return (in a left-to-right manner). I thought that the skimmer needed more flow and the fuge was better with low flow, thus why my plan is the way it is. This left-to-right manner seems like one wouldn't be able to provide high flow then low flow.
2) If so, should I send my excess return gate to the skimmer or to the fuge (or to the return sump)?

For a reef tank, i have always had good success with return in the middle and Skimmer and fuge on the sides (S|R|F)

fmjnax · 06/15/2016, 08:05 AM

Thanks guys. My plan with the fuge, at least as of this moment, is for extra bio filtration. Now what sort of setup that means for me, I still do not know. I thought it meant additional LR, maybe some cleaning crews, and I was also thinking of it as an actual refuge for stuff that can't go in the DT. I don't know that I can have both. Still doing my research.

06/14/2016, 01:28 PM	#1
fmjnax Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 2	Sump/Refugium Design Hi all, First time poster, just getting started in the saltwater world (I come from the planted freshwater realm). I'm putting together all of my equipment and doing my research. The piece I am stuck on right now is designing my sump/fuge. My DT is a 50 gallon and I am using a 20 gal tank as the sump. I've been thinking of setting it up so that the skimmer chamber is on the left and the fuge is on the right. The skimmer output will bubble trap in to the center and fuge will overflow then bubble trap into the center. Then the return pump takes over to push the water back. For plumbing, my tank is drilled with just 1 overflow so I will T the drain to provide most of the water to the skimmer and the rest to the fuge. The return will be gated so that I can adjust the return with any excess flowing back to the skimmer section. My questions are this: 1) Is this the recommended design? I've also been seeing where a single drain is feeding the skimmer, which then feeds the fuge, which then feeds the return (in a left-to-right manner). I thought that the skimmer needed more flow and the fuge was better with low flow, thus why my plan is the way it is. This left-to-right manner seems like one wouldn't be able to provide high flow then low flow. 2) If so, should I send my excess return gate to the skimmer or to the fuge (or to the return sump)?

06/14/2016, 01:54 PM	#2
Greybeard Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Buffalo, MO Posts: 651	Welcome You can't really pump too much water past your skimmer. A refugeum can have different purposes, dictating different flow rates. The classic fuge is literally a refuge, for small critters to have a predator free area to live and breed. Isopods, copepods, gammarus and mysid shrimp, worms... that sort of thing. Flow rates through that sort of fuge can be variable, as long as there are some low flow areas for the critters. Many folks are using a fuge as a macro algae growing area these days. I no longer do so, but when I did, I had full sump flow passing through it. Space and lighting would probably be more important than flow for this type of fuge. My sump splits flow, so that some goes through the fuge (critter refuge) and then to the return pump, some goes through the skimmer/heater/reactor compartment, and then to the return pump. it's something close to half and half. Your plan seems similar, though it's implemented differently. A straight side to side flow is more common, and perfectly acceptable. Splashdown area, with or without filter socks, through the refugeum, then to the skimmer section, then the return area. It's simple, and effective. Hope this helps!

06/15/2016, 08:05 AM	#4
fmjnax Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 2	Thanks guys. My plan with the fuge, at least as of this moment, is for extra bio filtration. Now what sort of setup that means for me, I still do not know. I thought it meant additional LR, maybe some cleaning crews, and I was also thinking of it as an actual refuge for stuff that can't go in the DT. I don't know that I can have both. Still doing my research.