Pros and Cons of Fuge or Sump?

[ppht]

I am having a new Sump fuge or combo built, but I am not sure what to do. Is one better than another? Why not have a combo sump fuge? Are there drawbacks to that? What would be an ideal setup. I have a 90 gal and want to relocate everything in my basement? Any designs out there?

[pjf]

It sounds like you are starting a very complex project. At this point in your reef project, I would simply employ an inexpensive temporary sump/refuge. Later, you can decide what type of refugium you want (macro-algae, deep sand bed, or cryptic zone) and pursue a custom sump/refuge specific for that type. An example of an ambitious DIY sump/refuge can be found here: http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html.

I recommend that you start with a simple inexpensive AGA 15-gallon tank (24�x12�x12�) that can easily fit in an under-display cabinet and leave room for an external skimmer and an external return pump. This tank may be used either as a sump or as a sump/refuge.

Your tank will sit in the middle of the cabinet with the skimmer on the left and the return pump on the right. The short height of the tank is critical to allow the return pipe of your skimmer to clear the tank wall. The lower right wall of the tank should be drilled to accommodate a bulkhead and bulkhead strainer (http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/...ories/ssid/344) for the return pump. You may now run this tank as a sump.

If you wish to add chaetomorpha algae to your tank, a mesh tank divider (http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/...etail/iid/4018) should be added to keep algae from reaching the return pump. If you have a skimmer feed pump in your sump, you may add a second mesh tank divider to keep algae from being sucked into the skimmer.

[Waxxiemann]

I run a 60 gallon sump/fuge combo under my 90. Check out Melevs reef site for some great designs.

Waxx

[ppht]

Thanks for your replies I will check them out...

[Rekonn]

I have a 90g tank, and in the stand I have a 40g sump with a refugium section. In there I have chaeto for nitrate removal and pod production. Water drains into the section with the protein skimmer, then goes through the refugium, then finally into the return section. The water level is set at what I read was an optimum operating depth for my Octopus NW150 skimmer (~10"). Also, if the power goes out or my return pump dies, there's enough room left over that I don't have to worry about the sump overflowing. The section on the right is a resevoir that holds about 11g of RODI water. My JBJ auto top off senses the water level in the return section, adding more from the water from the resevoir. It keeps salinity constant, and allows me to go on vacation for over a week without having to worry about evaporation. Good luck designing a sump that meets your needs, a lot of thought should go into it.

[pjf]

Here are some questions to answer before you embark on a custom refugium design:

• Will the skimmer be external or in-sump?
• Will the skimmer be plumbed directly to the overflow or use a feed pump?
• Will the height of the sump be limited by the return pipe of the external skimmer?
• Will the return pump be external or submersed?
• Will the flow rate of the return pump be too powerful for the refugium?
• Instead of a powerful return pump, should I use flow devices in the display tank?
• Will the refugium house floating algae or will it require a substrate?
• Will the refugium need an upward current under a baffle to suspend macroalgae?
• Will the refugium require lighting?
• Should the sump be used for water changes?
• Will everything need to fit inside a cabinet?

That is why I suggest the short, simple, inexpensive, no-baffle 15-gallon sump first. If you decide to try floating macroalgae, you can add mesh tank dividers and a light. Once you decide whether you want a deep sand bed, cryptic zone (live rock), floating macroalgae or rooted macroalgae refugium, you can upgrade to a custom design.