Diy 10 gallon refugium to 10 gallon sump

canes52 · 01/05/2010, 05:34 PM

What I'm planning to have is my overflow go to my 10 gallon refugium and then have a plastic tube that will create a siphon and transfer the water from that ten gallon tank to my next 10 gallon sump that holds my phosban reactor and protein skimmer and then back to my return pump. I dont have the equipment to screw holes in the sides of the sump and refuge but I dont want and would rather do it this way. Is this a good design and idea.

Hudzon · 01/06/2010, 02:33 AM

having your refugium feed your sump will lower your pod supply

sur4die · 01/06/2010, 09:43 AM

what you described is almost exactly what i have. I use glass baffles within the fuge and sump to create 2 siphon holds each holds the siphon for 2 home made PVC U tubes.

that way i have a single layer of fail safe built in.

hebygb · 01/06/2010, 10:26 AM

What happens if the syphon between refugium and sump fails? power outage, snail, chaeto, miracle mud, all or in some combination can clog and fail a siphon. I would highly recommend using some sort of container for your fuge (acrylic, rubbermaid etc) that can be drilled two or three times (all leading to your sump) that will serve as a failsafe.

sur4die · 01/06/2010, 11:03 AM

a power outage won't break the siphon if you have siphon holds (like a siphon based overflow box) and as for clogs, that's why there are 2 of them with independent siphon holds. that way if one fails then you can tell.

beyond that, at least on my system, total spill over from a dual siphon failure is under 4 gallons. Remember we are talking about 2 10g tanks for the sump and fuge, and the sump tank can not be more than half full due to power failure back wash from the display.

If i could have found a way to fit a non siphon based overflow on mine i certainly would have done it because it is that much safer. but for my setup under a 55g, there is VERY limited space and the consequence of a double failure is only 4g of water.

my setup has been running for over a year and i have had a single siphon fail only twice. plus, now that i have a little vegetation on the spillway i have less bubbles hitting the siphon which i believe will make it less likely to fail in the future.

hebygb · 01/06/2010, 11:10 AM

sur4die - My comments were for the OP...

but OK. as long as your OK with it then I am too.

HighestOlive · 01/06/2010, 11:16 AM

This may help you out... I am currently run a 55 and use a 10 gallon sump and a 10 gallon fuge. Here was my design.

and from the back

sur4die · 01/06/2010, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hebygb

sur4die - My comments were for the OP...

but OK. as long as your OK with it then I am too.

No offense was taken, and my comments were more for the OP too... everyone has their own threshold of "risk". that post was the story of how i came to my own conclusion.

HighestOlive: sweet setup. that's probably what i should have done with respect to fuge overflow. unlike yours however, i set mine up so that my display overflow feeds my refugium instead of the return.

01/05/2010, 05:34 PM	#1
canes52 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 92	Diy 10 gallon refugium to 10 gallon sump What I'm planning to have is my overflow go to my 10 gallon refugium and then have a plastic tube that will create a siphon and transfer the water from that ten gallon tank to my next 10 gallon sump that holds my phosban reactor and protein skimmer and then back to my return pump. I dont have the equipment to screw holes in the sides of the sump and refuge but I dont want and would rather do it this way. Is this a good design and idea.

01/06/2010, 02:33 AM	#2
Hudzon Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 267	having your refugium feed your sump will lower your pod supply

01/06/2010, 09:43 AM	#3
sur4die Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 55	what you described is almost exactly what i have. I use glass baffles within the fuge and sump to create 2 siphon holds each holds the siphon for 2 home made PVC U tubes. that way i have a single layer of fail safe built in.

01/06/2010, 10:26 AM	#4
hebygb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Elmhurst, IL Posts: 2,207	What happens if the syphon between refugium and sump fails? power outage, snail, chaeto, miracle mud, all or in some combination can clog and fail a siphon. I would highly recommend using some sort of container for your fuge (acrylic, rubbermaid etc) that can be drilled two or three times (all leading to your sump) that will serve as a failsafe.

01/06/2010, 11:03 AM	#5
sur4die Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 55	a power outage won't break the siphon if you have siphon holds (like a siphon based overflow box) and as for clogs, that's why there are 2 of them with independent siphon holds. that way if one fails then you can tell. beyond that, at least on my system, total spill over from a dual siphon failure is under 4 gallons. Remember we are talking about 2 10g tanks for the sump and fuge, and the sump tank can not be more than half full due to power failure back wash from the display. If i could have found a way to fit a non siphon based overflow on mine i certainly would have done it because it is that much safer. but for my setup under a 55g, there is VERY limited space and the consequence of a double failure is only 4g of water. my setup has been running for over a year and i have had a single siphon fail only twice. plus, now that i have a little vegetation on the spillway i have less bubbles hitting the siphon which i believe will make it less likely to fail in the future.

01/06/2010, 11:10 AM	#6
hebygb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Elmhurst, IL Posts: 2,207	sur4die - My comments were for the OP... but OK. as long as your OK with it then I am too.

01/06/2010, 11:16 AM	#7
HighestOlive Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Springfield, PA Posts: 232	This may help you out... I am currently run a 55 and use a 10 gallon sump and a 10 gallon fuge. Here was my design. and from the back