Refugium plumbing

irisheyes · 03/21/2006, 06:01 PM

I would really like to have a Refugium. I have a 75 Gal. display tank. I have a 20Gal. tank with stand that I can set next to the display tank. Hubby thinks that he can drill hole in the bottom of my Power Filter and attach a hose to feed the Regugium with a Power Head in the Fuge to return the water. I am worried about floods!! Does anyone think this would work, or shall I buy an overflow box and use a siphon for the feed to the regugium. My 20 Gal. tank will be about 12" below the display tank so I don't think I would need a large pump for the return.
Thanks for any input!

ufans · 03/21/2006, 06:45 PM

You should never use a pump to pull water out of the display and a seperate pump to return it! If so, you WILL have floods.

The overflow from the display must be gravity driven based on the return pump from the sump raising the water level in the display so that it overflows back to the sump.

The size of the return pump should be based on how much flow you want and what you are using the sump for. If the sump is just for a refugium and not for everything else like a protein skimmer then a small return pump and a small overflow would be fine but it would be a lot of trouble in my mind just for a fuge and not a complete sump where you can locate the protein skimmer, carbon and other stuff.

Here is a good starter's guide to sumps.....
http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html

irisheyes · 03/21/2006, 06:56 PM

Yes, I have ordered the bevels to go in the 20 Gal. I want my Protein Skimmer in the Sump and have a space in the middle for the refugium and another area for the return pump. Looks like I was correct and will have to order a overflow box. Thanks for any reply's.

irisheyes · 03/21/2006, 06:58 PM

How big of an overflow box?

ufans · 03/21/2006, 07:45 PM

The size of the overflow box is dependent on the size of the return pump.

The important question is what type of overflow...
Read this...
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=775941

mr pink floyd · 03/21/2006, 08:03 PM

im making a fuge and a 10g sump, the fuge will be maybe 2 gallon in the middle, it will be skimmer, to fuge, to 3 baffles, to pump, heater will be in there somewhere too lol nad maybe carbon sometimes, right now i run it 24/7

03/21/2006, 06:01 PM	#1
irisheyes Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Oregon Posts: 105	Refugium plumbing I would really like to have a Refugium. I have a 75 Gal. display tank. I have a 20Gal. tank with stand that I can set next to the display tank. Hubby thinks that he can drill hole in the bottom of my Power Filter and attach a hose to feed the Regugium with a Power Head in the Fuge to return the water. I am worried about floods!! Does anyone think this would work, or shall I buy an overflow box and use a siphon for the feed to the regugium. My 20 Gal. tank will be about 12" below the display tank so I don't think I would need a large pump for the return. Thanks for any input!

03/21/2006, 06:45 PM	#2
ufans Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Fairfax Station, VA Posts: 681	You should never use a pump to pull water out of the display and a seperate pump to return it! If so, you WILL have floods. The overflow from the display must be gravity driven based on the return pump from the sump raising the water level in the display so that it overflows back to the sump. The size of the return pump should be based on how much flow you want and what you are using the sump for. If the sump is just for a refugium and not for everything else like a protein skimmer then a small return pump and a small overflow would be fine but it would be a lot of trouble in my mind just for a fuge and not a complete sump where you can locate the protein skimmer, carbon and other stuff. Here is a good starter's guide to sumps..... http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html

03/21/2006, 06:56 PM	#3
irisheyes Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Oregon Posts: 105	Yes, I have ordered the bevels to go in the 20 Gal. I want my Protein Skimmer in the Sump and have a space in the middle for the refugium and another area for the return pump. Looks like I was correct and will have to order a overflow box. Thanks for any reply's.

03/21/2006, 06:58 PM	#4
irisheyes Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Oregon Posts: 105	How big of an overflow box?

03/21/2006, 07:45 PM	#5
ufans Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Fairfax Station, VA Posts: 681	The size of the overflow box is dependent on the size of the return pump. The important question is what type of overflow... Read this... http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=775941

03/21/2006, 08:03 PM	#6
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	im making a fuge and a 10g sump, the fuge will be maybe 2 gallon in the middle, it will be skimmer, to fuge, to 3 baffles, to pump, heater will be in there somewhere too lol nad maybe carbon sometimes, right now i run it 24/7