Adding a standalone refugium alongside a sump

BrokenSpoke · 12/03/2015, 12:33 PM

I want to add a refugium to my existing tank and have a bit of a snag. While I am sure this has been done, none of the searches I read addressed this issue.

I have a 75 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump. Because of the equipment in the sump there is no room for a refugium. What I want to do is get a 10 gallon tank, place it next to the sump, and set up the refugium. Where I am hitting a wall is how to get water into, and out of, the tank without any risk of a flood.

I know I can T off from the return pump for the 'water in' but how to reliably get the water out of the refugium and back in to the sump? That's where I'm stuck. I'm certain this has been done before so any suggestions, pictures, diagrams, etc., are welcome

Coelli · 12/03/2015, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrokenSpoke

I want to add a refugium to my existing tank and have a bit of a snag. While I am sure this has been done, none of the searches I read addressed this issue.

I have a 75 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump. Because of the equipment in the sump there is no room for a refugium. What I want to do is get a 10 gallon tank, place it next to the sump, and set up the refugium. Where I am hitting a wall is how to get water into, and out of, the tank without any risk of a flood.

I know I and T off from the return pump for the 'water in' but that's where I'm stuck. I'm certain this has been done before so any suggestions, pictures, diagrams, etc., are welcome

Drill the tank and add an overflow box. I'm doing the same thing with a 30g (it's at the LFS getting drilled). There are HOB overflows but in this kind of setup they seemed riskier.

A1t2o · 12/03/2015, 12:49 PM

If you are placing them side by side then drill both the sump and the refugium, with PVC connecting them. You can then have the display tank drain into the refugium then go into the sump, or T the return to the refugium. You can have the hole at what ever height you want so it can control the water level if you want it to or be at the same water level as the sump, your choice but I would probably use an elbow and a strainer. Could even put the refugium on something to raise it and have the PVC go over the top of the sump to drain into it so you don't have to drill the sump.

dakar · 12/03/2015, 01:10 PM

A thought.. on our 60g tank we have a 20L sump.. same boat.. so added another 20L on a stand.. drilled it for overflow and return on the back glass.. feed it with a 300gph pump and a pvc spraybar.. works like a champ. The wife liked it so much she filled it with all her zoa's and a few macros.. added 120w led lighting and it became her 2nd DT on the same system.

BrokenSpoke · 12/03/2015, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A1t2o

If you are placing them side by side then drill both the sump and the refugium, with PVC connecting them. You can then have the display tank drain into the refugium then go into the sump, or T the return to the refugium. You can have the hole at what ever height you want so it can control the water level if you want it to or be at the same water level as the sump, your choice but I would probably use an elbow and a strainer. Could even put the refugium on something to raise it and have the PVC go over the top of the sump to drain into it so you don't have to drill the sump.

Have you ever seen, or do you have, a picture of this type of setup? I really need to see one of these

A1t2o · 12/04/2015, 08:18 AM

Does this help?

BrokenSpoke · 12/04/2015, 09:26 AM

A1t20 -

That is exactly the kind of picture I have been trying to find. Now it makes total sense how to set these up inline. THANKS!

A1t2o · 12/04/2015, 09:39 AM

Make sure you put a union in between the two tanks if you are going to drill both. You want to be able to separate them if you need to.

muttley000 · 12/06/2015, 10:02 AM

IMO it is much preferable to have the fuge supplied by the return pump. If it is feed directly from the tank it will be more likely to accumulate detritus and will require more maintenance. If the fuge will be for plankton production I would also have the fuge empty into the return pump section so you aren't skimming out any plankton that you are hoping to deliver to the main tank. If you are just using the fuge for growing macro to export nutrients then I don't think this is as important.

geneboom · 05/11/2018, 03:43 PM

Just wondering about feeding the refugium from the return line. You're saying that the refugium would then drain back into the return portion of the sump. In that case alot of the refugium water goes right back into the refugium right? Just trying to get a handle on that.

geneboom · 05/11/2018, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muttley000

IMO it is much preferable to have the fuge supplied by the return pump. If it is feed directly from the tank it will be more likely to accumulate detritus and will require more maintenance. If the fuge will be for plankton production I would also have the fuge empty into the return pump section so you aren't skimming out any plankton that you are hoping to deliver to the main tank. If you are just using the fuge for growing macro to export nutrients then I don't think this is as important.

Just wondering about feeding the refugium from the return line. You're saying that the refugium would then drain back into the return portion of the sump. In that case alot of the refugium water goes right back into the refugium right? Just trying to get a handle on that.

muttley000 · 05/11/2018, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geneboom

Just wondering about feeding the refugium from the return line. You're saying that the refugium would then drain back into the return portion of the sump. In that case alot of the refugium water goes right back into the refugium right? Just trying to get a handle on that.

That is correct. In my opinion that is a better scenario than detritus collecting in a fuge from raw water feeding strait from a display. You will have no problem finding someone who feels that is bologna though! Now in a perfect world the fuge would be above the display and gravity feed into it, but few have that luxury!

JTL · 05/13/2018, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muttley000

That is correct. In my opinion that is a better scenario than detritus collecting in a fuge from raw water feeding strait from a display. You will have no problem finding someone who feels that is bologna though! Now in a perfect world the fuge would be above the display and gravity feed into it, but few have that luxury!

My plumbing is configured so that my DT drains to the skimmer section of the sump and also to the fuge at the opposite end, both of these drain to center return section. I also have T'd off my return line to supply my carbon reactor and to provide additional flow to my fuge. Everything is controlled by gate valves. I do notice some detritus in the fuge which I figure may be good for pod production, I get some in the skimmer section as well since I do not sue a sock 24/7. A periodic vacuuming takes care of the issue.

nemosworld · 05/17/2018, 01:22 PM

this is how I did mine on a 40 breeder build

Return pump feed both the fuge and the display
I did the slanted glass so there would be no splashing in the drain section of the fuge.

muttley000 · 07/13/2018, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemosworld

this is how I did mine on a 40 breeder build

Return pump feed both the fuge and the display
I did the slanted glass so there would be no splashing in the drain section of the fuge.

Is water flowing through this system yet? Possibly in a different thread somewhere? Interested in seeing how the slanted glass worked out!

nemosworld · 07/13/2018, 07:01 PM

Conchman · 07/13/2018, 11:15 PM

Following. Adding a question. If the fuge is elevated above current sump, can someone just added another small pump from sump to the fuge, which would drain back into the sump? Any concerns during a power out?

BigDave · 07/16/2018, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conchman

Following. Adding a question. If the fuge is elevated above current sump, can someone just added another small pump from sump to the fuge, which would drain back into the sump? Any concerns during a power out?

As long as the sump has enough extra room to hold any water coming back from both the main tank and the fuge, then there's no issues.

I did something similar to this with my last setup.

I had the fuge on a second stand sitting next to the main tank. The main tank was supplied water from one pump and the fuge was supplied water from a second pump. Both tanks then drained back to the same sump.

It's really no different than running a multiple-tank setup with a shared sump. The only difference is that instead of having livestock in the fuge, all you have are the macro algae.

Some of my guests would spend more time watching the little critters in the fuge than they would spend looking at the display tank.

12/03/2015, 12:33 PM	#1
BrokenSpoke Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Parker, CO Posts: 564	Adding a standalone refugium alongside a sump I want to add a refugium to my existing tank and have a bit of a snag. While I am sure this has been done, none of the searches I read addressed this issue. I have a 75 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump. Because of the equipment in the sump there is no room for a refugium. What I want to do is get a 10 gallon tank, place it next to the sump, and set up the refugium. Where I am hitting a wall is how to get water into, and out of, the tank without any risk of a flood. I know I can T off from the return pump for the 'water in' but how to reliably get the water out of the refugium and back in to the sump? That's where I'm stuck. I'm certain this has been done before so any suggestions, pictures, diagrams, etc., are welcome

12/03/2015, 01:10 PM	#4
dakar Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: NOLA Posts: 137	A thought.. on our 60g tank we have a 20L sump.. same boat.. so added another 20L on a stand.. drilled it for overflow and return on the back glass.. feed it with a 300gph pump and a pvc spraybar.. works like a champ. The wife liked it so much she filled it with all her zoa's and a few macros.. added 120w led lighting and it became her 2nd DT on the same system. __________________ Every electronic component is shipped with smoke stored deep inside....only a real genius can find a way to set it free. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef, 150g SPS, 65g SPS

12/06/2015, 10:02 AM	#9
muttley000 MTS Sufferer! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 1,926	IMO it is much preferable to have the fuge supplied by the return pump. If it is feed directly from the tank it will be more likely to accumulate detritus and will require more maintenance. If the fuge will be for plankton production I would also have the fuge empty into the return pump section so you aren't skimming out any plankton that you are hoping to deliver to the main tank. If you are just using the fuge for growing macro to export nutrients then I don't think this is as important. __________________ Next step on the system is adding A 90 gallon! Current Tank Info: 475 multitank system is now running! Several hundred gallons of additions planned!

05/17/2018, 01:22 PM	#14
nemosworld Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,411	this is how I did mine on a 40 breeder build Return pump feed both the fuge and the display I did the slanted glass so there would be no splashing in the drain section of the fuge. __________________ Felix Nice to meet you! Current Tank Info: 60 Gallon Cube

07/13/2018, 07:01 PM	#16
nemosworld Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,411	__________________ Felix Nice to meet you! Current Tank Info: 60 Gallon Cube

12/03/2015, 12:49 PM	#3
A1t2o Moved On Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Mankato, MN Posts: 382	If you are placing them side by side then drill both the sump and the refugium, with PVC connecting them. You can then have the display tank drain into the refugium then go into the sump, or T the return to the refugium. You can have the hole at what ever height you want so it can control the water level if you want it to or be at the same water level as the sump, your choice but I would probably use an elbow and a strainer. Could even put the refugium on something to raise it and have the PVC go over the top of the sump to drain into it so you don't have to drill the sump.

12/04/2015, 08:18 AM	#6
A1t2o Moved On Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Mankato, MN Posts: 382	Does this help?

12/04/2015, 09:26 AM	#7
BrokenSpoke Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Parker, CO Posts: 564	A1t20 - That is exactly the kind of picture I have been trying to find. Now it makes total sense how to set these up inline. THANKS!

12/04/2015, 09:39 AM	#8
A1t2o Moved On Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Mankato, MN Posts: 382	Make sure you put a union in between the two tanks if you are going to drill both. You want to be able to separate them if you need to.

05/11/2018, 03:43 PM	#10
geneboom Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 5	Just wondering about feeding the refugium from the return line. You're saying that the refugium would then drain back into the return portion of the sump. In that case alot of the refugium water goes right back into the refugium right? Just trying to get a handle on that.

07/13/2018, 11:15 PM	#17
Conchman Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 56	Following. Adding a question. If the fuge is elevated above current sump, can someone just added another small pump from sump to the fuge, which would drain back into the sump? Any concerns during a power out?