Can i make a refugium?

[DothanReefer]

I have a WB Reef 100.3. The sump is the 30 gallon larger version they started shipping this year I think. But, the sump has one massive area for skimmer/etc. So my question is, can I and if so how do I add a baffle so that I may create a refugium in the sump? Is it possible to split the one area into two without tearing down the tank/sump? I have a living/thriving newborn reef that I do not want to negatively impact of possible but would like to add refugium if possible.

Thanks in advance for any input.


PS - I've also considered an algae reactor? Would this work better than trying to split the sump chamber?

 

[MichaelReefer]

Splitting the sump may not work, you want your refugium to be at least 10% of your total water volume. Basically you'd be better off buying a sump with a larger dedicated refugium area, or using a reactor most likely.

 

[DothanReefer]

Splitting the sump may not work, you want your refugium to be at least 10% of your total water volume. Basically you'd be better off buying a sump with a larger dedicated refugium area, or using a reactor most likely.

Thanks. That's what i was afraid of. There's no room for a larger sump so i reckon i need to go algae reactor shopping...

 

[Albertan22]

You could silicone in a piece of acrylic as a divider or try using a piece of egg crate if you want something less permanent. Figure out how much space you need for your skimmer and cordon off the rest for the fuge.

 

[Albertan22]

Splitting the sump may not work, you want your refugium to be at least 10% of your total water volume. Basically you'd be better off buying a sump with a larger dedicated refugium area, or using a reactor most likely.

I have always followed the 10% rule too, but with today’s high powered refugium lighting I don’t think it’s fully necessary anymore. I put an AI Fuge light on my last tank and found I could only run it a few hours per night as it was stripping my nutrients out too aggressively. I still have the light but haven’t been able to use it yet on my upgraded system as I can’t get nitrates to register on my test kits yet...

 

[DothanReefer]

You could silicone in a piece of acrylic as a divider or try using a piece of egg crate if you want something less permanent. Figure out how much space you need for your skimmer and cordon off the rest for the fuge.

can you silicone acrylic underwater? or eggcrate for that matter? my skimmer only needs about a 1/4 the space provided in the main sump compartment...

 

[Albertan22]

can you silicone acrylic underwater? or eggcrate for that matter? my skimmer only needs about a 1/4 the space provided in the main sump compartment...

It depends if the sump is acrylic or glass. Silicone doesn’t really bond to acrylic, but you can use an acrylic panel with a glass sump. The silicone will bond to the glass and act to hold the acrylic in place. It won’t be the strongest attachment and may not be fully watertight, but it’s an internal baffle so who cares?

 

[New&no clue]

I have an AIO with a tiny spot in the back that I grow Chaeto in. it is no where near 10%, maybe 5%, but it has dropped my phosphates from .3 to .15 in about a month.

As for baffles I saw a BRS video where they were making their own sump. Instead of using acrylic or glass to create them they us the following below to break up the sump

Aquamesh Black 1 - Extra Coarse

Progressive density mesh mechanical filtration system can be used as a system or separately. Aquamesh #1 is great for removal of large debris and free floating particles most commonly used as a first stage to allow longer use of finer stages between cleanings. Dimensions:19.5" x 24" x 1.5"...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[MichaelReefer]

Thanks. That's what i was afraid of. There's no room for a larger sump so i reckon i need to go algae reactor shopping...

So, just throwing it out there. You can make an external refugium. I made one in the past.