Not getting any flow through refugium chamber

[Bam327]

New set up and working out the kinks. My sump goes skimmer section>return>refugium. I have a corner overflow that I’m using an herbie. The main and emergency drains drop straight down to the slimmer section. Off the main drain I teed off to supply flow to my fuge however no water is making it into the horizontal run over to the fuge. I thought about putting a ball valve below the tee on the main drain to choke it off to force it over to the fuge but if I do that the water just runs down my emergency drain and still doesn’t make it to the fuge. What are my options here?

 

[Billldg]

Some reefers have added a small pump in their refugium to get more flow. Actually, I see what you are talking about, maybe adding a small return pump in your skimmer section and pipe it over to the refugium section will work.

 

[texdoc77]

Regardless what you do, I would cap off the T and let your main drain do just that, be the main drain. You have a few options after that:

1. Run a small pump from any section that the refugium can drain into with some vinyl tubing to supply water to that area.

2. A T off your return line over to the refugium with a ball valve to control flow to the refugium would also work. Make sure that it is a true T off the return line. the water should come up and the has to go left or right, then another 90 to go back to the tank. This will force water both ways and you can control flow with the gate valve.

 

[fermentedhiker]

a T off of your return line is the better way to go. The only reliable way to do it from the drain would be to place the valve on the drain below the T so that you could reduce it to the point it had to flow to the fuge, but using the return line is much better.

 

[texdoc77]

like this. My previous post was confusing

 

[Bam327]

Got it. Thanks guys.