Refugium shelf

[kbsharp]

Hello Fellow Reef Buddies,

I recently bought my first tank second hand ( on a budget) and figuring out the setup.I posted a thread previously about my sump being too small for a refugium but I really really want one.

So me being persistent AF i found a possible solution, I plan to install a shelf above my sump and place an acrylic tank refugium on it , drill in bulkheads and make my drain pipe from my main tank with a Y connection pipe one leading to the skimmer chamber and second into the refugium which will then drain into the return pump chamber.

Does this sound crazy? does anyone know how I can do this, any help will be appreciated.

I found this Acrylic Tank :
These are some pics of my tank I did make a polystyrene shelf with the exact measurement of my desired shelf as a sample and some pics of the sump so you can get an idea.

 

[kyleinpdx]

Dont place the refugium higher than the sump unless your sump can safely hold all of the water that would drain from it (in addition to your display) when you have a power failure or need to take the return pump offline.

However, you can totally do what you are describing and many people do (secondary/display fuge in addition to the sump). If I were you, I would place a small pump in the skimmer section that would feed the refugium.

 

[kbsharp]

Dont place the refugium higher than the sump unless your sump can safely hold all of the water that would drain from it (in addition to your display) when you have a power failure or need to take the return pump offline.

However, you can totally do what you are describing and many people do (secondary/display fuge in addition to the sump). If I were you, I would place a small pump in the skimmer section that would feed the refugium.

Hi Kylein , so you would suggest that I have my drain pipe run as normal to the protein skimmer then have a little pump to the refugium that will drain to return ? And can you also explain to me why ? Thx

 

[Radman73]

It's a great idea! Just has to be done right. If your fuge is above your sump, then you need to account for the water volume it will drain to the sump in a power loss. So, when you shut down your return, how much volume do you have available? You can set the overflow height for you fuge easily. But you have to have some space in the fuge.

I sort of did the same thing. I have a 75gal fuge in my garage that drains back to my 40gal sump. It's close, but with power out I probably have 5gal's to spare.

Edited to add:
Make sure that shelf can support the weight. It looks slightly flimsy to me but may just be the way the light is.

 

[kbsharp]

It's a great idea! Just has to be done right. If your fuge is above your sump, then you need to account for the water volume it will drain to the sump in a power loss. So, when you shut down your return, how much volume do you have available? You can set the overflow height for you fuge easily. But you have to have some space in the fuge.

I sort of did the same thing. I have a 75gal fuge in my garage that drains back to my 40gal sump. It's close, but with power out I probably have 5gal's to spare.

So mainly i need to make sure it can take the volume of water from the refugium too ? .. i plan to drill a bulkhead at the top like overflow so in the case of power loss it will only drain the water that reaches above that hole ? Sorry i'm a noob lol

 

[Radman73]

So mainly i need to make sure it can take the volume of water from the refugium too ? .. i plan to drill a bulkhead at the top like overflow so in the case of power loss it will only drain the water that reaches above that hole ? Sorry i'm a noob lol

That's exactly what I'm saying, so sounds like you're taking it into account. As a fuge, you likely won't want all that much flow. I'd drill for 2 bulkheads. Make the second one an emergency drain in case the primary gets clogged.

Also, never apologize for being new . We all were and most of us(meaning me) still make noob mistakes from time to time. What I love about this forum is the culture is noob friendly and largely non-judgemental. It's a great place to ask questions and search for answers.

 

[kbsharp]

That's exactly what I'm saying, so sounds like you're taking it into account. As a fuge, you likely won't want all that much flow. I'd drill for 2 bulkheads. Make the second one an emergency drain in case the primary gets clogged.

Also, never apologize for being new . We all were and most of us(meaning me) still make noob mistakes from time to time. What I love about this forum is the culture is noob friendly and largely non-judgemental. It's a great place to ask questions and search for answers.

Thank you Radman , so should i power it with a small pump from the sump or should i try plumb a Y connection so that i split the flow from the Main Tank. O Those 2 bulkheads are a must incase of clogging thx. Its fairly small the refugium tank so the level above the bulkhead hopefully wont be much. I will surely test it once i get enough advice to sketch a plan

 

[Radman73]

Thank you Radman , so should i power it with a small pump from the sump or should i try plumb a Y connection so that i split the flow from the Main Tank. O Those 2 bulkheads are a must incase of clogging thx. Its fairly small the refugium tank so the level above the bulkhead hopefully wont be much. I will surely test it once i get enough advice to sketch a plan

I'd just add a T to your return. Be sure to install a gate valve between the T and the fuge so you can control flow. A ball valve will also work, but is more difficult to tune.

 

[kbsharp]

I'd just add a T to your return. Be sure to install a gate valve between the T and the fuge so you can control flow. A ball valve will also work, but is more difficult to tune.

Sounds amazing, this has answered some of my burning questions.Life saver !!!

 

[Radman73]

Glad I could help!