Sump and refugium??

robert castillo · Jul 4, 2016

Should I buy a sump or make my own... Also refugium or no refugium?

mdlc805 · Jul 4, 2016

I got a 10 gallon tank from petco and got a couple of baffles made at lowes and some silicone cost me under 25 bucks if price is a concern and if you got the room for it do the refugium

robert castillo · Jul 4, 2016

mdlc805 said:
I got a 10 gallon tank from petco and got a couple of baffles made at lowes and some silicone cost me under 25 bucks if price is a concern and if you got the room for it do the refugium

Thanks for reply.. Would it be best to buy a sump?

DracoKat · Jul 4, 2016

If you are on a budget, making a sump would be best. you can make it the way you want, with or without a refugium. It's much cheaper to make your own.

I was going to make my own, but the size tanks I wanted did not fit in the stand, or it's too small to be worthwile. so I decided to buy a Trigger Crystal System with a refugium. The more natural filteration, the better, IMO.

robert castillo · Jul 4, 2016

DracoKat said:
If you are on a budget, making a sump would be best. you can make it the way you want, with or without a refugium. It's much cheaper to make your own.

I was going to make my own, but the size tanks I wanted did not fit in the stand, or it's too small to be worthwile. so I decided to buy a Trigger Crystal System with a refugium. The more natural filteration, the better, IMO.

Thanks for your reply? How much are the sumps and refugiums? They make them together?

DracoKat · Jul 4, 2016

Depends on the size sump you want (Refugium is inside the sump- all in one- depends on which one you choose). They can be $200-$500. depends on what style you want

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_searc...umps&IdCategory=FIFRBS,FIFRWD&sort=price_desc

some are on sale now, so if you decide to get a sump/refugium already made, I suggest hopping on it.

Trigger is a good system.

robert castillo · Jul 4, 2016

Thanks!!

mdlc805 · Jul 4, 2016

Yea like Draco said all depends on your budget if you can make one do it save the money for other things

Roboson · Jul 4, 2016

I'd take an old tank and make it into a sump/refugium. I think fuges are really really great. Mine is full of lots of interesting life that wouldn't play well with a DT.

Dom · Jul 5, 2016

Just a suggestion, but maybe your first sump should be purchased so that you can learn the different sections, what they do and how they work.

I'm converting an old 55 gal into a sump with an 18inch refugium.

robert castillo · Jul 5, 2016

Okay .. Lol.. Could you make me one? Lol

Dom · Jul 5, 2016

If you were a bit closer than Texas, sure!

robert castillo · Jul 5, 2016

robert castillo · Jul 6, 2016

DracoKat said:
Depends on the size sump you want (Refugium is inside the sump- all in one- depends on which one you choose). They can be $200-$500. depends on what style you want

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_searc...umps&IdCategory=FIFRBS,FIFRWD&sort=price_desc

some are on sale now, so if you decide to get a sump/refugium already made, I suggest hopping on it.

Trigger is a good system.

On the trigger system.. Is the refugium already in the sump ? Or do I have to buy a refugium separate?

DracoKat · Jul 6, 2016

robert castillo said:
On the trigger system.. Is the refugium already in the sump ? Or do I have to buy a refugium separate?

It's already in the sump, the middle compartment is the refugium!

robert castillo · Jul 6, 2016

DracoKat said:
It's already in the sump, the middle compartment is the refugium!

Okay I see.. So the bigger the sump the better?

DracoKat · Jul 6, 2016

robert castillo said:
Okay I see.. So the bigger the sump the better?

The more water volume the better. plus more room for the equipment.

I went as big as I can go in the stand, saving room for a water reservior (I hope), lol. Did you get my PM??

CodyRVA · Jul 6, 2016

Research sumps online, study product images, etc. and then build your own. I still can't fathom why anyone would spend hundreds of dollars on a sump/refugium. Agreed, the high end sumps look nice, but who cares? A well designed sump/refugium made from an old tank and siliconed baffles will work just as well as the high end trigger systems sumps and at a fraction of the cost. I researched, designed, and assembled my first sump; could not be happier with it.

robert castillo · Jul 6, 2016

CodyRVA said:
Research sumps online, study product images, etc. and then build your own. I still can't fathom why anyone would spend hundreds of dollars on a sump/refugium. Agreed, the high end sumps look nice, but who cares? A well designed sump/refugium made from an old tank and siliconed baffles will work just as well as the high end trigger systems sumps and at a fraction of the cost. I researched, designed, and assembled my first sump; could not be happier with it.

How long did it take to make?

DracoKat · Jul 6, 2016

CodyRVA said:
Research sumps online, study product images, etc. and then build your own. I still can't fathom why anyone would spend hundreds of dollars on a sump/refugium. Agreed, the high end sumps look nice, but who cares? A well designed sump/refugium made from an old tank and siliconed baffles will work just as well as the high end trigger systems sumps and at a fraction of the cost. I researched, designed, and assembled my first sump; could not be happier with it.

I was going to make my own- however, due to the size of my stand, I couldn't find any standard tank that would make a sump worthwhile.. the best I could fit was a 20 gal long, but I felt 20 gal was too small for a 75 gal tank. Found some online that would fit perfectly, making a 30 gal sump which makes more sense to me. I also liked the sponge area too.
Plus.. I am sure I'd make a terrible mess of things if I tried to make it myself. lose a finger or two too, lol.