Above Tank Refugium

[Trilithon3]

Last night I saw thinking (it hurt REAL BAD!) about my refugium.
I decided I want to put it at a higher level than the display tank and pump water up to it, then have the water overflow to the display tank through a bulkhead.

Question is, if the outlet is at the top of the water line will the pods find their way there and get sucked to the display? Should I try to get the outlet closer to the sand?

 

[lvreefer]

The closer you get to a surface were they crawl the better (sand, rock, macro algae).

 

[REMoses]

This may be a silly question but I have to ask it. If you have your outlet close to the sand....wont all of your water drain into the display?
The only way I can see this working is if your refugium was the exact same height as your display so that the water level was the same. How do you plan on plumbing this and make the outlet close to the sand and not go over an overflow?

 

[chrismunn]

with a durso overflow in the above tank refugium you could get the inlet of the overflow tube close to the sand without draining the entire refugium. but if you use just an upside down "u" shaped tube it will siphon all the water out.

 

[REMoses]

That's actually a good idea. I have had Dursos in my tank so long I forgot that they could be used like that. In my refugium, I plan on piling reef rubble almost up to the lip of the overflow. Hopefully the pods will either crawl the rest of the way themselves or be swept in the current. It is a work in progress and I may change my mind, but that's what I am going with at the moment. I have no way of measuring this but I am sure tons of pods go over the overflow with out any type of help. I run filter socks on my tank and I always see a bunch inside of them.

 

[CorbetJackson50]

i have a 40g DIY HOB fuge on my 90g. I have two bukk heads at thewater surface on the fuge one is in a section that has chaeto to the top, the other section has LR rubble to the top always tons of pods in the display and in the fuge and i have a mandarin.

 

[ralphie16]

Do pods get sucked up in return pumps?

Do pods get sucked up in return pumps?

Will pods and other life get sucked up into the return pump and return to the tank alive or will they be shredded?

Would a gravity return be feasible? Above tank refuge is not what I want to do since my fuge is under the stand.

Thanks!

 

[Trilithon3]

A Durso is what I was thinking of. I don't have a full plan yet, that's why I posted the question. I wanted to get feedback and ideas from the smart people here before I start.
Although, putting the 'fuge at tank level does sound like it might be a better idea.
I think the pods do get shredded, hence the idea to have the 'fuge return directly to the display tank.