DIY 10 gallon fuge combo with canister filter

[Blinkgyrl2987]

Hey Guys!
I need your help. I want to make my own 10 gallon refugium to sit beneath my 40 gallon Breeder. I would use a 20 L but it doesnt fit with my new Rena xp2 filter I just got. So with that said I thought about using this as an overflow box: (which is rated at 300 gph)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3642&N=2004+22778


and this as a sump pump: ( rated at 320gph)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4604&N=2004+113041

from what I have been told these are suitable to work together. What I dont know is how to convert a basic 10 gallon tank into a refugium. I understand the concept of using Baffles I think they are called? to keep the fuge area and sump pump area separate. but I dont know how to go about constructing this... what to use, measurements... etc...

All I really want is the overflow to come down into the fuge ( is this right?) without a whole lot of forceful flow ( as to disturb copepods and such). I just want to be about to stor my heater down here and
my HOB skimmer ( is this better suited for in the refugium or in the compartment with the return pump?

PLEASE help me and give me lal your ideas. I'm sure there is someone out there trying to do something similar to this that doesnt know how.. ( just like me :rollface: )

I need to know what size pvc piping to get as well. And I plan on having a guy friend come over and help me do this, because I'm afraid I wont do it right.

 

[kfowler]

Well here's mine. It's pretty easy to make but seems to work well so far. It's a standard 10g. I had the baffles cut at Lowes. They were about $2 a piece. I siloconed these in place. The white partition are egg crates to protect cheato and other animals from entering the return pump area. The water flow is pretty mild so pod growth should be good.

 

[lildraken]

glass baffles?

glass baffles?

Nice set up Kevin! I was gonna make a similar with a 20 gallon long aquarium. Just wondering if the baffles from Lowes was glass or plexi glass? I would be great if lowes would cut glass for you! Also what kind of return pump would you suggest and where did you get it from? Thanks!

 

[kfowler]

The baffles are glass. I believe 1/8 inch. Thin but perfect for baffles. Lowes will cut them for you free of charge. Only takes a sec. Make sure you're using the exact measurements. I had to go back a second time to have it cut. Better to be a little short than long. The silicone will hold it well.

The return pump is just a Maxi-Jet 1200. Works perfect for my setup. The 1200 rates at 295 gph so the pump you're looking at may be more ideal. It all depends on your overflow drain. Mine was a 1" but now is a 3/4" since I'm using a Durso tube to quiet down the water. You can always add a ball valve and redirect water back into your sump.

Let me know how it turns out.

 

[Blinkgyrl2987]

I like the idea.. so I am gonna do it... but quick question.. the return pump in the egg crated area.. cant the pods get sucked in through that! Just wondering.... because the purpose of the refugium is to allow them to multiply.. correct? ( well part of the reason)

Anyways thanks great idea! is that the skimmer and heater in the first part?

 

[lildraken]

Thanks. do they have ball valves at lowes too? i'll take pictures.. heck maybe even start a step-by-step thread. lol

 

[kfowler]

Blinkgyrl2987: Pods can and do get sucked into the return. But that's how they feed the display. The idea is to have a haven for pods to multiply safely and then get pumped into the main. I don't believe the pods are damaged from the pump. Yes that is a heater and an Urchin skimmer in the first part. I actually just added another heater to the fuge area. I'm having a problem keeping the tank warm enough since I added a fan.

lildraken: Lowes does have ball valves. I think they're $2-3. I really don't use mine. It's just there if I need it.

One thought. When constructing the fuge/sump, make sure you remember that all your evaporation will occur in your retun area. That's why I only made two sections and combined the fuge/return area into one.

 

[CardBoardBoxPro]

She wants 90 degree turns to make it to the sump.. would not the gradual curves of tubing be better?

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

I've got a question Kevin, how come you made your overflow box from eggcrate with holes throughout and not the standard solid overflow with the "teeth" at the top?

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

I am thinking of doing a fuge/sump exactly like this but was thinking of making the solid glass (or whatever you decide to use) overflow with the "teeth" openings at the top, putting live rubble rock in the overflow (return) chamber and a live sand bed with some more rubble rock and a big ball of chaeto in the middle refugium area. Do you think this would work? Also, what type of overflow unit do you use for the main tank (picture if possible) to suck the water down into your sump/fuge?

Thanks,
Justin

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

bump

 

[Blinkgyrl2987]

I think he used egg crate around the pump area instead of completely surrounding it, because like he said all the evaporation will occur in the return area.(You don't want this to be a small area, the bigger the better so you don't have to top it off as much). So instead of having a smaller compartment where the water would evaporate really quick he just made the return and fuge one big area by using eggcrate.


I would do this but I gotta think of something else because I want a sandbed in my fuge.... sand would easily go through the egg crate and burn up the pump. So I have to have a 3rd compartment ( which is going to be hard in a 10 gallon without making the refugium really tiny, so I'm gonna see if I can fit something bigger under my tank stand so I have more room to work with.

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

Maybe we're talkning about something different here, I'm talking where the water is coming into the refugium/sump from the main tank, that corner chamber is what I've usually seen made of solid material up to the top where at least 4 teeth like holes are made on the two sides emptying into the refugium so when the water gets to a certain level in the return chamber it spills over into the refugium area. Live rock is usually put in the bottom of the return chamber too to help reduce the microbubbles and be a home for pods. The water then flows through the refugium through the baffles and into the pump area where it's pumped back up into the main tank.

 

[Blinkgyrl2987]

oh I see what your saying.. you mean the baffles come between the refugium and the return pump area.... yes I have seen them made this way too... I wonder if there is a difference?

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

Exactly, that's what I'm talking about.

 

[kfowler]

Saltwater Kid - I think I know what you're talking about. You're asking if you can replace the 3 baffles I have with a single glass piece with teeth at top to overflow into the fuge area. Correct? You can certainly do this. The only problem you may have is microbubbles. The 3 baffles seem to take care of bubbles pretty well. I'll try and take some video of the sump working tonight. That may answer some questions.

For my main tank. I have a 1" drain in the back. This worked fine but was quite noisy because of the water trickle from the over flow. I should have drilled the hole closer to the top. To solve this, I made a durso style drain out of 3/4" pvc. This works perfectly. I'll try and post some pics tonight.

Blinkgyrl2987 - One thing you can try is set the return area up like mine is with the eggcrate partitions. Then cut some glass pieces about 3-4 inches high and silicone them around the eggcrate. Then you can add sand to the fuge if you want. Not sure how well it would work but it may be worth a try.

BTW, I originally planned on having another set of baffles between the fuge and return. However, after measuring I realized the fuge would have been really small and the evaporation would be a pain. Even now I lose about an inch a day of water level. I'm currently looking at an auto top-off for it.

 

[lildraken]

okay I gotsta stupit question. LOL
how come all the evaporation occurs in the return area? I See that the fuge is covered but with eggcrate, not glass right? Is it a bad idea to try and cover the fuge except for the parts that are sticking out to reduce evaporation?

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

Nope Kevin, I agree with having the 3 baffles. It's where you have the eggcrate corner chamber that the water comes into from the main tank that I'm talking about...you are telling Blinkygrl that she could put glass half way up so she could have live sand in her fuge...why not have that chamber made of solid glass all the way up with the teeth openings about 1" deep at the top for the water to flow into your fuge?

 

[lildraken]

ooh good idea Saltwater kid. So instead of having the egg crates surrounding the return pump. We could put an overflow with teeth. that way you have have live sand in the fuge and only the pods that venture close to the surface will be sucked up into the main tank.

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

lildraken I believe the return pump is in the righthand chamber with the heater and skimmer (if you look at Kevins photo) and the eggcrate chamber in the lefthand corner has just a return tube inside it where the water from the main tank is flowing into the fuge (from the overflow on the main tank).