Filtration Sequence????

[peppie]

I am building a 80gal AIO . I need some advice on the order water should travel thru the different chambers.

!) Fuge, skimmer, media, return
2) Skimmer, fuge, media, return
3) Media skimmer fuge return

So you can see what I am asking. I probably did not list the proper sequence.

Anybody know the right one?

Thanks

 

[kgross]

I will say it really does not make a big difference, but my personal preference is skimmer, media, fuge, return. Skimmer will help to remove particulates that can plug up media reactors, then the fuge is at the end, so all your pods have less pumps to try and make it through before they get to the return pump.

Kim

 

[peppie]

Good reasoning for the fuge placement,
Thanks Kgross

 

[zyphen]

I personally run the following:
drain > sock > skimmer > media / chiller / UV (1 pump to manifold output for each) > refugium > return
but there are advantages if you have a way of splitting the drain to running like this:

drain 1 > skimmer > media... > central return
drain 2 > refugium > central return

this supposedly will provide more nutrients to the refugium feeding your pods and algae and other fuge critters.

 

[peppie]

I am considering running the fuge independent from the skimmer and media.
All of these filter devices are going to be a HOB style.
I have a BH-1000 Reef Oct skimmer and a Aquaclear 70 for media. The fuge will be a DIY HOB. What flow rate thru the fuge would you all recommend ?

 

[zyphen]

My sump (3 sections) has a central return section, so the drain, sock and skimmer are on one side and the refugium is on the other.
The return pump plumbing has 2 Tees with valves on them, one goes right back down into the return section and the other goes into the refugium which overflows back into the return section as well.
This allows me to control the flow to the fuge with a valve and control the return flow to the display tank (I can turn off the fuge flow and adjust the other valve to keep the same flow going to the display).

It sounds like you don't have a sump, and have everything running independently as HOB on your system (I am not familiar with "AIO"), I would recommend a fairly slow flow rate through the refugium, but this depends on the size of the refugium. Also from my understanding, if your refugium is too small, you won't see the advertised benefits it offers, I have heard different numbers thrown around, but I would think in your case, 4gallons/5% water column volume is the minimum for it to be effective, and I would recommend 8 gallons/10%.

 

[peppie]

The DT will be 73 gal. I have not yet built the fuge. I have enough room to make it 10 gal. I hope that is big enough to function as intended. I have a small pump at 106gph that I was considering using for the flow thru the fuge.

 

[zyphen]

The fuge size should be fine, and that pump should be plenty as well.

 

[Korrine]

My sump will be 3 sections. It's how I will run both my tanks I'm working on. Fuge's need lower flow and quite a few of us try to push to much through the sump. Having the fuge separately, like I describe, will allow for flow control separate from the entire sump flow.

1)drains to skimmer
2)return in centered
3)fuge gets fed by a T off the return pump and flows into centered return area

 

[zyphen]

My sump will be 3 sections. It's how I will run both my tanks I'm working on. Fuge's need lower flow and quite a few of us try to push to much through the sump. Having the fuge separately, like I describe, will allow for flow control separate from the entire sump flow.

1)drains to skimmer
2)return in centered
3)fuge gets fed by a T off the return pump and flows into centered return area

I might have taken a few detours trying to describe it, but that is exactly how mine works as well. I only have 1 drain, and it is in my mind the best way of doing things with today's technology and research!

 

[jbadd99]

My sump (3 sections) has a central return section, so the drain, sock and skimmer are on one side and the refugium is on the other.
The return pump plumbing has 2 Tees with valves on them, one goes right back down into the return section and the other goes into the refugium which overflows back into the return section as well.
This allows me to control the flow to the fuge with a valve and control the return flow to the display tank (I can turn off the fuge flow and adjust the other valve to keep the same flow going to the display).

Same as my setup. I researched for a couple weeks before I determined this was the method I would use. The filter sock>skimmer>return>fuge/DT doesn't allow your fuge to become a sewage pond and there is only one filter for the pods to make it through before they return to the DT.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Here's the way I've been running mine for about 8 years now with no problems.

Drain from main tank to Sump #1 (30G) which houses my skimmer.
Overflow of sump #1 flows into sump # 2 (90G) in small chamber between skimmer output and fuge.
Skimmer output into first chamber of sump #2. This chamber is also full of LR rubble and has a ton of growth in it even though it has a lot of turbulance.

Remote DSB w/ some LR is in a chamber between the skimmer/sump #1 input and the last chamber where my heaters and return pump are. The baffles are high enough so that there is only a little flow in the fuge area and the majority of the flow is on top.

Last chamber has heaters and return pump along with a ATO valve from my RO unit. Return pump is a reeflo Dart.

Hopefully that dosen't sound too complicated.

One of the main concerns you need in designing your sump is to make sure the output of your skimmer does not go directly into the chamber your skimmer sits in. Otherwise your just cycling the same skimmed water thru the skimmer.

 

[zyphen]

One of the main concerns you need in designing your sump is to make sure the output of your skimmer does not go directly into the chamber your skimmer sits in. Otherwise your just cycling the same skimmed water thru the skimmer.

Why would this be such a bad thing, most in-sump skimmers are designed to dump back into the same chamber they pull from? The goal is to eventually skim the whole watercolumn, the only thing you might lose is some skimming efficiency, but what is gained is 1 less issue when your return pump shuts off and you are now draining the stable leveled skimmer section of the sump into the return chamber, potentially exposing any items in that section to air (like heaters/probes) and eventually running the skimmer pump dry as well.

 

[zyphen]

I guess this depends on each individual set up, in my case that would lead to big problems with everything (skimmer/return and accessory pump) in the sump

 

[peppie]

OK, Lets see if this makes sense. Flow from the DT to the HOB fuge. Fuge approx 10 gal. Set the skimmer inlet in the end of the fuge, and the out let from the skimmer back into the DT. The skimmer will run 250gph thru its pump. Is that to fast of flow thru the fuge? Will the skimmer still be efficient?

 

[kgross]

I would not set it up that way peppie. Would you be forcing all the pods to make it through the skimmer to make it into the DT. If you wanted to do something like that, make the fuge feed from the skimmer outlet and into the fuge. But 250 gph for a 10 gallon fuge is not hardly any flow. For good chaeto growth you want a lot more flow. To make the fuge a mechanical filter, 250 should be pretty good...

kim

 

[peppie]

The skimmer does not need to be connected to the fuge. I just threw that out there as an option. You said 250gph flow thru the fuge is not enough flow for chaeto growth. Would it help if I put a nano PH in the chamber to create circulation for the chaeto. Or I can place a pump on the fuge to get approx 425gph.

 

[peppie]

Thanks Kgross
I just did some math and the fuge will be 14.5 gal.
Looking for a good flow rate

 

[kgross]

What do you want the fuge to do? If you want to maximize chaeto growth, you want a pretty high flow rate, and you want the flow setup to roll the chaeto ball so it can grow from all sides. With a lower flow rate the chaeto will not roll and will not be able to grow from all sides (only the top), but it will act as a mechanical filter trapping detritus and allowing it to settle to the bottom of the fuge.

If you want the best cheato flow rate adding a power head and setting it up to roll the chaeto would be best.

 

[peppie]

Yes I would like good cheato growth. So I will use the 250gph pump for flow and place a PH in to roll it then I will try to capture the detritus in the next chamber,
Thanks Kgrss, This is the help I have been searching for.