Finally got around finsihing my sump/refugium! (Few pictures included)

[ek9vboi]

After all the research and yada yada, I finally did it. I finished it!

Here are some pictures of it:

Got ugly towards the end, lack of space and my arms and hands couldn't fit.

It looks ok, but function over fashion of course. There are a few porblems, but of course that will be fixed. Skimmer is tight to fit in, so some trimming, etc will fix it. Tank holds a little under 20g, so it can handle up to 5 gallons more incase of any incidents.

Here is the break down of the tank:
Refugium holds 7.8g
Overflow area including the baffles holds 5.8h
Return holds 5.8g as well.

I had to sacrafice some of the refugium in order to make a larger return because as well all know or should know, "the only area that drops water level would be the return.

Next thing on the list:
Make the return lines from sump/refuge to the tank

Up and coming to do:
2 part balancer
pH monitor
cycle the sand and rocks before i put them into the refugium!

Any input about it is appreciated. Thanks

 

[Bullredchaser]

Nice,looks great.

 

[Kewlworm]

Nice setup!

Looking at your sump gives me flashback on when I made mine.....4 times because of microbubbles problem.

What's the flow through the sump?

 

[ek9vboi]

Well the display tank is a 29g and from what people have told me, run 3-5X the flow. So around 150 +/-10 by the time it gets to the return into the tank. The rest of the flow will come from powerheads, I am thinking about doing the Maxi Jet mod on the 400. Should be enough flow for soft corals.

I'm sure I can run more flow, but the pump I currently have now is a ViaAqua 1300. It only puts out about 375gph at zero head, but its going to be pumping about 4 feet up, so i used the RC calcs and figured that its going to put about about 150gph. If anything, I might have to upgrade pump... MAG5 perhapse???

Thinking about it, I might have to upgrade the pump because I didn't even factor in how much flow will be going to the refugium, I know it won't need that much, but it will cut down the flow that goes to the return.

LETS ALL HOPE THERE WILL BE NO MICROBUBBLES!!!

 

[ZURCSREEF]

Nice job, looks to be sufficient, maybe some LR rubble or a sponge might help with microbubbles in the 'bubble trap baffles'. Where did you get your glass cut for the project?

-Mike C.

 

[ek9vboi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7610589#post7610589 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ZURCSREEF
Nice job, looks to be sufficient, maybe some LR rubble or a sponge might help with microbubbles in the 'bubble trap baffles'. Where did you get your glass cut for the project?

-Mike C.

Thanks for the LR rubble idea, I will most likely do that if there are any microbubbles coming from the return.

As for getting the glass cut, I went to North Miami Beach to get it done. The place I got it cut was very cheap and for 7 bucks a piece, it was an awsome price. A lot of places wanted 10-25 a piece for 11 5/8 x 12. Cost me a total of $28 bucks even. Its a mom and pops type of place, very friendly.

U S Glass & Mirror
48 NW 167th St
Miami, FL 33169
(305) 940-1291

 

[ZURCSREEF]

Nice, thanks for the info, definately going to check it out sometime next week. Appreciate it.

-Mike C.

 

[ek9vboi]

No porblem, they even round off the edges so you can cut yourself when working with the glass.

 

[thesaent14]

ek9vboi nice work on the the sump

btw you will have a small problem it will overflow if a power go out the baffles are to hi you need to go at least 12" trust me on that one for the sice tank and the sices sump if you have any more????? send me a pm with you number ill help you out i dont type much specialy now i just got 9 stiches on a finger

manny

 

[ZURCSREEF]

What were you building and cut off your finger manny?

 

[thesaent14]

no man at work a bad 90 angul drill i was adding a dril bit and it was going to fall whend i grab it spin on my hand with the drill key and hit my finger i sawit pom open man

 

[ZURCSREEF]

- your crazy...

 

[bckane]

Nice job on the sump/fuge Eric...also thanks for the address of the mom and pops type of place......Im going to check them out this week....

 

[ek9vboi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7611396#post7611396 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thesaent14
ek9vboi nice work on the the sump

btw you will have a small problem it will overflow if a power go out the baffles are to hi you need to go at least 12" trust me on that one for the sice tank and the sices sump if you have any more????? send me a pm with you number ill help you out i dont type much specialy now i just got 9 stiches on a finger

manny

Thanks for the heads up, but I have thought about this already. Someone else informed me of this on another thread I put up on RC:

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7611404#post7611404 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ek9vboi
No there will be no such thing with this sump. It can handle up to 5 gallons easily.

The sump/refugium is in a 25g high tank. My display tank is a 29 gallon in which the overflow can pull out at most is 3 gallons, which is near impossible! After all, the overflow will sit LESS then 1" for the actual surface. 29X12X1 / 231 = 1.51 gallons. With the measurements I took of the sump... the HIGHEST it can possible be when in use is 16" before it is above the refugium baffle, which will never happen unless there is a break in the overflow or w/e. 24X12X16 / 231 = 19.95 gallons. That means there will be a 5.05 gallon reserve incase of any forseen incidents.

Thanks for being concerned, but a lot of research has been done before I began the process of getting things ready.

 

[thesaent14]

yes i saw that but remember you are calculating not actualy using it so ones you do a real live test and setup everyting you will know i just told you in advance and all those calcualtions you mising one and is the room the bafels take that is icual of at least 1g plus the pump never give you what they say remeber that

(Thanks for being concerned, but a lot of research has been done before I began the process of getting things ready. )

i know you have donde you research but i built sumps top and theres allways somting no mater what and how much you search

do a real live test and thats when you see reallyti

 

[thesaent14]

Re: Finally got around finsihing my sump/refugium! (Few pictures included)

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7608980#post7608980 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ek9vboi

Any input about it is appreciated. Thanks [/B]

your hi ponit will be the hi 16" next to the skimmer you will have to control the flow coming from the overflow so it wont go that hi thats where you my have the problem

 

[ek9vboi]

Ok, live test will be done today. i'll give an update on it tonight.

 

[bckane]

Had all my glass cut today for my new sump/fuge
Thanks again Eric for the 411 on the glass place:
Good price....cut on the spot
U S Glass & Mirror
48 NW 167th St
Miami, FL 33169
(305) 940-1291

 

[ek9vboi]

Re: Re: Finally got around finsihing my sump/refugium! (Few pictures included)

Re: Re: Finally got around finsihing my sump/refugium! (Few pictures included)

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7612141#post7612141 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thesaent14
your hi ponit will be the hi 16" next to the skimmer you will have to control the flow coming from the overflow so it wont go that hi thats where you my have the problem

I didn't really understand what you just said. But here are actual testing that I did to the sump/refugium. Works nicely IMO.

There seems to be a bubble issure when it goes over the 3rd baffle, which I will be looking into that and fixing. The flow overall is good, all the microbubbles look like they go back up before going into the baffles. The only thing I think I should have done better was cut the 3rd baffle going into the return area lower, like 14" instead of 15". It would have helped with the water flowing through the baffles and make prevent the water level from going anywhere higher then 15 when in use.

Here is a video of it:

 

[thesaent14]

ek i don't want to ofend you but thats not a real test juckit up to the tank you will know whats a real test