Outdoor sump refugium build
- Thread starter maddhugan
- Start date
maddhugan
New member
Outer and Inner Dimensions of this outdoor refugium sump
Outer and Inner Dimensions of this outdoor refugium sump
Outer Dimensions: 75.5" long x 53" wide and 37" high on rear side and 32" high on the front side.
Inner dimensions where actual water can be held (water volume capacity):
68" long x 46" wide and 24" high, and planning on having water till 21" high?
I hope I can have water in it by this thanksgiving.
Outer and Inner Dimensions of this outdoor refugium sump
Outer Dimensions: 75.5" long x 53" wide and 37" high on rear side and 32" high on the front side.
Inner dimensions where actual water can be held (water volume capacity):
68" long x 46" wide and 24" high, and planning on having water till 21" high?
I hope I can have water in it by this thanksgiving.
maddhugan
New member
Glass?
Glass?
Hmm Glass? I don't have glass anywhere in the build. well, just to minimize the heat transfer I have insulated the sump. More like a adiabatic system. btw the greenhouse is made of polycarbonate if that's what you mean by glass.
Greenhouse is just to keep rain and dust away from the sump, and it is not for temp control. Temp control is achieved by the sump insulation itself. Atleast that's the idea. Who knows how it will turn out to be.
I will be monitoring the temp fluctuations with Neptune apex controller soon and will post the results when I get there.
Glass?
Hmm Glass? I don't have glass anywhere in the build. well, just to minimize the heat transfer I have insulated the sump. More like a adiabatic system. btw the greenhouse is made of polycarbonate if that's what you mean by glass.
Greenhouse is just to keep rain and dust away from the sump, and it is not for temp control. Temp control is achieved by the sump insulation itself. Atleast that's the idea. Who knows how it will turn out to be.
I will be monitoring the temp fluctuations with Neptune apex controller soon and will post the results when I get there.
EnderTurtle
BAR - Sponsorships
Gonna run a chiller on this thing?
What happens to the water temperature when there's 3 days of 100 degree weather and this thing is sitting outside in the green house?
What happens to the water temperature when there's 3 days of 100 degree weather and this thing is sitting outside in the green house?
Greybeard
New member
My thoughts exactly... outside temps, both high and low, are going to have a big effect. What part of the country are you in? Fighting a 100+ degree day, in direct sunlight, or a 10 degree day, with snow cover... either could be very energy intensive. A solid insulated cover would help a good deal, but would kind of limit the use you can put this thing to.
I'm assuming that you want to grow mangroves or some such, correct? I can see a 6' tall mangrove forest in that greenhouse that would be awesome, if a good temperature can be maintained. I'd have to fill it full of snails, crabs, and shrimp
Great idea, love to see how it works out.
sfsuphysics
Active member
Neat, very interested to see how this turns out.
A few issues I see that could pop up though
1) It is a greenhouse, if it's in the Sun it'll trap heat (infrared light) and make it warm, now this might be advantageous in the winter time, but in the summer it'll suck.
2) Evaporation is going to make your electric meter spin like crazy, any plans to cover the sump?
What is the overall purpose of it? Trying to grow big mangroves? Just extra volume? That divider made me curious because it looks too high to be used as a baffle to simply have 2 chambers flow into one another. But I am still curious about how it works.
A few issues I see that could pop up though
1) It is a greenhouse, if it's in the Sun it'll trap heat (infrared light) and make it warm, now this might be advantageous in the winter time, but in the summer it'll suck.
2) Evaporation is going to make your electric meter spin like crazy, any plans to cover the sump?
What is the overall purpose of it? Trying to grow big mangroves? Just extra volume? That divider made me curious because it looks too high to be used as a baffle to simply have 2 chambers flow into one another. But I am still curious about how it works.
maddhugan
New member
Temp Fluctuations concern
Temp Fluctuations concern
So this is more like an R&D heat transfer Project for me, well I'm an R&D engineer. AT this point we can't say for sure whether there will be significant temperature fluctuations or not in this set up, because I'm not relying on the greenhouse to minimize the temperature fluctuations but I'm relying on the heavy insulation of the sump itself.
Imagine what a cooler box does, you throw ice into it and it takes a long time for it to melt right? The insulation minimizes the heat transfer. well, this sump is more like a cooler box ,and in theory, the insulation should minimize heat transfer from the surrounding into the sump and vice versa.
The only way to confirm whether it is a feasible solutions or not is to see the results, i.e., data, and I promise I will post the results of the Neptune apex controller once the system is set up.
I will be soon monitoring the temp fluctuation (if any significant) without a heater or chiller turned on first. And later I will install chiller and heater and record the power consumption that is required to eliminate the temp fluctuations. I will then compare this to the tank/sump of another tank that is inside my house, and calculate the difference if any exists.
I'm a firm believer that the results should speak on its own.
Purpose of this outdoor sump:
I hate the noise of the all the pumps (even the so called silent ones) inside my house, I hate the smell of the protein skimmer. I hate the water drips from sump on the hardwood floor while you are working on it. So this outdoor sump will be connected to the tank which is inside my house. Having all those pumps for biopellet reactor, protein skimmer, return etc does make noise. even is the pumps don't then the air rushing into skimmer does make noise. I would love to keep the noise out and the tank inside the house.
Temp Fluctuations concern
So this is more like an R&D heat transfer Project for me, well I'm an R&D engineer. AT this point we can't say for sure whether there will be significant temperature fluctuations or not in this set up, because I'm not relying on the greenhouse to minimize the temperature fluctuations but I'm relying on the heavy insulation of the sump itself.
Imagine what a cooler box does, you throw ice into it and it takes a long time for it to melt right? The insulation minimizes the heat transfer. well, this sump is more like a cooler box ,and in theory, the insulation should minimize heat transfer from the surrounding into the sump and vice versa.
The only way to confirm whether it is a feasible solutions or not is to see the results, i.e., data, and I promise I will post the results of the Neptune apex controller once the system is set up.
I will be soon monitoring the temp fluctuation (if any significant) without a heater or chiller turned on first. And later I will install chiller and heater and record the power consumption that is required to eliminate the temp fluctuations. I will then compare this to the tank/sump of another tank that is inside my house, and calculate the difference if any exists.
I'm a firm believer that the results should speak on its own.
Purpose of this outdoor sump:
I hate the noise of the all the pumps (even the so called silent ones) inside my house, I hate the smell of the protein skimmer. I hate the water drips from sump on the hardwood floor while you are working on it. So this outdoor sump will be connected to the tank which is inside my house. Having all those pumps for biopellet reactor, protein skimmer, return etc does make noise. even is the pumps don't then the air rushing into skimmer does make noise. I would love to keep the noise out and the tank inside the house.
sfsuphysics
Active member
Alright then! Sounds good. Keep us updated
maddhugan
New member
worst case scenario
worst case scenario
So what's the worst thing that can happen? may end up very costly? no biggy, I will put a 80 gallon sump underneath my tank inside the house. lol
I know that the money that I spent on the outdoor project may be a loss, but all R&D project cost money, and it ends up as a loss 99% of the time, and I'm totally willing to take that chance.
why not, someone has to do this..............
worst case scenario
So what's the worst thing that can happen? may end up very costly? no biggy, I will put a 80 gallon sump underneath my tank inside the house. lol
I know that the money that I spent on the outdoor project may be a loss, but all R&D project cost money, and it ends up as a loss 99% of the time, and I'm totally willing to take that chance.
why not, someone has to do this..............
reelredfish
Member
following along
flchevygrl
New member
Gonna follow this as well...will be interesting to see how Temps go
Claudio D
Member
I have and outdoor sump since I started my 660 gal system in Caracas, best idea you can have,
you sun lit refugium will be your life saver for nitrates and phosphate , use your lighting plan wisely to use the heat from your light to offset the cool of the night and ph swing
Replenish your evaporation using a kalk reactor and You will have No Ca problem ,
It will take you some time learning how to optimize it but enjoy it best solution yet
I will try to post photos of mine in later post
Regards
Claudio
you sun lit refugium will be your life saver for nitrates and phosphate , use your lighting plan wisely to use the heat from your light to offset the cool of the night and ph swing
Replenish your evaporation using a kalk reactor and You will have No Ca problem ,
It will take you some time learning how to optimize it but enjoy it best solution yet
I will try to post photos of mine in later post
Regards
Claudio
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