Plumbing a refugium next to sump

[droth335]

We have a 40gallon sump on our 210 and would like to connect a 20 gallon refugium into the sump (they would be sitting side by side beneath the display tank and am looking for ideas on how to do this most effectively.

For the input into the refugium I am planning on teeing one of the display tank drains with a ball valve so I can adjust the flow. I am struggling with the best way to get the water from the refugium into the sump for return to the display tank. I want to be sure I have an idiot proof method so I don't flood the floor!

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[uncleof6]

There is only one idiot proof way to do this, and that is to plumb in the superfluous refugium as a second "dispaly tank" water drawn off the return to the main tank, and utilizing a gravity drain to get water back to the sump.

This cannot be done reliably unless the second tank is placed a good foot or so above the sump. The common "balance pipe" often brought up is useless, in actual practice, unless the flow rate is extremely low, and there is no reason a fuge should not have a flow rate similar to a display tank, if not full tank flow rate, contrary to widespread popular myths.

You cannot rely on what is termed a "double gravity feed," as most wish could be done in this situation, (tee drain from main tank to feed second tank, then drain to sump) for if the second stage drain (from second tank to sump) slows down for any reason, even if due to an ambient pressure change (yes ambient pressure affects drains) you will have a flood.

Both of the above remedies (double gravity feed and balance pipe along with drain splitting) are meant to keep from having to move up in pump size, which in most cases, is already too small for the system being served.

One should not put a valve in a gravity drain, (unless a siphon system is in use, and those you don't split either) it messes with the physics of the drain, to put it very simply, and decreases its flow capacity. It also increases the plug risk.

The final piece of our "idiot proof" system, is to take a reality based look at what you expect the "refugium" to accomplish for the system. Although a "refugium" is a very clearly defined sub-system, its implementation is very loosely applied and myth driven; the net result adding to the burden on the system, rather than helping the system. In many cases, the best method is to leave well enough alone...

 

[MJNTWise]

This is what I did...I upgrading to a 180 and will be doing the something as your want too with the 40 breeder as the sump and a 20 for a refugium. Just feed off of your return pump and drill 2 3/4 holes with bulk heads and let flow right back into your sump. I hope this helps.

 

[droth335]

Thanks for the input guys.

MJNTWise - exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

 

[Aquatron]

That is a nice way to install elevated refugium to sump You may think about two overflows from refugium to sump or larger overflow pipe size just as back up
Good Luck!

 

[MJNTWise]

Thanks for the input guys.

MJNTWise - exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

No problem....

 

[MJNTWise]

That is a nice way to install elevated refugium to sump You may think about two overflows from refugium to sump or larger overflow pipe size just as back up
Good Luck!

I had 2 3/4 bulkheads and a ball valve on the feed. I never has issues. Yet. lolol

 

[Powederblue]

Kind of hard to tell but heres how my fuge is plumbed in, the return has a T off and ball valved down right before the huge so i can adjust the flow and the fuge is drilled very large and gravity fed into sump.

 

[Sleepiness]

Another example if you are interested. I just teed off of the return pump and added a ball valve to the line returning to refuguim.

 

[Rot26]

I built a small stand for my fuge and made sure it was tall enough to put my test kits under it. Then just used a glass-holes overflow to flow back into the fuge and a separate pump to push water back into the fuge.

I was originally going to T off of the overflow in the DT, but it was pointed out that if the flow out of the fuge got plugged, I'd flood. So, I plumbed it just like a second DT and it's working great.