ReefArtist
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Hello everyone. I'm going to need some help with my refuge/sump (refugium and sump) build so I thought I would reach out here locally. I presently have a 65g reef tank up and operating but found that my refuge/sump has a small leak somewhere. I don't want to fix the acrylic system because it was old and not safe to use. Here are my planning stages and the questions I would like answered before starting. I'm hoping everyone will help me through this.
First, I need to figure out the proper size required for the tank it will be attached to. With that said, I'll also have to take into consideration the space available for the refuge/sump in my stand.
I used the RC sump calculation tool and found that I need to handle approx. 6g of overflow for the size of tank and the placement of my returns (Back flow). I believe what this means is that I'll need to have the area above my highest point handle at least 6g of extra water with the pumps off.
I've heard that the larger the refuge/sump area, the better. The system now is 24in L x 16in H x 12in D. I have room for a 5g jug for my refill system and, since it just fits, I think I'll stick with that basic footprint. I would prefer it shorter though, more like 12 - 14 inches. My skimmer hangs on the side now and it's hard to see the skimmate cup. If it were lowered viewing the cup would be much easier to see and remove when needed.
Secondly, I need to consider what will be put in my refuge/sump and what I want to accomplish by having it. I’d like three sections: Return (water going back to tank), input (water coming from tank) and refugium areas.
My Input area (water coming from tank) will be for mechanical filtration. I'll be using a 1 micron sock that is I think about 12†long and 6â€Â+ across. My return area (water going back into the tank) will have a Quiet One 3000 pump and the area will need to be as clean as possible. The refugium area will be for copepods and other food for Mandarins. Whatever is necessary to raise copepods will be contained in this area. The refugium will also provide additional biological filtration so it will have a deep sand bed (DSB). I’m considering incorporating algae such as Caulerpa or set up algal turf scrubbers (ATS) for additional nitrification/denitrification.
Here is my basic layout for my refuge/sump. My input area which will be 6†wide, 12†deep and 10 inches high should be large enough to handle the filter bag. The return area needs to be large enough to hold my pump (Which it is). The refugium area I think is large enough to raise food for my future mandarins but not sure and was hoping someone with experience would give me some advice on this.
I only have routed teeth on the baffle between the refugium and the return area. This should help keep any snails and algae from entering the return area. I don’t believe I need the routed teeth between the input and return area because of the filter bag.
I have 3 baffles between the input and the return area to remove bubbles â€"œ I hope this is going to work. My skimmer will hang off the input wall (Corallife which is rated for 125G tanks). This has a pump so the input area must accommodate this also.
First, I need to figure out the proper size required for the tank it will be attached to. With that said, I'll also have to take into consideration the space available for the refuge/sump in my stand.
I used the RC sump calculation tool and found that I need to handle approx. 6g of overflow for the size of tank and the placement of my returns (Back flow). I believe what this means is that I'll need to have the area above my highest point handle at least 6g of extra water with the pumps off.
I've heard that the larger the refuge/sump area, the better. The system now is 24in L x 16in H x 12in D. I have room for a 5g jug for my refill system and, since it just fits, I think I'll stick with that basic footprint. I would prefer it shorter though, more like 12 - 14 inches. My skimmer hangs on the side now and it's hard to see the skimmate cup. If it were lowered viewing the cup would be much easier to see and remove when needed.
Secondly, I need to consider what will be put in my refuge/sump and what I want to accomplish by having it. I’d like three sections: Return (water going back to tank), input (water coming from tank) and refugium areas.
My Input area (water coming from tank) will be for mechanical filtration. I'll be using a 1 micron sock that is I think about 12†long and 6â€Â+ across. My return area (water going back into the tank) will have a Quiet One 3000 pump and the area will need to be as clean as possible. The refugium area will be for copepods and other food for Mandarins. Whatever is necessary to raise copepods will be contained in this area. The refugium will also provide additional biological filtration so it will have a deep sand bed (DSB). I’m considering incorporating algae such as Caulerpa or set up algal turf scrubbers (ATS) for additional nitrification/denitrification.
Here is my basic layout for my refuge/sump. My input area which will be 6†wide, 12†deep and 10 inches high should be large enough to handle the filter bag. The return area needs to be large enough to hold my pump (Which it is). The refugium area I think is large enough to raise food for my future mandarins but not sure and was hoping someone with experience would give me some advice on this.
I only have routed teeth on the baffle between the refugium and the return area. This should help keep any snails and algae from entering the return area. I don’t believe I need the routed teeth between the input and return area because of the filter bag.
I have 3 baffles between the input and the return area to remove bubbles â€"œ I hope this is going to work. My skimmer will hang off the input wall (Corallife which is rated for 125G tanks). This has a pump so the input area must accommodate this also.
.
