Refugium Side by Side with Display -- Plumbing?

[Oceanminded]

I'm pretty handy with fixing things but I've never plumbed anything before so explaining like I'm five years old is encouraged. I just picked up a 29g and want to convert my current 10g to a "display fuge" sitting beside my new (29g) display. How would you guys plumb that? I have a long sideboard table with cabinet space underneath I'll be using as a stand. I want the two tanks to sit side by side. I've seen plenty of videos for plumbing a fuge that is under the display tank but I haven't found any for a fuge beside the display. I'm a visual learner so any pics/videos you can link to would be awesome!

 

[cjm5283]

Do either of the tanks have an overflow/drilled? If no, do you plan on drilling them or even able to?

 

[Oceanminded]

Neither tank is drilled. One panel on the 29g (back panel) could be drilled, so I could. My original idea was to have a submerged return pump in the refugium with PVC running behind the display and up the far side of the display, then have a PVC overflow feed into the refugium on the adjacent sides. I would have an emergency overflow going from the refugium to a bucket in the storage space beneath or next to the stand. Is that a viable plan? Something like this.

 

[uncleof6]

The tanks need to be at different levels; lacking the gravity advantage, the system will not function as you intend. That is why you will find very few 'videos' on this topic, and claims that such a set up (in various topologies/iterations) works fine, are based on little understanding of fluid dynamics.

PVC overflows do not work as advertised either, and most claims defy the laws of physics, (except at extremely low flow rates,) and do not provide surface skimming/surface renewal sufficient for marine systems.

Nothing wrong with have two tanks sitting next to each other, or one being a fuge and the other a DT. They should both be plumbed to a common sump below, and each pump fed.

Lots of folks are visual learners, however, none of this can really be learned and understood by looking at pictures.

 

[Oceanminded]

The tanks need to be at different levels; lacking the gravity advantage, the system will not function as you intend. That is why you will find very few 'videos' on this topic, and claims that such a set up (in various topologies/iterations) works fine, are based on little understanding of fluid dynamics.

PVC overflows do not work as advertised either, and most claims defy the laws of physics, (except at extremely low flow rates,) and do not provide surface skimming/surface renewal sufficient for marine systems.

Nothing wrong with have two tanks sitting next to each other, or one being a fuge and the other a DT. They should both be plumbed to a common sump below, and each pump fed.

Lots of folks are visual learners, however, none of this can really be learned and understood by looking at pictures.

That makes sense. Thank you for your insight! Perhaps I'll just use the 10 as a sump/fuge underneath, then.

 

[AwwNuts]

Or u can sit the 10 gal fudge a bit higher than ur display.
The idea here could be that u pump water from ur display tank to the fudge then by drilling the side glass add a bulk head and pvc so once the water reaches the bulk head it will begin to gravity feed your display. In case of power outage no worries as ur display tank will no longer be pumping water up to the 10 gal fudge. Just make sure the line pumping water to your fuge is above the water line to prevent back syphon or drill a whole like we would do on sump returns

Just an idea

 

[mcgyvr]

Once I had a fuge next to my sump.
I pumped water into the fuge from a T in the sump return manifold but instead of bulkheads (because they really need to be much larger than you think to work even close to safely) I cut a long slot (8"W x 1" high or so0 in the side of the fuge tank and created a glass waterfall ledge to transition from the side of the fuge and over the top of the sump. I actually put a turf scrubber on it to take advantage of the waterfall from one tank to the other.

20H into a 40B tank under the DT.. 2 years ago

 

[Oceanminded]

Mcgyvr I love that idea with the waterfall algae scrubber! May have to steal that from you...

 

[mcgyvr]

Mcgyvr I love that idea with the waterfall algae scrubber! May have to steal that from you...

Go for it.. it worked GREAT