Setting up refugium but...

badwolf

New member
Hi I am setting up a refugium on my reef tank for this I am using a 24" by 12" by 15 inch tank the problm is I only want a low waterflow though the refugium but in order to get the water from the main tank into it it has to be pumped up 2 foot. Now while ideally a power head would be used fo this. Because of the heght needed I doubt any powerhead would do it.

So this leaves me with canister filters (without media) now all these seem to have too high a flow rate for my needs so I have two questions.

1: would turning the taps down to control the flow on a full time basis damage the filter or have any negitive side effects you can think of.

2: what is the smallest canister filter on sale. I only want it as a pump the only other option I can think of is a pond pump but do not want to use a pond pump in my reef as it would look ugly if seen and take up space even if not seen.

Refugium will use overflow to return water so that isn't a problem also intending to silicone a piece of vented perspex in the tank all way across the back sealing off about 2 inch and a piece of non vented cutting that in half. So the water will go in on the left and come out the right but will be forced to go though all the refugium to get out. The sealed off areas will be used for my heater and as a refuge for corepods. Main area will eventully contain dwarf seahorses. For this reason the water flow in the main area should be quite low. I would welcome any comments or ideas you may have.
 
you can plumb a pump to be run externally. then it is not such an eye sore, as when it is just sitting in the fuge/sump. IMO a canister filter will be much more of an eye sore then a return pump would. you can always throw a ball valve inline with the pump so that you can make sure you are not getting too much flow. you also do not want too little flow with the standard overflow boxes. these can form air bubbles in them when the flow is not high enough, eventually causing it to lose siphon. when that happens its possible for your main tank to overflow.
 
you can plumb a pump to be run externally. then it is not such an eye sore, as when it is just sitting in the fuge/sump. IMO a canister filter will be much more of an eye sore then a return pump would. .
Really I thought they all had to be under water will have to have a look round can you point me to any pumps I can do this with.


Not using overflow box drilling the tank so that won't be a problem I have heard lots of horror stroies about such boxes and didn't want to risk it. Unfortunatly I don't have a sump so don't have the luxary of putting the pump in that.
 
will have a look at them they look like a good pump thanks didn't realise they could be used externally. I just thought as most of them have vents in the side they must just run under water. It won't save any money but it does seem better for my needs and could probably sit on the desk next to the fuge
 
I don't get it. You want a refugium under the tank with low flow & you're draining from a drilled tank? So, what exactly is the problem?

Get a small return pump & ball valve it to control the amount of flow you want. Block off 5" or so in the Refugium with a baffle for a return section. Put a small pump (Mag 3 or whatever) & ball valve the return line. You can control how much or how little flow ultimately goes thru the refugium.

Am I missing something?!
 
I don't get it. You want a refugium under the tank with low flow & you're draining from a drilled tank? So, what exactly is the problem?

Get a small return pump & ball valve it to control the amount of flow you want. Block off 5" or so in the Refugium with a baffle for a return section. Put a small pump (Mag 3 or whatever) & ball valve the return line. You can control how much or how little flow ultimately goes thru the refugium.

Am I missing something?!

no the refugium is above the main tank and water needs to pump up about 2 foot to go into it. Main tank has no sump or overflow. Refugium will have the oveflow.

I didn't know the pumps could be set for external use now I do one of those should work fine
 
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