Hey guys, i was thinking about how i could set up a sump/refugem for my 10g. I was wondering how i could do this with having the sump/refugem on the floor about 3 feet lower than the display tank. If i get two powerheads with the same gph rating and have one pumping out of the tank to the sump and then another pumping from the sump to the main tank will they stay at equilibrium? Or does the pump in the refugem have to be a higher rating because it has to fight the force of gravity? Any input/examples on how i can accomplish this would be sweet.
sump/refugem
- Thread starter sixspeed
- Start date
WillWorkForFish
New member
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=601201&highlight=how+to+DIY+an
Don't do the whole 2 pump setup, because if for some reason one fails, or one starts to pump more or less than the other, you're gonna have a flood.. Check out that link, I'm in the process of making one..
Don't do the whole 2 pump setup, because if for some reason one fails, or one starts to pump more or less than the other, you're gonna have a flood.. Check out that link, I'm in the process of making one..
Yeah i didnt even consider either of them failing or the gph being variable as well. So the only real way of doing this setup is with some sort of overflow system. hmmm this creates a problem. If i figure out something i will let you guys know, but any other suggestions would help me a lot. thanks brosefs.
WillWorkForFish
New member
You could always to a refugium with the top of the water level at least like 3: above the top of your water level in your tank, put a pump in your tank pumping into the refugium, with a bulkhead in the side of the refugium, draining into your tank, then you also dont have to worry about a pump chopping up your pods... I'll give you a diagram of what i mean later when I have some time if you would like,..
Slakker
Premium Member
Sixspeed...it seems like it wouldn't be that hard to use a small dimension PVC pipe as an overflow...you can use Krylon Fusion paint to paint it black (or fire engine red, for all I care...lol)
All you'd have to do is cut it in half, (or quarter it for a corner overflow), cut a series of slots through the top to allow water to go through it and use silicone sealant to attach it to the walls of your tank. This way if the power fails you don't end up with your whole tank getting siphoned.
As far as the fuge, if you used a sheet of acrylic (or even another PVC pipe section) to build a chamber for the return pump, cut some slots and/or drill some holes near the top of the acrylic sheet. With this in place, your refugium has to have a certain water level in it for the return pump to have anything to pump, so if something goes wrong the pump can only return the water that it has in its chamber.
I've not tested this in any way, so please run some tests with it before actually implementing it. It's probably not a perfect solution, but it seems like it would work.
All you'd have to do is cut it in half, (or quarter it for a corner overflow), cut a series of slots through the top to allow water to go through it and use silicone sealant to attach it to the walls of your tank. This way if the power fails you don't end up with your whole tank getting siphoned.
As far as the fuge, if you used a sheet of acrylic (or even another PVC pipe section) to build a chamber for the return pump, cut some slots and/or drill some holes near the top of the acrylic sheet. With this in place, your refugium has to have a certain water level in it for the return pump to have anything to pump, so if something goes wrong the pump can only return the water that it has in its chamber.
I've not tested this in any way, so please run some tests with it before actually implementing it. It's probably not a perfect solution, but it seems like it would work.
