Sump design question

Little Luey · 03-09-2007, 06:09 PM

Why is it that most sumps have compartments as follow

skimmer--return--refugium

I understand about having the skimmer directly were the water comes down in to the sump, but how is the water going to go from the middle (return) to the refugium and back to the return. Am I missing something here? please explain

Reef-Keeper · 03-09-2007, 06:18 PM

i think most skimmers are in the middle, so that they can get a lot of tank water through them before returning up to the tank.

mine is a dual sump in this order ... drain in --- refugium --- LR and drain to next sump (gravity fed) --- drain in from first sump --- skimmer --- return.

hope this helps

Fly Guy · 03-09-2007, 06:22 PM

Are you planning on a refugium little luey??

If not ive got a bulletproof and simple sump design that will kill all your bubbles, no sponges or socks required and work great for you.........

Little Luey · 03-09-2007, 06:39 PM

here is what I am talking about

http://www.aquariumlife.net/projects...m-sumps/76.asp

it makes more sence to me to have the following

skimmer (water in to sump) -- refugium -- return

Little Luey · 03-09-2007, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fly Guy

Are you planning on a refugium little luey??

If not ive got a bulletproof and simple sump design that will kill all your bubbles, no sponges or socks required and work great for you.........

I just got an Euro-reef skimmer and since my current sump (20gal tall tank) has a lot of live rock I wanted to make/buy a new sump to have either the rock in the refugium part or get a smaller tank, a 10 gal maybe, as a refugium but that will mean I will have to have another pump to feed the separate tank, and I did not want to add more heat to the tank.
I am definatly open to ideas, lets see what you have Fly.

ReefNeck · 03-09-2007, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Luey

I just got an Euro-reef skimmer and since my current sump (20gal tall tank) has a lot of live rock I wanted to make/buy a new sump to have either the rock in the refugium part or get a smaller tank, a 10 gal maybe, as a refugium but that will mean I will have to have another pump to feed the separate tank, and I did not want to add more heat to the tank.
I am definatly open to ideas, lets see what you have Fly.

My Sump/Fuge is identical to the one in your link and my fuge resides in the center. The Skimmer is on the right (To the right of the teeth) and this is also where the water from the tank comes in. The return (Mag 9.5) is on the far left end and it all works great.

One thing for sure.....If you do go with a seperate tank as a fuge you must configure it to be gravity fed because a 2 pump setup will become your worst nightmare if either one of the pumps fail. If one fails, The other makes a swimming pool out of your floor. Not fun.

trea · 03-09-2007, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReefNeck

My Sump/Fuge is identical to the one in your link and my fuge resides in the center. The Skimmer is on the right (To the right of the teeth) and this is also where the water from the tank comes in. The return (Mag 9.5) is on the far left end and it all works great.

One thing for sure.....If you do go with a seperate tank as a fuge you must configure it to be gravity fed because a 2 pump setup will become your worst nightmare if either one of the pumps fail. If one fails, The other makes a swimming pool out of your floor. Not fun.

Mine is set up same way reefneck described. No bubbles. I don't use the middle for a refugium. Not sure what I want to do with it

mcarver · 03-09-2007, 11:26 PM

My fuge/sump is set up as 2 1/2 sections.. seems to work very well for me. Hope this helps.

Poor pic but you get the idea.. Return pump is on bottom left.

http://thereeftank.com/forums/attach...8&d=1168125084

Wiskey · 03-09-2007, 11:30 PM

I always set up my sumps like this ,..

Drain from tank->Skimmer->Fuge->Return.

Whiskey

Little Luey · 03-10-2007, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reef-Keeper

mine is a dual sump in this order ... drain in --- refugium --- LR and drain to next sump (gravity fed) --- drain in from first sump --- skimmer --- return.

hope this helps

Reef-Keeper, could you post a picture of yours please.
I am not critisizing but I was under the impresion that the water should go to the skimmer before going to the refugium? is this correct? what is the reason behind this?

crvz · 03-10-2007, 09:37 AM

The conception (whether missed or not) is that the refugium should have unskimmed water if you are growing macro algae or something else. After building 2 sumps, I wish I had it as;

skimmer-refuge-return or refuge-skimmer-return.

I dont like having the return in the middle, but that's what I've done both times. You'd think I'd learn! I don't think anything in the refugium would be negatively impacted if you put it after the skimmer.

Little Luey · 03-10-2007, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crvz

The conception (whether missed or not) is that the refugium should have unskimmed water if you are growing macro algae or something else. After building 2 sumps, I wish I had it as;

skimmer-refuge-return or refuge-skimmer-return.

I dont like having the return in the middle, but that's what I've done both times. You'd think I'd learn! I don't think anything in the refugium would be negatively impacted if you put it after the skimmer.

I only plan on having live rock in my refugium area, but I was under the impression that the solid waste will settle in the refugium if the water got there first, just like it is in my sump right now. I currently have

Water inlet --Refugium w/LR -skimmer(bulk head on the side of the sump with a pump to feed the skimmer.

but the amount of solid stuff on the refugium area has to be cleaned up frequently, my idea was to have the water go in to the skimmer area first so the crap will stay in the skimmer, then flow in to the LR (refugium), then in to another compartment for the return. I am thinking that the solids are not getting to the skimmer because the water flow slows down and the protein starts to build on the surface of the sump. Also by having the skimmer on the first compartment the water level will always be constant since this is where the water falls in to the sump and the first baffle will keep it at the same level all the time.

What is the reazoning behind having unskimmed water going to the refugium first? I am not trying to be argumentative, I just want to learn.

Fly Guy · 03-10-2007, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Luey

What is the reazoning behind having unskimmed water going to the refugium first? I am not trying to be argumentative, I just want to learn.

The reasoning is that why skim the nutrients out fo the water that your macroalgae will use to grow, and that possibly after the macroalgae uptakes the nutrients it want, that your skimmer will be able to more efficiently skim whats left.

cdemeritt · 03-10-2007, 11:37 AM

I have a super simple sump. the flow from the main tank moves through a 'fuge, then dumps into the skimmer (which is not in the sump) then dumps into a floss filter which is changed every couple days. The only thing my sump does is hold extra water, allows for power failure, etc. and gives me a place to add water so it mixes well. I have two more 'fuges which act as both tradiononal 'fuges, as well as allow for animals that might not get along to well together without having to have a completely seperate system.

Little Luey · 03-10-2007, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fly Guy

The reasoning is that why skim the nutrients out fo the water that your macroalgae will use to grow, and that possibly after the macroalgae uptakes the nutrients it want, that your skimmer will be able to more efficiently skim whats left.

So, if I don't use any macro algie it does not matter a whole lot?