Refugium/ Sump type thing. Please critique!

[tman23]

Let me know if anything needs to or should be changed on this design.

http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/s...a/refugium.jpg <--Finally!!

The pump is a Quiet one 4000, and it will hopefully pump up to my 72 gallon tank. After lift it may run between 800-870 GPH.

Pump ... http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...fm?pcatid=9849

Overflow (PF-1000)... http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=18358

UV Sterilizer...
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=11472

I'd like to run the UV sterilizer before the "tank to Live Rock line" on the left.
I may split it again before input and run a small amount through the UV (maybe 150 GPH?)... I want it to kill parasites.

How much total flow should go through the refugium side?

[tman23]

not letting me upload the file.... it's only ~48 KB

[tman23]

... exceeds quota by 17.1 KB...
I thought max size was 300 KB

[HD Fatboy®]

Originally Posted by tman23

... exceeds quota by 17.1 KB...
I thought max size was 300 KB

We all have the same probs with pics....put in gallery and provide the link in your post.

[tman23]

there is a link up there now... i used photobucket

[HD Fatboy®]

So back to your first question,,,not quite sure the info you want,,,I have a 75 gal display with a 20 gal sump...DIY from a 30G tank,,,My return pump is a MJ 3000 utility pump....My hob overflow is rated at 600 gph...I have a gate valve on the intake side closed just a tad to match the overflow....The flow through your system will match your overflow....IMO

[tman23]

any errors in my drawing?

[Dragonist]

pump



Overflow


UV Sterilizer

[tman23]

will water flow from each side into the pump chamber okay?

[jenglish]

I'm a bit weak on the plumbing end of it but what function do you want to get out of the fuge? What light are you using?

[tman23]

Probably some sort of not too expensive fluorescent lighting.

I'd like to lower nitrates with the refugium, and I'd like to have the whole device be my only filter (hopefully the setup won't be too loud).
I also would like to breed mysis (or is it mysid) shrimp, some other critters.

Maybe eventually can frag corals, but would need decent lighting for that

[Geoff]

the fuge will not lower nitrates in that configuration. you will be getting nitrates from the following areas. the chamber on the left with LR in it (the air bubbles that will be falling into that chamber from the drain will create a super oxygenated area that does not harbor the bacteria responsible for removing nitrates). those things labeled as "mechanical filtration" (unless these are changed daily so that they also do not start breeding bacteria).

nitrates come from an imbalance of the bacteria needed to complete the entire nitrate cycle.

all that sand in there will make cleaning it a pain. i would ditch the sand. that way it makes it easier to siphon out the detritus that will be accumulating since it seems you do not want to run a skimmer. if you want to use sand and do not want to use a skimmer than prepare yourself for replacing the sand in the entire system every year to be sure you are exporting all of the wastes produced by the critters. you can deep clean all of the sand areas weekly and extend that time frame, but since the detritus will always be accumulating faster in this system without the skimmer. in SW systems detritus is your enemy. the less sand in the system the easier it is to see the detritus to remove it during every water change.

G~

[tman23]

so... if i reduce bubbles on the left, and ditch the "mechanical filtration" and sand, is the nitrate outlook much better?
The "mechanical filtration" I was hoping would help with bubbles before the pump. Will I be okay without it?

[jenglish]

If you are looking to run a skimmerless system you need a pretty large fuge in comparison to your display. If your main focus is nutrient removal then I would pass on both sand and rock in the sump. If you have plenty of rock in the display then it doesn't serve much function in the sump and fuge. DSB have their place IMO but a sump naturally collects detritus and sand makes it more difficult to replace. I think replacing your sand every year system wide sounds like a bit much, but I don't see what function sand would serve in the sump unless it was a DSB setup after detritus had settled, which may be difficult with dual inlets.

[Geoff]

you can keep them in there for bubble traps, but they will need to be cleaned daily to keep the bacteria from colonizing them.

it is very difficult to keep bubbles from forming in the drain lines as it falls from the display.

bubbles are only unsightly. the longer the distance between the drain and return pump the better. i see no reason to separate the drains.

nitrates are not a big deal in the SW system. as long as you have plenty of LR with good flow, you should not have a nitrate problem. in my experiences the amount that a fuge "helps" reducing nitrates is over emphasized. the times i have run a fuge. the nitrate levels were just as high as when i did not run one, if not higher.

G~