Drilling tank for refugium/sump Help!!

[reefermadness]

Ok so I have an "All Glass Aquarium" 48x28x24. I cannot find any where on the tank an indication that it is tempered glass. I've read you cannot drill tempered glass. I will have it drilled by a professional. For the overflow should it be drilled in the bottom? and then in the back top?

I have an old 29 ga tank that I would like to DIY refugium. More baffles the better for bubbles? What are some good economic choices for skimmers and return pumps? Can I use the same light fixture? If so what light should I use?

[austinsdad]

I'd prefer the bottom. Isn't there an overflow box kit for it too? Make it like a reef ready tank I guess.

Whaddya mean by "the same light fixture"?

You doing an internal/submersible pump right? Hang on or in sump skimmer?

Sorry, you asked questions and I'm asking them back.

[tecwzrd]

I haven’t seen an “All-Glass” brand tank yet that didn’t use tempered glass on the bottom. and their FAQ also recommends not trying it unless you are sure. Even a professional could ruin your tank if it’s tempered.

You could still go with a hob overflow which is a little more of a pain then drilled but better then having to buy a new tank or replace the glass and reseal the existing tank.

I use the Mag 9.5 which I bought from BestNest.com for $59 at the time. Now they sell it for $72.99 + $8.99 for shipping. Pump was delivered in 2 days and came with the sponge prefilter.

The power of this pump is amazing (800 gph with a 4ft head) and isn’t terribly loud once hooked up.

I use the Coralife super skimmer in the sump and have been pretty happy with the performance for the price. When I upgrade I’ll be getting the AquaC Remora Pro.

[reefermadness]

Yep, I have seen a few overflow box kits some where on the web. Do you have any suggestions? LFS was not much help. Those are good questions regarding pump and skimmer. I like the submersible pum idea the best. As far as skimmers, what are the pros and cons of each? I should have the room for a submersible skimmer as well.
The light fixture is just an ordinary fresh water beginner tank type. I am assumong that I will have to change all the wiring to accomodate VHO lights.

[tecwzrd]

I use the CPR CS102 overflow and it easily handles the 800 gph from the Mag. I haven’t had any trouble with it but most seem to prefer the U-Tube style overflows. What ever you go with I’d recommend dual tubes.

Skimmers are usually higher quality with the higher price. I was given the Coralife skimmer as a gift but since I haven’t upgraded yet I really couldn’t compare it against other skimmers.

Best advice IMO is to spend as much as you can afford on a quality skimmer. Most skimmers under $200 for your size tank are not going to cut it if you are planning for a reef tank with a decent to heavy bio-load. Whatever a skimmer says it’s rated for I’d cut in half to be more realistic i.e. if it says for tanks up to 200 gal it’s really best for tanks up to 100 gal IMO.

Also plan for a possible upgrade in tank size so you don’t have to buy a new skimmer if/when you do.

An in-sump model would be best since you have plenty of room in your sump and it will be out of view (and slightly quieter).

Some better options then the Coralife skimmer are listed below:
AquaC EV 120
Reef Devil Deluxe
Kent Marine Nautilus Skimmer
ASM G2 skimmer

You will have to rewire for VHO.

[reefermadness]

Thanks for the replies all!!
I have more questions. First is 900 gph to much flow for the in sump refugium and second I heard that the pump impeller can chew up the helpful organisms I am trying to get back to the tank. Is this a real problem? For plumbing can I use hose instead of PVC. I think it could reduce angles and therfore increase flow.

[tecwzrd]

Originally Posted by reefermadness

Is 900 gph to much flow for the in sump refugium.

Way to much flow for a refugium, you want to have flow around 200 or less gph IMO. This is easily done by splitting the output of the pump back into the refugium and use a ball valve to slow the flow which in turn flows back to where the pump is. Also the Mag 9.5 will put out closer to 600-800 gph with the pump split and with the head height.

This is what I’m talking about. Click photo for more info.

Originally Posted by reefermadness

I heard that the pump impeller can chew up the helpful organisms I am trying to get back to the tank. Is this a real problem?

A lot of it depends on the brand and power of the pump. The impellers on the Mag pumps are fairly large and due to the small size of the pods it usually isn’t an issue. You could manually harvest your pods with a fine net since the slow flow into/out of the refugium will keep most of them in there anyways.

Originally Posted by reefermadness

For plumbing can I use hose instead of PVC. I think it could reduce angles and therefore increase flow.

No problem. You can buy 20ft of 1” hose (3/4” inside diameter) from Homedepot for less then $20. Cutting and hooking it all up is fairly easy but I would get two 3/4” tube returns for each end.