HOB refugium or sump/refugium

[Smarkalan83]

I have a 55g with a marineland 350 bio wheel filter and a CPR dual bak pak skimmer .... I wanted to add a sump or refugium to my setup that I would still be able to use the skimmer without getting new one .... Now the problem is the tank is already in place and I don't want to remove to place the sump/refugium under my tank so pretty much my option are go wit proflex model 1 sump which is not big enough to house my skimmer and it is very small chambers or to go with maybe a 10 gallon sump under the tank to house the heater and skimmer and then also adding a hang on back refugium... Now originally I wanted just a sump to hide accessories but was to go refugium route so now I have a dilemma .... If I was to go w 10 g sump can I ditche the bio wheel filter all together or should I keep my setup I have now and not worry about seeing the heater the skimmer and the filter in the tank ... Is it worth buying a sump and hob refugium I have been reading day and night to the point where I'm about to give up but I am always thrown in circles .... Can someone please help me and let me know what the best option to use would be ..... Thanks

 

[Daniel Fishy]

I felt the same way. Two emperor 400, skimmer and heater. Built 20 long fuge best thing I ever did for tank. I still have one emperor running I'll remove it later and my skimmer is hob.cant beat the fuge I drained my 75 removed lr and coral just to drop the fuge in but it's well worth it once it's in its staying. 10 is small if possible 20 would be ideal check out Melevs reef .com good info on sumps the hows and whys. Well worth it!!

 

[Smarkalan83]

Only thing that worries me is about 2 weeks ago I had to move my tank from one end of the room to the other and now the coraline I had o. The back and side glass is turning white I now have hair algae showing up again and I have a lot of cyano behind my love rocks ..., I definately would
Live to go w a bigger sump but don't want to ruin my tank ... Would it be worth getting the tank back to normal to add a little bit of a bigger sump or would it be ok to go w biggest I can fit underneath which the door is 11-3/4 deep
15-3/4 wide
21-3/4 high
26-1/4 inside height from bottom shelf to tank
I just don't want to have to start my tank over especially now that things are starting to grow that's why I was considering hob refugium

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Bigger is better but what will work for you? Adding even a hob fuge is better than none. Check out Melevs reef sumps on google excellent site.

 

[Dav3]

Have you considered what overflow you would use with the sump? Return pump? I assume the tank is not drilled since you don't have a sump already.

Larger sump is ideal but do what you can. All I can fit under my stand is a ten gallon tank I had lying around. I ended up using my emperor 400 as a refugium. Just ripped out the bio wheels and spray bars. Added some macro algae and a light and some plastic screen like panels where the bio wheels were. Doesn't take a lot of space in the tank so I was ok with this. Plus it was cheap fuge. In the end just choose what works for you and your budget.

 

[Smarkalan83]

I have not even thought about return pump yet or overflow what would be good suggestion and can u send pic of how u converted the bio wheel because that might be an option

 

[Dav3]

I'll get a pic tomorrow. Now do you have the penguin 350 or emperor 400?

As for overflow and return. Just make sure the overflow is rated at higher flow than your return pump after calculated head loss. Or just add a ball valve on the return line to throttle it back. There is a head loss calc somewhere online just search for it.
Flow rate for both will depend on how much water you want to move. Don't want too much and not too little. Someone else on here might be able to get you numbers. I'm currently running a Mag 7 for my return and it works for me.

 

[TommyP]

if you want to check out my thread i'm in the same boat as you. its under tom's 55gallon tank. I don't want to move my tank either, i have a 10 that was able to fit through the door of my stand. I copied the links i ordered an overflow system, return pump and directional u-tube for the return. im waiting to get those parts and then getting whatever else i need after i figure out what those come with. Ill be following along to help myself as well.

 

[manbeast]

you could put two ten gallons underneath, one as a sump and one as a fuge, you could drill the ends and connect then inline with a bulkhead or put them end to end with some u tubes to allow water to flow from one to th other