I need your help! **Sump/Fuge** Question

[Cunch]

Hello all,


A co-work of mine informed me that his father owns a plastics company and can pretty much build me anything out of Lexan very cheap. I now have an opportunity to build a custom sump or fuge at an affordable price.

I have a 110gallon Aquarium that measures 48" L x 19" W X 30" H The internal measurements of the stand is 48Lx14.5Wx21.5H.

What would you believe would be good measurements for a refuge (Allowing me enough room to add water and work etc) that would accommodate this aquarium which will be a reef tank. Now that I have an opportunity to have a custom made sump, I will have the water pump on the exterior -- any thoughts on the skimmer, better in or out of the sump? I plan to have 1200gph through the tank, is that sufficient? Thanks for any input.

Cunch

[fishfreek]

Well ideally you want your sump/refuge to be as large as possible. So I would try to figure out what the largest size is you can get into the stand and then work from there. If your going to do an external pump then it will be good to have your pump selected now so you can use that pumps dimentions as a factor in sizing the sump.

1200GPH is a good starting point for a 110 gal tank. I would suggest the little giant pumps. I have one thats rated for something like 1300+gph and i get a good amount of flow out of it for over a year and half with no problems.

Maybe 36X12X15?

[Cunch]

I was originally going to use a 33gallon tank as my sump, but it turned out too be way too tall with only about 1.5" clearance from the top of the 33 to the top of the stand.. Would I be better off having a sump on one side and a separate refuge on the other end of the tank? Is 1200gph too much flow for the refuge?

Cunch

[jamal-188]

Originally Posted by Cunch

I was originally going to use a 33gallon tank as my sump, but it turned out too be way too tall with only about 1.5" clearance from the top of the 33 to the top of the stand.. Would I be better off having a sump on one side and a separate refuge on the other end of the tank?

that would be ideal so you can have all the other junk like skimmer/heaters etc in the sump and the fuge is seperated from it.

Originally Posted by Cunch

Is 1200gph too much flow for the refuge?

Cunch

I would not run 1200gph through the fuge. You could use a closed loop pump for circulation that would not run through the sump/fuge at all. I believe I have the same pump as him fishfreek and have it set up this way on my 72g tank and it works great. Then I have another pump that is the return pump for the water running through my sump. This way you can great circulation and can control the waterflow through your fuge.

[fishfreek]

True 1200GPH would be a but much for a fuge setup. Instead of having the water flow thru the fuge inline you could have the fuge off on the side with an overflow into the sump chamber in the middle of your setup. And plumb your return line with a T fitting and then have a ball valve on the side output of the T fitting and plumb that over to your fuge to supply the fuge with water. Close the ball valve down till you get the flow you want running into your fuge. Since the funge just overspills into your sump no real problem and the other part of the T fitting can go up to your tank.

[fishfreek]

I believe I have the same pump as him fishfreek and have it set up this way on my 72g tank and it works great.

I looked up my pump model real quick and I have the "Little Giant 'Quarium Pump 4-MDQX-SC"

[Cunch]

I put that sentence in regards to the 1200gph wrong, 1200gph was my total flow rate through out the tank. I am under the misconception that 1200gph flowing throughout the tank would also be the same amount of flow going through the sump/fuge.


Cunch

[jamal-188]

Originally Posted by fishfreek

I looked up my pump model real quick and I have the "Little Giant 'Quarium Pump 4-MDQX-SC"

that's what I got :P

[Cunch]

Thanks for the help, I believe I am going to get the sump made 36xi13xi12 which will give me a full capacity of 24gallons. I am looking at the ASM Skimmers --- someone on another post informed of this brand which is a made by the same people who made Euro-reef. Any knowledge of that?

Should look something like this: Skimmer/Heater compartment -> Refugium -> Return.

Now that I have a basic idea of whats going on with the sump, The tank is currently empty, should I invest the money to get the tank drilled or should I just use an overflow box? If so which one? Thanks for your help.

Cunch

[fishfreek]

If your gonna be pumping that kind of water thru it then I would not do the following:

Skimmer/Heater compartment -> Refugium -> Return

But instead do

Skimmer/Heater compartment -> Return -> Refugium

Where then the return is split off and part of the return goes into the refuge and then the refuge overflows into the return compartment. A ball valve can be put on that split off to control the flow.

[Cunch]

I see what your saying, that sounds like a great idea.. I never thought of it that way. I called my co-workers dad and he can build me a sump (36xi14wx12h) for $130 with any additions on the inside. Anybody find that a reasonable price for a sump that big? Or should I look around more for prices..

Thanks for your help

Cunch

[fishfreek]

That seems to be a good price IMO for a sump that size. Expecially if it includes some chambers and baffles.