Designing my own sump

[Keith A.]

I'm trying to design my sump in a 20gal high (24x12x16) sump tank. The display tank is a 75 gallon reef tank. I've looked at the countless number of pictures on the internet and have gotten a lot of good ideas but I have a couple questions I was hoping some of you may be able to answer:
1. I want a refugium in the sump. Does the size of the chamber for the refugium make a difference?
2. Does it matter which order the chambers go in (ex. refugium to the skimmer to the return or skimmer to the refugium to the return, etc.)? A lot of the designs I've seen seem to vary.

 

[HPballer76]

i just recently did almost the same thing. 20gal high sump with a 72 gal fowlr tank. i did skimmer, bubble trap, return section, then the refugium. the return line is going to have a t in it which will feed the refugium section with a ball valve to control flow.

 

[DesertDweller]

Im doing the same but with a 20L. From left to right Im going drain and skimmer, bubble trap to refugium, then into the return pump section. I thought about splitting the drain to go half into the skimmer section and half straight into the refugium but we will see how creative I want to get come build time.

 

[David S]

Im doing the same but with a 20L. From left to right Im going drain and skimmer, bubble trap to refugium, then into the return pump section. I thought about splitting the drain to go half into the skimmer section and half straight into the refugium but we will see how creative I want to get come build time.

refugium require a slower flow through it,if your just putting macro algae in it then its ok for high flow.

 

[mr_X]

i don't think the flow rate matters in a refugium. if you've ever removed a power head for cleaning you'll see lots of tiny creatures living in it. that's about as high a flow as you can get and they don't seem to be bothered by it.

i do like the intake (with or without skimmer)/refugium/return style sumps, because they work fine and don't need extra plumbing and ball valves...

 

[Smitty]

I will have to give a +1 to Mr. X. I designed and currently use a sump like the one being discussed with a separate fuge section and really wish I would have just kept it simple and had the drain on one end and the return on the other.

Is it possible? I'm a living example of it. I wouldn't recommend it and have thought many times of taking my sump down and re-building it.

Also, if using glass, the 1/8" glass is very brittle. I broke 3 pieces or so before moving to 1/4" glass and never had another problem. Your mileage may vary...

 

[David S]

i don't think the flow rate matters in a refugium. if you've ever removed a power head for cleaning you'll see lots of tiny creatures living in it. that's about as high a flow as you can get and they don't seem to be bothered by it.

i do like the intake (with or without skimmer)/refugium/return style sumps, because they work fine and don't need extra plumbing and ball valves...

out of the 2 sumps I use, the slow flow fuge has a better pod and critter count than the high flow fuge.I still think a lot of people think a fuge is a place for algae's to help lower trates whilst they are mainly for a place of safety for pods and the like to grow and breed,I personally like high flow for macro's and slow flow for pods,but each to his own !!

 

[Keith A.]

So if the water flow goes from skimmer then to the fuge, the skimmer won't reduce anything that would be beneficial for the fuge OR if the flow goes from fuge to skimmer, the skimmer won't detract any benefits from having a fuge in the sump?

 

[David S]

skimmer before fuge,you dont want to skim any critters!!

 

[mr_X]

I like the skimmer before the refugium too. Enough stuff travels by the skimmer to feed the refugium.