Amiracle sump conversion

[Donaldf973]

Thanks to Coral Hygiene I got an Amiracle sump and wanted some belp on converting it to a refugium with a skimmer. I sketched up some drawings on an idea I had for it. It's 23.5" long, 12" tall and 11" wide.

What I need help on is a skimmer for about 25-27 gallons total water volume. Water level height will be based on best and cheapest skimmer for a 8.5" x 10" chamber. I know best and cheapest don't go hand in hand but it's the area I have to work with.

Any help appreciated.

 

[George Lopez]

What size thank? Check out the SCA-302 or the Bubble Magnus Curve 5 i believe is about the same... the curve has an adjustable inlet position.

 

[Donaldf973]

Tank's a regular 20 gallon/volume. I'm going to carbon dose so looking for a good skimmer that doesn't require that much depth since the sumps only 12 inches tall.

 

[George Lopez]

How deep is you're fuge going to be? A sca 301 should be more than enough and is nice and compact takes about 7-9 inches of water. I didn't notice the total volume earlier.

 

[Donaldf973]

Depth of fuge is going to be based on skimmer water level height.

 

[Donaldf973]

So the sump has a 2ish inch bulkhead on the side which means external return pump. So, another idea I had was this:

 

[George Lopez]

That could work but put a screen or an elbow pointing down to not suck up the macro.

 

[George Lopez]

I'm personally going to go worth the fuge before the skimmer then a bubble break then pump

 

[Skydvr]

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a fuge? (Putting it downstream of the filtration is counterproductive as well)

I have always been of the understanding that a fuge is to grow life to help support the tank. A place for pods and other life to gow. Filtration downstream pulls a large portion of that out and filtration upstream pulls out what that life needs to thrive.

My designs tend to use either no filtration (or periodic) or the return in the center with filtration on one end and the refugium on the other with a small portion of the flow diverted to the the fuge.

 

[Donaldf973]

In the same boat on the skimmer before fuge I always saw it that way in most sump setups or with the return in the middle, skimmer on one side refuge on the other.