Fuge before or after skimmer?

[Discovery]

The way my Lifereef fuge and skimmer are plumbed, the output of the fuge bypasses the skimmer so copepods and such don't get sucked out and fed right into the display.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

I am thinking huge negative of having the fuge before the skimmer is a faster build up of detritus for those who don't use fleece roller or socks.

 

[BurgerFish]

I had a refugium first, it was a nightmare:
Always dirty, cloged skimmer by chaeto...

Newer again.

 

[Nemo&Friends]

voted other, I do not have a skimmer.

 

[Dan_P]

I know it’s been asked before but is there benefits of doing it this way?
I really like the idea of the fuge helping with the nitrates and such as it’s natural, skimmer is just to help clean the water.

I was going to use a roller but it takes up to much space in the sump, I can use filter socks but I’m one that forgets to change them. Trying to keep this simple (the inner workings)

Or could I have my skimmer first and then have the drain tee off so some dirty water goes into the skimmer and the rest goes into the fuge?

These units are not like a mechanical filter which removes everything it is capable of in a single pass (a GFO reactor with fresh media might strip a large portion of the PO4 in a single pass). The skimmer, GAC and refugium remove only a small fraction of “stuff” every pass. Said another way, the water quality coming out of each unit is changed very little and therefore the order of these devices will make no measurable difference to aquarium water quality.

 

[Reefman71]

90% of sumps are made to have the skimmer first. Must be a reason for it. That’s how I do it

 

[WvAquatics]

I am building a 60g breeder with fuge on right and skimmer on left. I am going to drain each side of my 180 into one or the other. Return pump in the middle of sump. This refugium never mixes with skimmer and vice versa! Both set independently in same sump will see how it works

 

[WvAquatics]

Haha 2 years old smh read dates before replying