How to make the inlet for a remote refugium?

[kdx7214]

My DT is a bit of a disaster due to a really stressful year. I've convinced my wife to let me try one last time to get things looking good. I have a 30g tank/stand/light that was given to me that I would like to use as a remote refugium. It's already drilled on the top of one side and I'd like to use that as a gravity return to the sump. The input side is where I'm drawing a blank. I have a 400gph pump I plan to use to feed the refugium, but do I have the input near the top or the bottom or something else? I would like to keep the flow evenly distributed if possible.

I've attached a crude drawing of what I have currently. Any advice would really be appreciated.

 

[PPBlimpy]

3/4" pvc return up and over the right edge with a T and to 2x 1/4" loc-lines with RFG nozzles is what i would do. just make sure to drill a 1/16" hole for a syphon break.

 

[Naekuh]

So are you trying to share the sump between two tanks where as one will be a refugium?

The important thing in both is if the sump has the capacity to hold water in power outage on both tanks at the lowest water level on both the main and refugium.

Otherwise your going to come home to more then a really angry wife when she tells you the entire floor is wet.

 

[kdx7214]

So are you trying to share the sump between two tanks where as one will be a refugium?

The important thing in both is if the sump has the capacity to hold water in power outage on both tanks at the lowest water level on both the main and refugium.

Otherwise your going to come home to more then a really angry wife when she tells you the entire floor is wet.

Heh, I've run into that problem before so am already prepared for that. I have a little trick I use for a siphon break that seems to work pretty well. Drill a small hole in the pvc and put an airline check valve in backwards (with glue, naturally). Seems to work pretty well to stop siphons without making a huge mess.

 

[Naekuh]

if u have experience with setting up sumps, then i dont see anything wrong.

Your treating your fuge like a separate tank, and your sharing the sump.

Flow into the fuge and flow back needs to just be balanced. I would probably put a variable controller pump for the return. That way you can dial the flow with a push of a button, and not have to worry about using gate valves.

 

[kdx7214]

if u have experience with setting up sumps, then i dont see anything wrong.

Your treating your fuge like a separate tank, and your sharing the sump.

Flow into the fuge and flow back needs to just be balanced. I would probably put a variable controller pump for the return. That way you can dial the flow with a push of a button, and not have to worry about using gate valves.

I plan to just use a gravity return since the 30g came with it's own oak stand that sits about 2' above the sump. I've got a 400gph pump that I plan to feed into it. I'm hoping that I can get it working out and maybe have several types of macroalgae in it as well, but time will tell. TBH I've not had the best luck with this system so far.

 

[Naekuh]

well looking at your glass design.. i would probably put that left side divider on the bottom to hold water height and flow over it to the over flow.

Reason for this is unless you dont intend to use any type of substraite in your refugium, and just put live love only, i can see all the substrate going into the outlet of that and then spilling out into your system over time.

 

[kdx7214]

well looking at your glass design.. i would probably put that left side divider on the bottom to hold water height and flow over it to the over flow.

Reason for this is unless you dont intend to use any type of substraite in your refugium, and just put live love only, i can see all the substrate going into the outlet of that and then spilling out into your system over time.

My thought on it was that I don't want the chaeto to overflow into the sump. Having the vertical glass plate would stop that. The outlet is high up, so water height shouldn't be an issue. I think lol

 

[Naekuh]

so your just gonna grow cheato in it? then why not just diy a chaeto reactor?

I think it could look cleaner, and you can also keep it under the tank with its own light so you could cycle the lights on when your main DT is OFF and balance PH at night.

 

[kdx7214]

so your just gonna grow cheato in it? then why not just diy a chaeto reactor?

I think it could look cleaner, and you can also keep it under the tank with its own light so you could cycle the lights on when your main DT is OFF and balance PH at night.

Mostly due to cost. The 30g was given to me for free, along with an oak stand and LED light bar. It's in the furnace room so light seep won't be an issue. A DIY reactor would need a lot of parts that I don't have, plus from what I've read they aren't as effective as a refugium for the volume I'm looking at. I have a serious lack of nutrient export.