Refugium plumbing

[Reeferwab]

I just recently purchased detached Refugium I will be locating next to my sump that I am unsure best way to plumb into sump. I have a Innovative Marine EXT 100. It has three drain lines. 1Main and 2Emergency. I have been thinking one of a few ways to plumb, one being to tee off the main drain taking to both the main sump and directly to the refugium with line to refugium having ball valve to control flow to refugium. Or, use one of the emergency drain lines to go directly to refugium again with ball valve to control flow to refugium. Or a pump in return champer of sump to refugium with ball valve to control flow to refugium and return refugium overflow back into return chamber of sump. I am new to refugiums and looking for any and all suggestions.

 

[cdemoss01]

BUMP. Hopefully you can get some help. What are your brands?

 

[Brian W]

Is it the same height as your sump? If it is, you could drill a hole in the sump and refugium to connect them with bulkheads and pvc. If they are not the same height one may over flow depending on how high your water level gets when the return pump is turned off.

 

[Brian W]

Or you could use one drain from the tank to go to the sump and another one to go to the refugium. Then gave 2 return lines going back to the tank, one from the sump and one from the refugium. I wouldn't use ball valves to restruct the flow. I would only use gate valves on the 2 drains. Ball valves tend to get stuck after some time, especially the cheaper ones.

 

[Reeferwab]

Or you could use one drain from the tank to go to the sump and another one to go to the refugium. Then gave 2 return lines going back to the tank, one from the sump and one from the refugium. I wouldn't use ball valves to restruct the flow. I would only use gate valves on the 2 drains. Ball valves tend to get stuck after some time, especially the cheaper ones.

OK, just reference wrong type valve. Flow from the tank to tank/refugium was what I was looking to get confirmation on. The refugium is 6" taller than top of sump and will be located at end closest to return chamber of sump. Refugium is drilled high where I will plumb to drain directly into the return chamber then pumped back to tank.

Thanks, That helps

 

[jonelder68]

Don’t split the drain. It will lead to problems. Just drain to main sump and tee of return pump to feed the remote refugium. Add drain from refugium back to sump.

Here’s my first attempt. Worked fine until turning return pump and restarted. Would never prime fuge side after. Which then threw off return pump ratio back to DT.

Here’s the fool proof/works always way. Teed off return.

 

[tzabor10]

I have this setup in both my tanks.
Display has a HOB refugium from CPR aquatics.
Water is pumped in and flows out through gravity. Any failures won’t flood the sump.
In my 75 long, I used a 5 gallon vegetable bin. Plumbed to pump water in, and gravity fed back to the sump. For this, I needed to put the bin on a pedestal.

 

[Reeferwab]

Again, I was thinking the 3 possible cenerios described initially. The tank is a Innovative Marine EXT which has three drains designed to use one as main drain and two emergency. So will use one of the emergency drains to go directly to refugium being gravity fed controlling flow with ball valve. Refugium will then overflow back into the return chamber of the main sump and pumped back to tank. That way no extra pumps required.

 

[Reeferwab]

Don’t split the drain. It will lead to problems. Just drain to main sump and tee of return pump to feed the remote refugium. Add drain from refugium back to sump.

Here’s my first attempt. Worked fine until turning return pump and restarted. Would never prime fuge side after. Which then threw off return pump ratio back to DT.

Here’s the fool proof/works always way. Teed off return.

I assume warning to not split the main drain would potentially case a syphon between the two lines, which I was wondering. Thanks

 

[jonelder68]

I assume warning to not split the main drain would potentially case a syphon between the two lines, which I was wondering. Thanks

No it causes the least resistance drain to take the siphon. Which you want. It’s almost impossible to balance the siphon between two. Waters lazy and takes the least resistance drain always.

 

[Reeferwab]

No it causes the least resistance drain to take the siphon. Which you want. It’s almost impossible to balance the siphon between two. Waters lazy and takes the least resistance drain always.

Gotcha

 

[RobertK]

I have a 70 gallon tank with a 10 gallon sump and a separate 10 gallon refugium. The sump is in the stand below the tank and the refugium is in a separate cabinet right next to the stand. The sump has 3 chambers - the first chamber has the skimmer, the second chamber has a submersible pump that feeds the refugium, and the 3rd chamber has the return line from the refugium. The sump and the refugium are at the same level. There are two bulkheads (line in and line out) near the top of the refugium, and one bulkhead midway down in the 3rd sump chamber (return from refugium). I don't know if this is the most efficient way to run a refugium but it has worked for me for the last 15+ years, the growth on my chaetomorpha is ridiculous. Here are some pics, I can try to get some pics that show the refugium plumbing if you are interested.

 

[Reeferwab]

I have a 70 gallon tank with a 10 gallon sump and a separate 10 gallon refugium. The sump is in the stand below the tank and the refugium is in a separate cabinet right next to the stand. The sump has 3 chambers - the first chamber has the skimmer, the second chamber has a submersible pump that feeds the refugium, and the 3rd chamber has the return line from the refugium. The sump and the refugium are at the same level. There are two bulkheads (line in and line out) near the top of the refugium, and one bulkhead midway down in the 3rd sump chamber (return from refugium). I don't know if this is the most efficient way to run a refugium but it has worked for me for the last 15+ years, the growth on my chaetomorpha is ridiculous. Here are some pics, I can try to get some pics that show the refugium plumbing if you are interested.

Gotcha, I like how you have the two side cabinets that match the stand. I assume you built that yourself?

 

[RobertK]

I didn't build the cabinets but I built the sump and the refugium.

 

[Reeferwab]

I didn't build the cabinets but I built the sump and the refugium.

Nice.