Refugium Sump Design Question

[DSmithZ28]

I was hoping to get a little advice as now that I finished my sump I have a concern. I re-purposed an old bio-ball filter and then drilled a hole through it linking it to my sump return pump chamber. After watching it and the water rising I have become concerned that it could easily clog and flood the house. If it clogged the water would keep coming in via the manifold and over fill the fuge area. Is there any mods that you can think of that might eliminate the risk? I also want this as a cope-pod farm. My hope was that they would enjoy their secure location overpopulate and flood over the bulkhead to some hungry fish. I prefer mechanical to electrical fail safes and I was thinking of adding a second bulk head perhaps lower and then screening off the chaeto.

 

[CodyRVA]

Can you drill another hole a bit higher that's wide open so if the water does rise it has a escape point? If that front box does overflow from clogging keep in mind your return pump will more than likely run dry. Oh and do yourself a favor and get rid of that clear vinyl tubing; I used the same thing and all sorts of nasty gunk grew inside it, get some solid black tube... or wrap it in tape?

 

[DSmithZ28]

Can you drill another hole a bit higher that's wide open so if the water does rise it has a escape point? If that front box does overflow from clogging keep in mind your return pump will more than likely run dry. Oh and do yourself a favor and get rid of that clear vinyl tubing; I used the same thing and all sorts of nasty gunk grew inside it, get some solid black tube... or wrap it in tape?

I definetly don't want to go higher as it is very high to the top now when running. I have the ball valve turned off. I am going to open it back up for the time being as there is no Chaeto in there to clog. Second problem is that I used a Herbie drain on this and the main siphon is pretty low so if it clogs there is no doubt it won't run over the top. Also this is being run off a manifold so there is water still going to the main display and then running down so there would be that water in the system before it too ran dry. So enough water to ruin my floors. Hind sight, I should have went ceramic floors not wood. Ya that tubing is temporary, I had a lot of issues fitting my manifold in so I had to get schedule 44 degree fitting. I need some sort of give in the line to keep the pump from vibrating so I'm not sure what to connect the pump to the manifold with. I also have a steel clamp on there too. That has got to go soon.

 

[CodyRVA]

Can you plumb the system any differently?

And try THIS and THIS

 

[justingraham]

I would take it off of ur manifold and split the drain from the main tank 25% to the fuge 75% to the sump this way ur pump is only worried about the return flow I would also replumb it so it is all pvc pipe.

This way if the pvc gets clogged on the input all the water still goes to the sump and I would drill another return from the fuge to the sump

 

[Gweeds1980]

Youve got the main drain split between the refuge and the main sump right? Cut the drain from the DT off closer to the water surface in the refuge and add a plastic float valve... if the return to the sump gets blocked the float valve will cut the drain from the DT off as the water rises. Simple and mechanical.