Refugium/sump question

jfb2 · Mar 10, 2016

Does anyone see a problem with setting up a dual reef ready 250 gallon tank, to have one overflow going into a 40 gallon breeder refugium under the tank stand and the other overflow going into a basement sump on the other side of basement wall. I know that would require two skimmers and return pumps. Don't have a lot of basement room to put a lot of equipment.

AllSignsPointToFish · Mar 10, 2016

No, I don't see that it would be a problem. While it would require two pumps, I'm not sure you'd need two skimmers unless you physically couldn't fit a large enough skimmer in only one of the sumps. The flow rates would most likely be different due to differences in hydraulic head each return pump would need to overcome, but that's not a showstopper.

jfb2 · Mar 10, 2016

If I use the exact same return pumps would that be a problem. I'm guessing the return rate on the basement sump would be less and I don't know enough to know if that should create a problem.

AllSignsPointToFish · Mar 10, 2016

No, shouldn't be a problem unless the flow is divided so disproportionally that one sump is overloaded. With variable speed DC pumps, I would expect you could manage the situation successfully.

jfb2 · Mar 10, 2016

Thank you

AllSignsPointToFish · Mar 10, 2016

No problem. Hopefully that helps.

Pdandy · Mar 10, 2016

I run two sumps on my 265. I just connected both return sections with 2" pvc to maintain an equal water height between the two. Otherwise you would have to try and match the output of the pumps and drains exactly. Which isn't easy to do.

TheEngineer · Mar 10, 2016

Personally, I wouldn't do it unless you include some level control as well. What you are talking about is very similar to the two-tank system problem that all control systems engineers are given early in their academic careers. You've got a flow of water coming from your DT to both the tank under the stand and the one behind the wall (is it also down a floor?), but the rate at which water leaves those two tanks will be very different unless they are at exactly the same height with exactly the same head loss created by the plumbing. There's way more to this, but suffice to say, this is not an easy problem to solve with just pumps and ball valves.