Sump Refugium Build

[Poseidon Black Sea]

Hello, what would you choose and why? i need help designing my sump i made a few designs

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

I would go version 1. But I would use a separate pump to feed the Refugium ( if possible use the skimmer output to feed this area if not a small pump

On my tank the secondary doesn’t really drain all that much water.

I’ve had better success with cryptic refugiums myself. But I operated 24/7 refugiums for many years too.

 

[exnisstech]

Version one here also. It's very similar to one of my sumps. You'll want to make sure your return pump is strong enough to be able to supply the fuge and return tho the fuge doesn't need a lot of flow. IMO secondary drains are emergency drain 1 and emergency drain is emergency 2 since I never have more than a trickle going down the secondary.

EDIT : mine is actually a 4 chamber sump. First chamber socks and skimmer. 2nd chamber chaeto fuge with mud and rock rubble. 3rd chamber small return area with external pump (basement sump) and the 4th a cryptic zone fed but the return.

 

[twentyleagues]

I flip flopped on my sump design. I had originally decided on something very much like your 1st design. My final design is return into fuge then skimmer then return. I realize that it may be detrimental to pods and such getting back to the display but I dont run the skimmer 24/7. My fuge is for practical and display use. I dont really run any mechanical filtration, but I do have an area I can use filter floss if I feel the need. I used something close to this design in the past and it worked well it was just spread across my basement in different tanks.

 

[Poseidon Black Sea]

i was thinking to move the refugioum before the return and just add some acrilic walls to the glass or smthing to block the light because
1. It ll not affect the pomp anymore
2. If i decide to just take down the refugium that ll be a dead space and since i closed a bolb valve it ll ruin the flow of the main tank
I made this design what do you think