Want To Get A Refugium For Pods

[DanMan092]

I agree, the real reason I'm making the fuge is for my mandarin-to-be!

 

[Riley]

Yes I would keep a mandrain to someday, maybe when I get a bigger tank

-Riley

 

[Navarre]

A fuge is definately the way forward if you want dragonetts.

seems like you have some very good feedback on how a hang on can be achieved.

 

[JJ1234567]

I would still like to see a picture of the above tank fuge, and know how it fits in with the lights and everything. Does the overflow goto a pipe or tube then back to the tank, or does it just fall right into the tank like waterfall? dumb question, probably the tube.

Navarre....could you please do one of your nifty diagrams for me? with a sump, main tank, and a top tank fuge? sumpsize = 30x12x12 (20 long should I get a tall?), main tank 36x18x18or24 (havent decided yet which), and top tank....not sure?

 

[Navarre]

OK well im not sure how you wanted it designed but here is a basic system.

By altering the power of the pumps and powerheads you canof course play around more with the plumbing and keep the tanks further apart.

 

[Michael Roth]

great illustration. Somewhere I have a chart for pipe diameter/ water velocity for gravity fed sumps. I'll look for it.

 

[JJ1234567]

Navarre --

could I run a T off of the sump return and run a line up to the fuge on top? I know that the pressure would be much less than if it had its own powerhead, but then I dont want a ton of flow up there. I was also thinking of drilling the return holes in the tank and just doing a simple pvc return from the fuge instead of like a waterfall effect. It would preserve the "two seperate" tank look. Would that affect the pod transfer at all? I wouldnt have a return pump, just an overflow pipe.

 

[Tiggs]

Navarre --

could I run a T off of the sump return and run a line up to the fuge on top? I know that the pressure would be much less than if it had its own powerhead, but then I dont want a ton of flow up there. I was also thinking of drilling the return holes in the tank and just doing a simple pvc return from the fuge instead of like a waterfall effect. It would preserve the "two seperate" tank look. Would that affect the pod transfer at all? I wouldnt have a return pump, just an overflow pipe.

similar to mine then......i have a T from my external loop that feeds my chiller and UV - this loop is powered by a 3500lph pump.....the T takes only a small amount of this to the fuge.

at the other end of the fuge tank is a drilled hole and simple PVC return pipe...where the pipe enteres the water it goes through a U bend underwater so the water actual enters the tank "upwards"....this stops the bubbles of dumping water into the tank (up to you on that stuff)

i get 10X ph turnover and the fuge is FULL of life (looks like smow!)

fuge is lit at night, dark in the day.

T

oh..just remembered.....if you drill the fuge a float switch is a good idea. i have my fuge light and the loop pump on a switch that shuts them down if the fuge overfills - this could happen if the return blocked or the rest of the system blocked forcing more flow via the T than the return could handle...........very unlikely but i want to be 110% flood proof!

 

[superman]

This is what I have on my 37 gallon. AC500 with a baffle, No problems with the flow of the AC500 moving things around, the key is to make the baffle very high, right up to the edge of the start of the "spout" of the AC500.

The second picture is is a closer look at the baffle, i made it from one of the sides of the filter media holder, but plugged all of the holes in it so that it is a true wall, then I silliconed it in. After taking a second look at it, the baffle doesn't quite come to the start of the "spout" of the AC500, it comes about a centimeter short.

 

[DanMan092]

Well heres my set-up as of now. I may get the AC500.

Okay, tank drilled on both sides (i think inch and a half) and in the middle (smaller) We put bulkheads in each hole. We then put an elbow piece inside the tank, and we're gonna ut a piece on that. Basically, so the top water drains into it and into the sump via the two tubes. It comes out in the sump, where the protein skimmer is. we have a pump in the sump to go into the PS. i dont know if this is the best way cause water could go unfiltered. then we have three baffles (high, low, high) then a return pump. that pumps up to the middle of the tank, and sprays towards the front. we may put pipe on the end so it comes out at the bottom behind the LR. since it fans in both directions, we have the two intakes on the end. we could always undo the piping and switch it around. i.e intake on right, return on left, or vice versa. then we have an extra hole that could be a fuge intake or return. i'ma stop talking and get some damn pics!