Drop in refugium for sump - Diy

T

thedocisin

Premium Member
[I have limited space but wanted to add a refugium to my sump. I could squeeze a 12x10x14 inch box into the main sump chamber. About 5-6 gallons for a 140gal tank. Maybe it could be a little deeper, but I'd have to sacrifice my activated charcoal chamber. Is it worth it? Where is the best place to buy an acrylic sheet in FortWorth?]
 
[I did it, I got rid of my bio balls and had the new space for an in sump Refugium,

Go to Home Depot, They sell acrylic in sheets, Don't go to thick

You cut the stuff by scoring the cut with a strong knife. I used one of those curved carpet cutting knives.

After you score it you put it in a vice and CRACK IT !!!

Its cool, You should have a nice straight cleaved edge

Use 2X4s the length of the Score as jaws in you vice.

Cut the first piece long enough to go down from the top of one side curve around the bottom, along the bottom and up to the top of the other side. I padded extra 1½ inches to the height of the down flow side of the refug.. This is so the down flow end is slightly higher and has a 1 inch lip. This lip is to keep the macro in the refuge.

Now the fun part. Pull out your hand Propane torch. Go out side. Figure out where your bends should be. One for the lip, two bends at the bottom. Mark the bends with a Marks o Lot.

Start heating the acrylic. Make fairly fast passes along the line. The Marks o Lot will disappear quickly with the heat. Continue heating till it starts going soft. Then make your bend. try to keep it squared up while your making your bends.

You should end up with a front, back, bottom and lip.

Next measure your sides two custom fit your creation. Then cut them from the remaining acrylic.

Fuse the sides to body with PS Weld On, #4 Acrylic cement.
Also sold at Home Depot. Spread it on both sides to be welded. Its the constancy of water. I used a Q-Tip. Wait about 5 to 10 seconds Then press the sides together. Hold it in place for a minute, while it sets up. Go back and bead the cement along the seam. The cement will be drawn into the Weld.

Pull out the Dreaml tool, attach a cone shaped stone and Drill/Melt a bunch of holes in the front of the refug. Cut/Drill/Melt some over flow slots on the top front of the refuge.

Drop it in the sump, hang a light over it and you done.

Get with me when its done and I'll give you a hand full of bubble and spear macro.

Good luck.

PS. I never Touched acrylic before I did this project. Since I have made a tool cady, a custom tank drain holder for the sump and a hood for the refug.]
 
[I appreciate your technical tips. It sounds very straight forward. I am having a little trouble visualizing how it looks in the sump to fill and drain. Do you have a picture? Mark]
 
[It doesn't fill or drain, The water flows through the front holes and mostly over the top, over the lip. My return, skimmer and CA reactor is on one side of the sump. Then the fugue. then a bubble trap to the return pumps. The refuge. is like a square bucket that sinks into the middle of the sump.

The nice thing is, to clean or service the refuge. you just pull it out . The water drains to the lowest flow through hole, so it is easy to maneuver.

I can't get a good picture as it sits in the sump in the cabinet
and i can't figure out how to attach a diagram to this post?]
 
[It is just like posting a picture. Please read the FAQ posted at the top of every page.]
 
[It didn't seem to work, or I'm being impatient. Try to save your diagram as a jpg rather than a bmp. I have people email me bmp images that are 1meg each all the time, when an 80k jpg is just as good.

To save it as a jpg, click on Save As, then under the field where you type in the name, you should have the option to pick various file types. Change it from bmp to jpg, then type in the file name and click Save/OK.]
 
[I went to HD and Lowes, but they only sell Lucite (plexiglass) and not acrylic. I've heard not to use this since it scratches easily, and yellows. Is this what you used? If not, where can I buy acrylic sheets? Thanks for trying to send the pictures.]
 
[Lucite and Plexi-Glass are just name brands of acrylic, just like Acrylite (which is what most people buy). They are all the same material, polymethylmethacrylate (sp?). They might also have Lexan (polycarbonate), which is different. It's much stronger than acrylic, but scratches more easily.]
 
[Yes if that's all they sell that's what I used. Ignorance is bliss

It hasn't yellowed. I cleaned it once so far and it didn’t scratch

Sorry about the pictures. Yahoo wont let you share you files unless you get the Premium service.

does anyone know of a free site?]
 
[I don't know about the closest place to you. I would try lookig in the yellow pages under "plastics". There is a place very near to me called Regal Plastics in Fort Worth. Good place if you want to make the drive. It is on the east side of Loop 820 4 or 5 exits south of I30. They also have a website.
regal plastics]
 
[I did get to see the picture, but I had to search under your name since the page was restricted. Even after I saved it to my drive, I couldn't figure out how to insert it into a message for this board. Couldn't find anything in Help either. I've got the idea now for the refugium. Thanks for your persistance.]
 
[I can't see it. Looks like you've got to have a password to see it. Maybe thedocisin was able to see it because you were actually in your album at the time and access was granted.

You'll probably have to set up your album as public for others to be able to visit.]
 
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