Plumbing external refugium

A

Ashlar

While I'm saving up for a real skimmer, I thought about setting up a separate display regugium to grow some macro and help export some nitrates.

What with 55g tanks going so cheaply in the forums, I figure, why not?

Only problem is plumbing.. what's a safe way to plumb it so that it's less likely to flood? I could divert one of the drain lines from the main tank to this fuge, and use an overflow box from there to the sump, but I'm a bit leery of adding another overflow box to my system. (*knock on wood* never had either U tube lose suction, but it's always a concern)

Hrmm.. maybe get a 55 and drill two holes, one at each end of the back, one higher than the other. (say, maybe 3" and 4" below the rim, to allow for back flow from the tank on power outage. Two bulkhgeads and some spaflex, and I'm done.

Ideas? Concerns?
 
Since I'm in the middle of doing exactly what you're talking about, figured I'd throw in my $0.02...

I vowed years ago to never ever use an external overflow ever again. They're generally pretty safe, I was just never comfortable with one...

Did a little research, and I was able to get a custom built standard size 55 gallon reef ready, fully drilled with internal overflow box, for just over $200...

It's been ordered, and should be here in another 1 to 2 weeks...

I'm gonna have this tank on a wall at a 90 degree angle from my reef, about 10 feet from my sump. Basically how I'm gonna handle it as treat the refuguim as it's own system, put a small return pump in my sump to feed water to it, and have it drain back to the sump under my reef...
 
I'm thinking about something in line with what your planning. I intend to go wtih either a bottom drilled hole with standpipe or side drilled hole near the top. In a integrated system - IMO - drill it.

Pete
 
I am hoping to do a sump refugium that is also remote out of a 55g tank but I only have 55g display tank. I Planning to a Skimmer, Fuge and Return. I also considered doing a seperate 20Lg 0r 29g tank as a fuge mounted above my sump so I can have a bigger return section. I am hoping to get everything I need by this weekend and start the buiold this weekend or hopefully sooner. I would love to have this plumbed by next monday.

This might be overkill for my 55g but who says I am going to have a 55g forever. I am over building this so I can expand in the future.
 
So if you were going to do a display refugium beside your main tank, would you have it on the same photoperiod as the main tank?

I'm aware of the benefits of having it on a reverse photoperiod (stable oxygenation, less ph swing), or a 24/7 (less chance of your macro 'going sexual' - altho, didn't Julian dispute this?).. but for a display 'fuge right next to your main tank, wouldn't the light interfere with the main tank inhabitants?

Thoughts?
 
So scratch the whole idea of holes at the top.. Alan sold me a nice 55, that is drilled at the bottom.

I have another concern, though. With the 55 sitting on it's stand next to my 175, I notice that there's not a lot of height difference between the bottom of the overflow on the back of the 175 and the output of the return line on the 55 (only about 2"). Not to mention that it would have to dip down to the bottom of the 55 and back up to within a couple inches of the top of the 55. What I'm worried about is a 'flushing' effect on the drain line.. water slowly builds up in the drain line, until the pressure overcomes the head pressure on the 'U', and then rushes out.

I'm considering Brian's idea about treating it like a second tank that shares a sump. If I put the pump for the 'fuge in the same chamber that the tank dumps into, then have the main tank's return pump on the other side of the baffle, think I'd run into any issues?
 
Few years back some friends of mine had me baby sit their 55 gallon reef since they were both un-employed. Their 55 gallon reef was in the same location as my super-fuge is gonna go.

I had 1 sump under my reef, with a return pump from it to my main tank. I had a second smaller return pump in the sump that fed the 55 gallon tank around the corner, and it returned to the same rerturn section of my sump.

In other words, I had two full tanks both working from and returning to one sump. One big caveat if you go this route, make REALLY sure that your sump can hold not only the water in the plumbing/overflows of your main tank, but the secondary tank as well if the pumps are turned off!
 
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