What comes first - sump or refugium?

E

Emmittfan

Should water from the overflow go thru the sump (with skimmer and other filtration - see other threads of mine) or go to the refugium first? The refugium will have various macro algae and rubble rock and sand. TIA!!!
 
I should have been clearer in my original post. Marc's site is good, but not what I am working with.

I have a 110 gallon tank that came with an acrylic sump (see pics http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/viewtopic.php?t=16772

I am planning to use a 29 gallon tank for a refugium since the acrylic sump does not have room for this.

So, I am wondering how do I set this up? Can I have one overflow going to the sump and then push water to the 29gal refugium and then push water back to the main tank? If not, how should I set this up?

Thanks!
 
Don't run treated water to the refugium. The water should go through the refugium first, then to the sump and back up into your tank.
 
I disagree you want the fuge to feed into your return section not the skimmer section. You want pods and stuff to have a chance to make it to the display tank, not be skimmer off.

I would do something like marc did on this setup. Have your return pump T off and feed the fuge and have the fuge drain into the return section of the dump.

http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/d/sump_model_d.html
 
Since I don't have room to have gracity feed from fuge to return section, can I use a pump to move water from sump to fuge? Something like in the pic?
 
I would not do that because if something happens to one of the pumps you will have water all over the floor. Plus you would have to match the the water going into the return section with what is going out. That is almost impossiable.
 
Raise the refugium, add a bulkhead and let gravity drain it into the return section of your sump. It would be best if your skimmer section was separate from your return section. Also the drain from the refug dumping into a bubble trap first so you don't add micro bubbles into your display.
HTH
 
Oh I see what you mean well I will give you the advice that was given to me on a seprat sump fuge set up keep them septrat from each other that way less can go wrong or better yet if one fails then one will still work see thread http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/viewtopic.php?t=16726
 
Let's compare apples to apples. On the other thread you were considering a construct similar to Serks with the fuge separate and above the tanks -although I do not believe you understood what Brian said about how his works.

In this thread you have the sump and fuge on the same level.

Each of these has a very different design.
 
Sorry - the response should have been more specific I was addressing LordKronous's point regarding responses to his design.

His stand forced different levels and the response for plumbing was based on that requirement.

That design does not fit your setup and I think, as others have pointed out, Marc's elevated fuge works well for your requirement.

Mea culpa.
 
@Emmittfan wrote:
Not sure about the other thread said:
It’s going to be tuff to have a fuge and a sump at the same level, and have a fail-safe system. Relying on one pump to feed another tank is tuff because of what was previously noted. What happens if one pump fails, and matching the water going in and out of the return section is going to be tuff.

Have you looked at a hang on back Fuge? That may be an option. I run one on my 30g reef tank because I do not have a sump. Just have a HOB skimmer and Fuge. The only down side is the light a HOB emits but you can find ways to limit that.
Click to expand...
 
Yes I know I still have not fixed my drawing or updated the post, I was going more for pointed out the problems that were being brought up, and covering the one pump no fail safe points. Yes I do understand that the set up I am going for is diffrent but it seams that the problems are close to the same at least to me, in the regards of water on the floor.
 
that looks kinda like the one Marc made ummm I think it is sump I I think what you have there will work out IMHO but I think you may need a bit more bubble trap leading to the return section. Then again I could be wrong.
 
Another option if you have a little room is to raise the one on the right and only drill a bulkhead in it and go over the side of the other. That way you only have to drill one hole.
 
i agree that would work. you probably won't need a buble trap from the fuge return. Just make sure that the drain from the fuge to the return section is not working on a siphon, and you should be good to go.
 
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