High Flow/ Deep Water Sump/Refugium(updated pics)

Discussion in 'I made this!' started by SPINNER, Oct 20, 2011.

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  1. SPINNER

    SPINNER Fire Shrimp

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    This is my DIY build sump/refugium that will filter the open part of my 300 gallon Reef. It will have 4300gph coming through plus run eight reacters they are (2) 8" x 36" bottom load bubble towers, (2) 8" x 20" top load bio media filters, (1) 4" x 20" top load carbon, (1) 4" x 20" bottom load bio pellets/pearls,(1) 4" x 20" top load GFO or what ever and (1) 6" x 20" top load Kalk.
    The back 1" bulkhead will go to my Aqua Medic T5000 Twin Skimmer and the bottom 2" goes to the open flow part of the build Super Dart Gold Pump to UV then DT. This sump will allow me many different ways of R&D with water flow,filtration and reacters. Not all reactors will be used at the same time as there will also be a DIY Algea Scrubber.
    I have contacted BRS working to get (1) 100lb Pukani Rock for sump.
    Hope to fire up sump for cycle within the next month while i finish the DT build then will cycle it on it's own before merging the two R&D stuff too:)

    Hope you enjoy feed back always welcome!
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2012
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  3. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    What is a "top load bio media filter"?

    As far as flow.. some do a lot, I did a little... I don't care either way... but you have a sump that you are going to put several reactors in, a ATS and a really big chunk of live rock. There is no refugium.

    What I would try to do with my setup is to clean my water with my skimmer... to remove particulate... then run it through my reactors in the next compartment... didn't guarantee crystal clear water... but it was cleaner than raw water from the tank. I'm not saying what you are doing is "wrong", but with your reactors in your sump with your skimmer, you will have to clean out the reactors more. Not the end of the world, just mentioning it.
     
  4. Myocyte

    Myocyte Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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  5. SPINNER

    SPINNER Fire Shrimp

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    Right on Powerman i agree my skimmer outlets are @ 62" with gravity feeds back to DT. My tank is a TRU VU AquaSystem with 30 gallon built in sump that i removed bio media and drilled for two 1 1/2" outlets to feed sump. The water is pre filtered before going to 150 gallon sump which will be set up bare bottom. It will be a home for microfana and coral frags since i will shave rock to make a table top if you will. Sump will have 250 watt MH 6500k with T5s and moon light so i can use timers.
    As you know in this hobby you start out one way and end up doing it another. Top load water is feed in at top and vise versa bottom load. I will be using a different means to supply reactors water not seen in hobby yet it should be fun to see!
     
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  6. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    If you are using pumps... then it will be detrimental to micro fauna. I do know pods can make it through pumps... but when we recirc water in a fuge it just increases the odds of them not making it. For a return pump there is no way around it, but putting power heads in a fuge and pumps to circulate reactors... there are ways of not doing that in a fuge.

    I have had my mind on a larger tank and thought of using a tub for a sump and have been trying to wrap my brain around where and what else I would have in the filter stream...ATS, Bio pellets, a fuge, frag tank... it isn't as easy as A then B then C because some of those components need clean water and some need dirty.... so what I'm saying is I have been thinking of it and I know there are no set easy answers... so I'm not criticizing your design just bringing up thoughts.

    I want a tank with minimal rock and thought of having a rock tank in back... but it isn't really a fuge with all that power equipment in there. Perhaps there would be enough area that the micro fauna would live that it would be a moot point.. I don't know, but it does not seem right.
     
  7. Ashevillian

    Ashevillian Pajama Cardinal

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    love the cow tub lol. looks like an awesome build, i think powerman is right but maybe with a few dividers you can control/divert water flow and isolate a fuge all in the tub. very nice plumbing work. keep sending us pics!!
     
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  9. SPINNER

    SPINNER Fire Shrimp

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    First let me say WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO it's Friday:eek:

    Right on to both of you! I have thought of of the same thing glad your here to help me pick a way to make it work. My thoughts are this i talked with Jim at LifeReef he has linen foot block sponge i would make filter saddels for the pumps inlets inside the sumps. I don't wish to have anymore exterior pumps (3) Dart Golds is enough. Another thought is with skimmer pump i was thinking of building a 10" x 10" surface skimming box that feeds pump with 1/2" bulkhead for bio pellet reacter output? Thoughts?
    I have a different view about this being a sump/refugium since a refugium is a place to reproduce in an environment free from predation. Growing macro algae in this environment is a off shot on a design for above. It's not a bad thing that we don't agree on all things thats how i learn!

    Thanks for sharing.....
     
  10. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    With my system.. and certainly a larger one.. I would want to do the least maintenance possible. Sponges are maintenance. As they plug they reduce flow through your reactors or what ever. I hated sponges and had no filters in my system... me personally would be shooting for the same in any system I did.
     
  11. SPINNER

    SPINNER Fire Shrimp

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    Change your mind

    Well lets see when it's done who knows you may change your mind;)
     
  12. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    Oh ya.. my question about the bio media reactor was about why do you need it? What media and what are you trying accomplish? Especially with enough live rock, bio pallets, and algae.

    With your bio pellets and GFO... they will need a set flow and as the sponge clogs toy will have to continue to adjust flow to keep them moving right.

    So with hight flow through of the sump, and all those motors and water movement, it won't be very conducive to a refugium. No problem for the sump and your filter stream... you will have plenty of filtration.. and yes every tank has pods... but you won't have a great setup for pods. Filtering the water is easy enough... but when I looked at my setup, pods were a big deal, and so was no filters.... all those mechanical filters filter out food for the corals. All that particulate, and a strong pod/micro fauna population equals food for corals 24/7 for them to be healthy and grow.

    So unless you can segregate off a section to provide a more ideal habitat, you might want to consider adding a stand alone fuge. The sump is still great, and it can run all the equipment... form the looks you want all the reactors on the outside.