Making my First Fuge/Sump

OK, I have finally gotten around to making measurements and diagraming my first fuge.....give me your opinions please....BTW, I am stealing CMK's design (hope he don't mind ;D) and I am going from pics so could yous guys (non genedered guys, hey, I am from Philly) give me feed back before I cut my 1/4 " plexiglass and silicone it with my GE 100% silicone... ;D

Here is what I am working with......20 gallon aga that I got at a fish store going out of business - that's why its blue....cleaned w/ vinegar and hot water.....

 

And here is my sorry a** had drawn diagram of how I want to set the baffles......if you can read the inches I wrote for baffle lengths and spaces, I would dig any feedback....

 

Hey, that comes up OK.......I know the fuge is only 7 inches wide, that was all I could squeak out, but it is 12 inches front to back so I hope that will work.....is it OK to put the skimmer at the end of the line, after the Macroalgae...It is my understanding that the algae only removes stuff the skimmer doesn't get anyway...such as phosphate and the DSB removes nitrates..... I can also shut the fuge off in order to change the DSB when it exhuasts without damage to the main tank then replace only the water in the fuge...

How is my thinking....am I on the right track.....

All this I learned here at 3 REEF!!!! hopefully I have been a good student ;D ;D ;D :

 

It looks good Birdlady and well thought out.  The only thing I want you to do is check to see how many bubbles your skimmer puts out.  With it being in the last compartment, my only concern is microbubbles being sent to the display tank via the return pump.

Although I am a little curious why you want the bioballs in there. That would be a good place to hang granular activated carbon or a phosphate remover like Rowaphos or Phosguard.

 

Ahhh, yes. Good Point. I had is set up before and I dont recall that being an issue......

I would check it out if I had any WATER ***sigh****

Will be ordering my RO/DI any day now...
Thanks for the advice ;D ;D ;D

 

Bioballs....oh I don't know.....noise reduction? I am going from CHK's
here is the link from his gallery photo

http://www.3reef.com/cgi-bin/album.pl?photo=CheckMateKingll/EcoSystem3R.jpg

So, no real reason that I am sure of ...I know I don't really need them, but I have them from before and I thought it would dampen the noise,,,,no?

 

birdlady, if at all possible, you could run the skimmer's return lines to the front of the sump where the water form the tank comes in. This way any air bubbles would get trapped by your media and baffles. HTH



phil

P.S. 100 posts already? I spend way to much time in front of my computer. [smiley=laugh4.gif]

 

I agree with Cannon if you are having bubbles come out of your skimmer.

I looked at your link.  Checkmateking is using a mud filter and that is a little different than a DSB refugium.  Ecosystem mud filters use a mud that is so fine that nitrifying bacteria can't live in it.....that's where the bioballs come in.  Bioballs are excellent at housing nitrifying bacteria.  However, the bacteria that live on bioballs cannot process nitrates.   Luckily, denitrifying bacteria readily inhabits anaerobic areas like the mud.

Mud filters are basically a DSB broken into two parts and the bioballs are needed for them to work properly.  In the case of Ecosystem mud, it is also chock full of Iron to feed the macroalgaes that go in them.  

You don't need the bioballs in your fuge because you are using a DSB in your fuge.

 

Inwall,

I'm not sure about the use of the DSB as some sort of Nitrate remover in this instance as the surface are is very small and the water movement is quite fast.

What are your thoughts on that?

John


BTW, I still think it's a good thing to have in the sump, but more for growing critters than for any chemical reason.

JO

 

Thanks folks! Yes, I would be able to take the return from the skimmer back over to the first chamber...good idea Phil

And Inwall, HOW can you tell its Mud, cause of the bioballs or do you just know from talkin to him? Just curious......sure does esplain some things in my mind tho....THANKS ;D

Glad I posted the questions.....I know I cant think of all the answers myself.... : Heck, I cant even think of all the questions myself