Too Simple...what am I missing?

After reading Tangsters post I will keep my current pump (250 gph) for the sump and place a powerhead in there to pump the excess flow to the return pump area......Will this work?

 

Hi Rashr,

I think Tangster's message is getting lost in translation. What we are both suggesting is that you split your 10 Gal tank in two and have separate inputs to each from the overflow. I have mine setup with a ball valve on my fuge and a straight line to my sump. I regulate the water flow to the fuge and the remainder goes to the sump. As the water level in the fuge increases, it then flows over the divider into the sump. No need for an extra pump. You do want good water turnover for skimming and basic water movement, but you need to slow down the water in the fuge. I completely agree with Tangster, you want the water in your fuge to turn over about once an hour (very slow indeed if you only have a 5 Gal fuge). This gives time for the nutrients to get absorbed. Once you get more macro, or if you gave good lighting you can up this a little, but not by much.
So, your basic design should be your 10 Gal tank split basically 60/40 with a plexiglass divider. In the 60% setup your fuge and get a small ~18W light. In the 40% sump you will house your return pump and your skimmer. Have your overflow split so part goes into the fuge and part goes into the sump. Regulate the amount into the fuge so ~6Gal/hr go through and let the remainder flow directly into your sump. I hope this helps.

 

BAM! I got it now...sorry for being sooo dense! Thanks to All!

 

Sounds like I need to do some slight modifications to my refugium to get the most out of it. Thanks for sharing the knowledge guys! ;D

 

Yes you just want the volume of the refugium to just trickle through the fuge 1 x per hr. say a 10 gal fuge you want just a 10 GPH trickle through it I Just had this debate with a friend in Pa. I had him sent feather and crape calupers after his fast flow cheado all dies out about just 4 weeks ago.. He had like 400 gph and cut it way back he also felt how could a 20 gal on his 200 gal tank tank work better then his 75 gal fuge did ? We long story short he redid it and now his nitrate's and PO4's are about history.. Many times less is more like with denitrater coils or drip boxes it works . With a deeper sand and slow flow the fuge gets time to allow the waste to settle out its just a swamp.. and they are always slow and mucky. I have never had a problem and I have seen these methods solve many others problems ..
Like it was said by Dyngo the fuge is not the sump and you want as much water through the sump as possible at least 5 x is what i have over time found to be the best. As it keeps total dissolved 0'2 up and allows the skimmer enough to play with.. so if you have a 100 gal tank you want atleast 500 gals through per Hr and on a 100 gal tank you only need 10 gallons for a fuge and you want to trickle just 10 gallons per hr through the fuge..

 

Benthic benefits

Hey Otty, I followed your build on the sump/fuge and am working on my own right now. Do you find that you have too much flow in your center section?
Have any of you guys watched Shawn Wilson's video on Benthic zones?reefvideos

Very interesting. I'm curious to what the experts think.
Jim

 

Not sure who a Shawn Wilson is and did not see a video by anyone But if benthic means what I think it does its nothing new you need a slow flow area from the worms and many other sand Fauna and a darkened area I always make a fuge like this with fan worms and they will show up and do their Jobs. I also keep apatsias in my refugiums and any other water filtering pest find like Barnacles and clams what ever as long as they perform a function.

All of you would be far ahead of the game if you would have a seperate tank or bucket for you fuges they have to have very slow water and they can not support the needed fauna's with fast water. I guess if you hang around long enough it all goes full circle back to the future so to speak

 

None the less it's a good video IMO. The link is there if you would like to comment on what he's talking about.

 

I found it I was looking for a name on the thumbnail like many there had.. O'well what he is saying he discovered is just what us old timers have known for yrs I keep aptasias and fan worms in my system all the time I ran a totally infested aptasia sump and worms for many yrs .. I told close to 10 yrs ago all on Another board about how well they worked as a filtration method. I guess this guy found out also even if by accident. Its a good filtration system and I'm now growing out aptasias and fan worms for a fuge I'm getting ready to drill and set up on this 180 we started in sept 06 its about ready to be awoken and put into gear now.

I had a friend Here Just-phis to get me all of the pest aptasias he could scrounge and while in Richmond next week I'll be digging out the pest from the aqua culturing center I set up there to bring back up with me.. I have tons of them in the refugium for those tanks.. All you have to do is design the refugium so they find it hard to get out I have yet had any problems with the aptasias leaving the refugiums.. I think the Wilson guy os overly complicating the thing with building all the stuff he is ? And he should also keep the refugium as a satellite from the main sump. But the critters in there works great. And I guess for the tinkering types this will give them something to tinker with from Wilson video ..

 

I am going to do some head scratching tonight to see if I can isolate my fuge a little more without totally disambleing it. I think I can but I need to do some measuring and buy some more PVC. Thanks again Tangster.;D