Newbie question on sump/refuge setup

[MindRiot]

Ok, I've browsed this forum catagory for a while and it hasn't answered my particular question yet.

I've got a 40gal tank, two 125gph heads, skimmer, filter that hangs on the side, etc.

I too want to setup the below the tank refuge. Petco is selling 10gal tanks for $11 and this has further fueled my fire. I want to remove all my equipment from my tank and hide it in the tank below (besides the powerheads of course). Is this what a sump/refuge setup does?

If so, can someone post some websites that explain the fundamental ideas, and where to get started for a list of equipment?

muchos gracias!

[steve1s]

Plumbing (http://inlandreef.com/Images/DIY/Plumbing/refugium_plumb.gif)

Plumbing Tips and table (http://www.valler.com/fish/tips.html)

Sample #1 (http://reefsite.homestead.com/equip.html)

Sample#2 (http://www.rmgconstruction.com/refugium.htm)

Sample #3 (http://home.earthlink.net/~kenuy/Reeftank/refugium.htm)

Overkill Sample #4 (http://www.globaldialog.com/~jrice/fauna_sump/fauna_sump.htm)

Cheers
Steve

[Zack]

also in the tank you will need a overflow box :wink:

[MindRiot]

Thanks for the info.. Now.. whats an overflow box? I think I understand everything else..

[BigFish]

here is a pic of an overflow it is how you get water into the sump without sucking up a fish :mrgreen:

[MindRiot]

Ok, so the hose goes inbetween the two boxes I take it? Which box goes in the tank?

So, then you begin a siphon to the refuge, and use a pump to return the water. My major confusion here is, how do you get the flow of water to be exact so you prevent either the siphon from stopping or the refuge from overflowing?

Thanks for the help guys

[BigFish]

the little box goes into the tank, And the hose siphones water from the little one into the big one.well... it can not take out more water than what is between the top of the tank and the top of the little box on the overflow., so the watergoing into it is basically however much the pump puts back into the tank. If you loose power depending on tank size you will probably not get much on the ground, if you dont fill your sump very full so there is extra space then you dont need to worry about it.how long will the tube be between the overflow and the sump?

[MindRiot]

It'll be about 4 feet.

But my main question is, how do you get equalibrium so that the return pump puts just enough water in the tank to keep the overflow box going, without pumping more than the overflow can drink, or not pumping enough and breaking the siphon?

Is this a stupid question? Am I missing something painfully obvious?

Lets say the pump isn't returning enough water:
1. The internal overflow gets low
2. The siphon breaks
3. The return pump keeps pumping which will either overflow my big tank, or the pump will run out of water and burn up, or both! :shock:

Lets say the pump is returning more water than the overflow provides:
1. The main tank will overflow
2. The pump will burn up when it runs out of water.

Now I realize that you can get them really close to synchronized, but lets say the pump is returning a couple cups of water more than it's getting every hour. It may not be much in the course of an hour, but over a day it could add up to disaster.

So, am I missing something? Is there something about the setup that prevents what I'm talking about?

I can see how the built in refuge line (hole in the main tank) would completely eliminate this risk, so is this risk something I just have to live with?

[MindRiot]

Ok, I'm all good to go. Blew a big chunk of change on a nice CLR overflow, got a 500gph pump, 10gal sump, etc. I'm ready to rock!


Oh, and a 12 pack of beer, a must-have for any of my engineering endeavors.. (Hey, shush, my hood came out alright.. and there were circular saws involved)

[MindRiot]

To those who care, and I know you're few and far between...

I finished my refugium. Now that it's operating, I finally see how it works! It's awesome!!! I now see the only cause for disaster would be the siphon breaking, but with this $120 overflow I'm not worried. It has an external hookup that goes to one of my powerheads which constantly sucks any air out of the overflow. I've shut the whole aquarium down, then fired it back up and it automaticly starts siphoning again..


Badass... :D :D

[phistio]

nice Mind Riot...glad to hear!!! you should really like your new addition!

(by the way, i care!)