Refugium set-up

Hey Jeanete,

Do you have room to put a 10 gallon a little higher up that can drain into your sump?

 

I just jammed some cheato in my sump. Put a small clamp light over it (menards, $6.00)

For a baffle I cut egg crate baffle to fit in my sump and squeezed the cheato between the egg crate and and exisiting acrylic baffle.

I was thinking someday I would make my own bacrylic affle to replace the egg crate, but the egg crate is so porus that it might be a bad idea and I will probably just keep my 'mod' as is.

 

You can cut two pieces of egg crate to make two dividing walls in your sump. Put the cheato betwen the egg crate walls. That will stop the cheato from floating all over the place. The eggcrate walls also allow water to flow right through them, and through the cheato.

 

no

 

I used eggcrate in my sump to "control" the chaeto....it works for a short time, but eventually it goes everywhere !

 

Mine doesn't go everywhere. It stays between the egg crate walls and baffle and grows like mad. Going on two years. I can only speak for my experience.

 

Go to Lowes, have them cut you two pieces of glass. Silicon each piece to the sides and bottom of your sump. The top of the glass will determine your water level in the sump. That's just a simple one. You can add more baffles to reduce microbubles and other stuff, but since you only have a 20 gallon probably no room. So you can actually fit a refugium in your sump and still have room for skimmer and a return pump?
Also, you could cut grates into the top to help keep the chaeto in place. Not sure if Lowes will do that or you culd do it with a glass cutting dremel bit.

 

I think the egg crate will work for what you want it to do. Sooner or later it will get throw, but with normal maintenance and monitoring regularly you will have no problems. You really only need on piece that will divide your cheato from the return pump. 

 

In your case for the short term put your pump at one end of the sump, the eggcrate wall in the middle of the sump, and the cheato on the opposite side of the sump.

Once you get that going, some of your desing questions should become clear. You can then decide if you want to make your own baffles or not.

 

here is a very cheap way to solve your problem:
20 gallon sump that you already have~
then:
place a 10 gallon tank with in the 20 gallon sump close to the middle of the 20 gallon sump (for over flow), use this smaller tank as a divider (which it is), place all of your substrate/LR in the 10 gallon- including your algae, then on one end of the 20 gallon place your skimmer and on the other end your return pump, point your skimmer/reactor's water return towards your return pump- this works really well, and is very "adjustable".
I use this same set up- 37 gallon sump, with a 15 gallon set inside the 37 gallon (the return water from your main display should flow into the smaller tank, where it then will over flow the smaller tank and feed the bigger tank- remember; water will over flow on all sides of the smaller tank on a level surface), then my skimmer & reactors on one side, and return pump on the other side- just as described as above.
I use this same set up on a 165 gallon well stocked reef- it allows a lot of flexability. I also have a single 3 foot strip light over the entire sump and algae grows like wild fire- I have had very good results with this set up. BTW, this set up cost less then 80 bucks and blows fixed sumps away, simply because it allows for adjustments and additional equipment down the line.
Contained with in my sump: CL 220G dual pump skimmer, two phosban 150 reactors, and a 1400 gph return pump, as well, two 300 watt heaters, and my chillers/reef keepers thermo probs, and the ATO.
Try it, you will love it.

 

that wouldnt be possible if you are already using a 20 gallon sump that fits your needs correctly, you would need to flow over 20 gallons of total volume before it would over flow the 20 gallon sump- it's the same as the sump that you are using, you have simply added a divider section which adds about 1 gallon of volume. what you could also do is use two 5 gallon tanks with a tee from your over flow to feed each of them- 5 gallon tanks are about 8 bucks, so 16 dollars, then a tee fitting- 2 bucks and a few hoses- say 4 bucks, add it up- CHEAP and very effective- 22 bucks and you have a pretty good set up. Trust me it will work, and work really well.

 

Calfo suggested that you place the skimmer in the 1st chamber where you water drains from the display during his presentation at Fall Fest. The water is dirtiest in this chamber and is the best place for you skimmer to work its most efficient.