SaltyDawg Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 I made a 10 gallon refugium for 45 bucks today WHOO HOOOoooo! 10 gallon tank: 8.00 new Minijet 606 pump: 22.00 new 14 feet of 1/2 diameter hose: 3.00 new pen plax inline outside filter: 5.00 new 3x4 foot sheet of plexi glass 8.00 new. 1 tube of silicone: 4 bucks I got a 10 gallon aquarium. Took the penplax out side slim line filter (air driven filter box looks like a specimen container but with two "j" tubes) cut slots in it and mounted it in my 29 gallon reef. stuck a j-tube in it, Viola a suface skimmer. I then connected the length of hose I cut. Cut out baffels from the plexi and siliconed them in place. They are mounted with the pump side a little lower than the intake side. and the intake side is actually two sections with a 3 inch gap in the middle leaving one section siliconed to the bottom with the top being 4 inches above the substrate level. stuck the other "J" tube over the back of the tank and conected another length of hose I cut to it and to the minijet 606 and stuck the minijet in the 10 gallon. after it was all hooked up I had a mad over flowing problem in the 10 gallon!! It was because both hoses were the same diameter and the pump could not keep up with the siphon side. I used a pair of hemostats to cremp the syphon side so as to cause the tube to meet in the middle leaving two small holes on either side to slow the flow down. I adjusted the mini jet to compensate. supper glued the hose where I cremped it still leaving two small holes on both sides. Let it run for an hour with a little tweaking and VIOLA!! IT IS ALIVE!!! I am going to buy a valve to beter tune the siphon side. and flodd proof it for sure. I am so amazed at how easy making a fuge realy was! I will post pictures of it once I get my camera back from my g-friend. Link to comment
slylie Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Whaaaa? maybe I'm missunderstood but this seems doomed to leak, overflow.... did you drill an overflow in the show tank? what if the pump fails?????!?!? Link to comment
SaltyDawg Posted April 15, 2003 Author Share Posted April 15, 2003 The return to the pump is only submerged about 1 inch into the display so syphon issues back to the main tank when pump fails will be broken after the level is below the return tube. Syphon hose to the fuge is in an overflow box with a hole in it big enough to break the syphon after the water level drops 1 inch in the display tank so that is not a problem either. The fuge is only 2/3rds of the way filled at all times so over flow is not an issue. Link to comment
ksrinlv Posted June 10, 2003 Share Posted June 10, 2003 Thanks for sharing how you set up your refugium. I set mine up last weekend using your specs and it works great! The only potential problem with it is if I lose the syphon the water pump would flood the main tank plus burn itself out after it ran dry, so my friend is making a float switch to turn the pump off if the water level gets too low. Thanks!! Link to comment
SaltyDawg Posted June 12, 2003 Author Share Posted June 12, 2003 Hey GREAT! I am glad it worked for you as well. I have since installed a float switch as well. Also a float switch for my auto top off. Link to comment
ksrinlv Posted June 15, 2003 Share Posted June 15, 2003 Pics! Sorry they're not so good, but you get the idea. I had one of the double aquarium stands from yester-year, so put a 20 gallon reef on top and 15 gallon refugium on the bottom. I built the syphon tube on the left side from cpvc tubing from Lowe's. Near the top is a t, with a ball valve and elbow sticking out the side. There is a ball valve near the bottom of the syphon tube at the refugium. To start the syphon, I fill the tube with water through the elbow, close the top valve, open the bottom valve, and ta-da, it syphons! Link to comment
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