help me, i'm a dummy

[Orange Crush]

OK, So I have basically 2 extra 20H tanks and a standard 10 lying around, and they're being perfectly useless, so i'd like to turn one of them into a sump/fuge for my minibow.

 

But no matter how many threads I read on fuges/sumps, I'm a dummy and I guess I just don't get it. I'd much prefer not to drill the minibow, as it's all set up etc etc, but if that would be the best choice by far, I could move everything over to the 10 temporarily.

 

I know the usual answer to my questions would be "do a search!" but frankly, the more I search, the more confused I get. So please be nice to me and don't make me run away back to the lounge, ok?

 

Here's what I have/want to do.

 

I have a minibow and a 20H that I'd like to turn into a sump/fuge. I plan to build a stand for the minibow/sump combo with the 20 about 3 feet below the minibow. I was thinking three chambers in the sump with the middle being fuge area.

 

And this is pretty much where I lose it. I have no idea about plumbing and overflows and pump strength and omg my head is spinning.

 

HELP!

 

Basically, to be frank, what I'm looking for is for someone to design it for me and tell me exactly what I need, and I'll go build. Thank you in advance

[zizmans]

http://www.melevsreef.com./

[dickie52]

OC,

You will love having a 20 gallon sump/fuge!!! There are two ways to get the water to the sump.

 

1. drill your tank and have this work as your overflow and surface skimmer.

 

2. you can add an overflow siphon, which just hangs in your tank. There is no drilling, but you have a box( usally 4" by 2" hanging in your tank.

 

If I had my choice, I would always drill!!! Hope this may have helped a little. When you decide which one you are going to use, I am sure you will have much more detailed ways to do it from all....

 

Dickie

[serjuanca88]

Why would you drill vs a overflow?

[dirk]

Combining a sump with a fuge that sits bellow the actual display tank kind of eliminates one of the purposes of even having a fuge(amphipod, isopod, and copepod breeding/habitat); if the fuge is bellow the tank, then you have to rely on a pump/powerhead to return the water to the tank, powerheads+pods=chop chop, buncha dead pods in your tank. If possible try to keep the fuge above your display tank, use a powerhead to move water from the tank into the fuge, and then overflow(gravity feed, siphon, whatever) the water back into the tank from the fuge. on a tank that size i would try this set up;

buy a cpr HOB aquafuge 12" for your refugium: http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/m...ry_Code=Special

and then build a a plain ol' sump with your 20, still put a bulkhead in the 20 pile up live rock on the intake side, have the water flow over the bulkhead into a second chamber where you could put a protien skimmer and heater, and then pump the water back into the tank.

Just my 2 cents. Just make sure that the overflow you use is rated at a higher gph than your return pump, and be sure to leave enough space in the sump to hold any water that would back-siphon into it should you experience a power outage.

GOOD LUCK!!

[dirk]

As for the question;" Why drill? "

Well...on a Nano especially its an asthetic thing, using a HOB overflow requires that you place a 4"x2" box inside of your display tank, its just un-sightly to have a big ol' box in the prime display area...drilling will still require you to put some form of intake into the display tank, but ultimately it will be less of a distraction in the viewing area.

Make sure if you are considering drilling that the glass is not tempered, it will break.

[serjuanca88]

If I drilled, would a bulkhead with a strainer be sufficeient? Or would I need some sort of overflow device?

[dirk]

Bulkhead with a strainer should be fine. It would essentially be an over flow. When installed tilt the pvc pipe to about a 20 degree angle to the water surface, and be sure it is a large enought diameter to drain the tank faster than the return pump can fill it