fuge/sump questions

[chromey]

I'm looking at making a combo sump/fuge in the near future and was wanting to know a few things before I dove in. First, I have an 18gal high tank that is my main tank. I also have an empty spare 10gal tank collecting dust. Could this be feasible to use as my sump/fuge (with a few added baffles of course). Also, I saw somewhere someone mentioned having their fuge/sump ABOVE their tank and it would flow into the tank via gravity. Can someone explain to me how that works? My main thing is I don't want to have to drill holes in either tanks so I'm trying to figure out what would be the easiest way to have the water flow. I've seen some people with a HOB thing that has a pvc pipe coming through it and sucks down the water via gravity and then is pumped back up via another set of piping. Would that probably be my best bet?

[irishbing]

The one on top of the tank is where you have a pump pumping up the water from the main tank and then it gravity pulls the water back down. I dont know if you have to drill your tanks, but i think you can do it without drilling your tanks, just have tubes going over the top of the tank. HTH

[chromey]

So where would you put a pump in the main tank? Can you get one that suction cups to the inside? I'd just rather not have a pump sitting on the sandbed in my main tank ;p

[revance]

they are both the same, just different order. If you don't want to drill you will have to use a siphon box. Personally I like having the tank on top so you can put the pump in the sump (less in the tank).

[nunez1980]

I like below cause you can hide it with the stand, and like state above the pump is not shown,

 

don't want to drill the tank?

 

if you put it above, then you won't need the overflow box,

 

it all depends on what you want to do,

 

if you put the sump on top, them just do it real cute so you end up with two nice display tanks,

 

well anyway good luck and don't give up:)

[irishbing]

Im sure you can get a pump with suction cups. But if you want like a mag or something, i dont think you can. I also like the under the tank, for those reasons above. But, if you dont want to drill, you could put a HOB overflow box.

[myfisharemean]

I'm gonna just attach a U-tube to a surface skimmer, then buy a overflow if it doesn't work, but I'm only gonna get a 5-gal sump, so...

[Imaexpat2]

I have one of these refugiums like you mentioned above the tank finally after years of pondering that thought and I am really digging it in a major kinda way! It looks a bit ghetto though cuase I used a 50 gallon Poly cattle trough for watering cattle, but its not too hiddious. Its been the cats meow in fact! It was cheap, easy to plumb, easy to work with and dang near bullet proof from a durability stand point. Oh did I mention cheap! I have even seen this done effectively with your standard everyday 5 gallon bucket for those that space is a premium. Now that was budget to be sure and doesnt look half bad, especially with a half dozen mangroves poking out the top! A refugium like this can be hidden with a wood cabnet face so that it appears to be a cabnet above your tank much the same way as many wall units have cabnets above and below the TV in your home, just have the top of it open to the cieling. Just some ideas...

 

Sump/refugiums and refugiums are a great thing! If you can hook one up I strongly recommend it wheather its above or below or beside your tank. Its one of those things that have very few down sides and lots of benefits!!!

[dsg7777]

could I use a powerhead for the above tank sump idea? If its close by, would a maxijet 400 work?