Sump/Refugium

I am thinking of taking the dive into the refugium world.  However, with present limitations with my pos sump I would need to replace it.  Also, I would have a pretty difficult time adding a refugium seperate from my sump because of space size and it would have to go in the basement below the tank.  So I guess what I am thinking is replacing my sump/wet dry system with a sump/refugium.  Wondering the best way to do this and the most cost effective.  I would need to seperate(with baffles?) the refugium from the sump being I want to keep my skimmer in the sump.  Offer up any suggestions or ideas!  Thanks!

If you have access to a good table-saw building a sump from acrylic is pretty straight forward.  I built mine for about $60.  This would allow you to custom size it to you stand, pumps, and skimmer.  Even simpler though, is to use a glass tank and partition it as KeoDog described...

I went to Regional Plastics and had them cut me some 1/4" plexiglass partitions that I siliconed in. I was going to cut them myself but they only charged $5 to make all the cuts.   The first section almost goes to the top of the tank. This is where my skimmer and heaters are. The next section is made of 2 pieces with the water flow going between them to the refugiim. The refugium is about 6" deep with 1.5" substrate and macros.  The final section has a submersible pump in it for the return. You are welcome to come by and look at it if you want.  Just give me a call at 594-2132 durring the day or 816-9359 evenings.  I live in Sandy.

Size of pump needed is determined by how often you want to turn your water over and how much water your overflow system can handle.  What size is your tank?  You can have a glass tank drilled if you want to use an external pump or make your sump out of acrylic like Flaz suggested. Here are some of the best places I've found for Mag pumps.

http://www.aquatictech.com/pumps.html

http://www.petsolutions.com/cgi-bin/cgicatls?l=42

http://www.bigalsonline.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?inSupplier=Supreme+Mag+Drive&inUID=1051124335.1051124335

rfoote,  why change pumps?  Glass or plastic can be drilled.  I just don't see a need to buy a new pump.  Those Iwakis are nice pumps.

The easiest method is to do what keodog suggested.  Buy a glass aquarium that will fit under your sump and still big enough to do what you want.  Get it drilled for return pump(s).  Silicone in glass or plastic baffles.

A better approach, imo, is to go plexiglass.  It can be made to any size you desire.  It's easy to work with and probably cheaper then glass, if diy.  I'd be more than willing to help you in this endeavor.  I've got all the tools needed and I wouldn't mind building someone elses sump before I build mine .

Kind of a guniea pig, I've built skimmers before, just never built a sump.  I don't think it would be that much different though.

The pumps do get hot, usually nothing to worry about.  Now imagine that pump in your sump...you might not need a heater!

Glass sumps with bulkheads won't leak any more/less then acrylic ones.  Usually it's the plumbing that leaks.  Speaking of wifes, no matter how sneaky I am, she always seems to catch me when I have a towel in my hand.

Jon - I tried responding to your pm - but says you have reached your max.  I'll give you a call tomorrow.  Here are some ideas I have - My rough dimensions I can go are 34" long 14" deep and rougly 12" high.  I could go a little higher it will just make it rougher to work with.  Actually 14" high would probably be ok.  I'm thinking something like this;  Anyone else chime in with thoughts and so on.  Water in from overflow to sump through two baffles(first notched thru the bottom and second baffle overflows to the top into refugium area).  From what I understand this should decrease bubbling.  Then refugium area which goes into either one or two compartments - 1st would have skimmer overflowing into another with return.  I am thinking because of space I might then have a final small area for a submersible pump as my return.  What do you think?

I've got a question about sumps/refugiums. I'm thinking of adding one to my 46g tank. Ryan mentioned that he needed to partition his sump from his refugium so he could add a skimmer. Isn't a refugium just a sump with a sandbed and macroalgae in it? Why would you need to partition it? Also, what size pump do you think I would need?

Ryan, sorry about the pm.  I've just purged my inbox.

Here's some sump designs that I like, ymmv:

I like this one because it essentually separates the skimmer water from the refugium water.  I like this idea.  Second choice would be to skim the water before going to the fuge.  I don't like the idea of skimming the water after the fuge.  Also, if I want a big skimmer, which means more water flow through the sump (more water flow then I'd want through the fuge.  I don't think you want the fuge to look like a river do you?

Here are a couple pictures of a sump with a nice bubble zone design.

I actually like the concepts behind the first one quite well.  Why don't you want to skim after your fuge?  I kind of thought that is what you would want to do?  I'm a little unclear how on the first pic. the refuge overflows to the skimmer portion.  I'm guessing the black valves are the inlet?  I was just thinking in the middle of the plexi to notch out a section for overflow.  This looks cleaner though and probably prevents marco and so on from overflowing.