sump
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Equipment
Forum Description: This is the place to ask question about reef equipment.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=36987
Printed Date: January 12 2026 at 4:25pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: sump
Posted By: beller
Subject: sump
Date Posted: December 05 2009 at 11:31pm
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What is your take on a sump having a refugium on the side or in the middle of it? And would you cover it or leave it open on the top? ------------- I love fish I want them all. |
Replies:
Posted By: badfinger
Date Posted: December 05 2009 at 11:38pm
| i think most people have them in the middle... first chamber is intake, second refugium, then third is back to the tank... and leave it open for better air/gas exchange. and if you ask Mark he says the simpler the better |
Posted By: beller
Date Posted: December 05 2009 at 11:50pm
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so does the mud in the refium need a deep bed of mud, sand and does a bigger refugium better? ------------- I love fish I want them all. |
Posted By: Sculpin
Date Posted: December 05 2009 at 11:58pm
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As always, the bigger the better and a deep sand bed is generally preferred as well. make the refugium as high and large as you can but keep in mind you'll need to get your hands in there from time to time and you'll need some sort of lighting above it as well. Micah
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Posted By: beller
Date Posted: December 06 2009 at 12:11am
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so I have a 55 gal sump. would a 4 inch mud base be good. and 19 inches across or I could get 5 more inches couse my first area only has socks and a pinwheel protein skimmer so I dont need that room for anything else. ------------- I love fish I want them all. |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: December 06 2009 at 2:02am
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I have a 55 gallon sump as well. I run my refugium before my skimmer. In my sump it goes like this: Water comes in from the overflow and is split into 2 outlets; 1 feeds into the refugium which is a 20 gallon rubbermaid tote w/ 5 1/2-6" sandbed LR rubble and lots of macroalgae of various types where it will then spill over into the sump. Above the fuge are 2 17w normal flouresent glow lights from Home Depot. The other outlet spills directly into the larger compartment of the sump where the skimmer, UV, and AC reactor are located. This way about 1/2 the water is getting fed into the fuge where the unfiltered water full of all the good stuff feeds the fuge before it heads into the skimmer, UV, and AC to be "cleaned". It is then pumped back up to my display at about 1300gph through two different outlets on opposite ends of the tank. Using this setup I have never had any issues at all. I also don't run filter socks except after a water change. Hope this helps! ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: fishoutawater
Date Posted: December 06 2009 at 12:44pm
| I run my fuge after my skimmer. The best skimmer will not remove "all" the bad stuff, so after it is skimmed, I run that water through the fuge. I have chaeto in it and it grows like a weed. I like to think that all of my overflow water gets filtered as much as possible. |
Posted By: beller
Date Posted: December 06 2009 at 2:45pm
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Thanks everyone for the help. Now it is time to build. ------------- I love fish I want them all. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: December 06 2009 at 6:40pm
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Don't waste your money on Mud. It's mostly silica sand. You could do just as well taking some dirt from your backyard.
Using 3-6" of Oolitic sand is the best way to go, if you are adding sand to a refugium.
As was probably mentioned above, One of the purposes of a RDP Refugium is that during the day when the RDP Refugium is darkened, lots of bugs do their thing  . They do a lot of mating and producing eggs and larvae which come out of the sand and get sucked up to the main tank to be food for the fish and coral. So it's best to have all the Refugium water go to the return pump.------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: beller
Date Posted: December 06 2009 at 6:58pm
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dirt from back yard? ------------- I love fish I want them all. |
Posted By: Kiltboy
Date Posted: December 06 2009 at 7:01pm
Just an exaggeration. ------------- Chance Evans |
beller wrote: