Adding a sump cum refugium to an existing tank

[victorp]

Hello everyone,

I am currently setting up my first saltwater tank and will be adding LR to cycle my new tank next week.

I have a 3 x 1.5 x 1.5 ft standard aquarium glass tank and am using a Atman At-3336 external canister filter (rated at 800l/hr), Sander Maxi-Skim Model 200 Protein Skimmer, and 2 inexpensive powerheads. The tank is sitting on top of a metal stand which has space for another tank at the bottom (currently, I am using this space for my equipment).

After reading in this forum about the hugh benefits of a sump ###### refugium, I am thinking of adding one about 2 ft in length for the bottom of the stand in the near future. Since I am pretty new to it, I am willing to learn from the professionals here.

First problem to solve is how to get water flowing from the main tank to the sump and back without drilling the main tank. I understand using 2 pumps is a no-no as it will have drastic consequences (and not to mention a flooded home) if one of the pump fails.

With regards to the design of the sump ###### refugium, I will poke around this forum for ideas but some pointers will be a great help. When all is complete, most likely my Sanders Protein Skimmer will move down to the sump and my Atman External Filter will be converted from a biological to a chemical filter (should I?)

Time-table for this sump setup will be the next few weeks - I am not rushing - and of course, I am trying to keep the cost as low as possible.

in advance for any suggestions and feedback.

[Sinn]

Ian has a great overflow box that doesnt need drilling and uses siphon to transfer the water to the sump...

u can refer to his thread here

[victorp]

Since I am not very good at this kind of DIY, I went looking for some commercial overflow boxes and located several...

(1) C-Siphon Overflows by CPR Aquatics.

(2) Lifereef Prefilter/Siphon Boxes.

(3) Tidepool Silent Overflow Skimmer (S.O.S.) by MarineLand.

(4) Overflow Box by Aqua Medic.

Any comments or feedback about these overflow boxes?

[hotsoup]

They 're expensive

[eprouve]

Yah, seriously try DIY. Do lots of research and then get your hands dirty doing it. You'll be surprised how much fun you can have, how much you can learn and do at the same time.

[hotsoup]

Also, chances of leaKage are high too

[Phang]

Hey Victorp.

Do a search in this forum... you will find some really good DIYed items... jus like what Sinn recommended... Ian's Overflow....

IMO, a very well design item....

For Sump, you get always get Eprouve and Spade to help out.... their sump/refugiums rock !!!!...

Folow their advices, these guys have been there and done it... so would know what they are talking about....

And one more great advice.... before you proceed, share your design here with us..... believe many of us reefers here would like to assist you to make this addition a good learning experience and successful one.....

Cheers..

[eprouve]

or could always buy a DIY overflow box from Ian. Would be cheaper than those you listed!!

[Sinn]

Ian can start a business liao

[dodo]

Maybe Ian need a biz partner? Do you need one?

[victorp]

After doing a lot of reading and researching, this is my proposed sump which can be modified to accomodate a refugium as well...

A sump is a reservoir for your main tank where additional waste treatment can be performed, beneficical chemicals & nutrients added and water cooled. I find that waste treatment has top priority in the sump where ammonia is converted to nitrites and nitrates by aerobic baterials, and nitrates to nitrogen by anaerobic baterials, plants (algaes) and certain clams. Anaerobic baterials are found in the deep pores of live rocks as well as deep down in the live sand bed. How deep the sand bed must be depends on the particle size of your substrate; the coaser it is, the deeper your substrate must be (with certain exceptions like shell hash).

My proposed sump (for my main tank) is a standard 2ft aquarium glass tank. At one end is a glass jar with filter wool and the flexi-tube from Ian's Overflow Box going deep into the jar; this jar will act as a bubble trap as well as a mechanical filtration and the filter wool will be replaced when it gets too soiled. Along the length of the tank, I will stack food storage containers on top of each other in a criss-cross manner so that the opening are not blocked. These food storage containers from Toyogo (available in Carrefour) come in all shapes, sizes and depth. I will be purchasing those that are slightly higher than the required depth of the sand bed and filled them with sand medium. Toyogo also has stackable trays with holes which I will be populating with bio-rings and the likes; the top tray will be for activated carbon when needed. I will also be putting live rocks; one layer sitting on the bottom of the sump, another layer on top sitting on those baskets with legs (taken from those 3-tier baskets on wheels used in the kitchen). My Sander Protein Skimmer will also go into this sump. At the other end of the sump will be my return pump. One can use those partitions sold by aquariums to seperate fishes in a tank to partition an area of the sump as a refugium; you can use small gravel stones to build an enbankment to close the gap in the partition from the sand in the refugium.

So what do you think? Is it workable? I can forsee that changing sump to a bigger size will just mean transferring the live rocks, the stackable trays with bio-rings, the food storage containers with sand medium to your new sump and your new sump will work immediately. The old method of having sand in the sump means that those anaerobic baterials for converting nitrates to nitrogen will be lost the moment you dig up the sand exposing them to oxygen.

[Ian]

Ian can start a business liao

do u need an assistant ?

Hey don't say like that lah! I'm not doing business here.

Don't wanna get a PM one day from AT saying that I'm doing business and I got to pay TAX!!!

Anyway for comments

[Achilles Tang]

I posted this in the Commercial Postings thread: So you're safe!

---------------------------------

For now,

True blue hobbyists (who actually own and have been upkeeping a marine tank for some time) and have been contributing to the Club and is in some form of home-based enterprise eg. DIY stuff, home culturing, home breeding of livestock can 'advertise' themselves.

However, the term 'buyers beware' applies and anyone found deliberately 'conning' other members will be made to drink skimmate contributed by everyone.

People who actually owns a business of selling commercial products, works for or gets a commission from selling products for their 'friend/boss/lobang'... I'm sorry... the rule stays.

To serve and to protect,

AT

----------------------------------

[bloop!]

haha...got better business proposition..why not start a DIY class? or maybe sell ofb diy kit ....

[anakjoh]

Err...can I offer accounting services for LFS startups?

Just kidding.

Seriously, if anyone is forced to drink skimmate, will AT please post pics for those outside S'pore?

[victorp]

My proposed sump (for my main tank) is a standard 2ft aquarium glass tank. At one end is a glass jar with filter wool and the flexi-tube from Ian's Overflow Box going deep into the jar; this jar will act as a bubble trap as well as a mechanical filtration and the filter wool will be replaced when it gets too soiled. Along the length of the tank, I will stack food storage containers on top of each other in a criss-cross manner so that the opening are not blocked. These food storage containers from Toyogo (available in Carrefour) come in all shapes, sizes and depth. I will be purchasing those that are slightly higher than the required depth of the sand bed and filled them with sand medium. Toyogo also has stackable trays with holes which I will be populating with bio-rings and the likes; the top tray will be for activated carbon when needed. I will also be putting live rocks; one layer sitting on the bottom of the sump, another layer on top sitting on those baskets with legs (taken from those 3-tier baskets on wheels used in the kitchen). My Sander Protein Skimmer will also go into this sump. At the other end of the sump will be my return pump. One can use those partitions sold by aquariums to seperate fishes in a tank to partition an area of the sump as a refugium; you can use small gravel stones to build an enbankment to close the gap in the partition from the sand in the refugium.

So what do you think? Is it workable? I can forsee that changing sump to a bigger size will just mean transferring the live rocks, the stackable trays with bio-rings, the food storage containers with sand medium to your new sump and your new sump will work immediately. The old method of having sand in the sump means that those anaerobic baterials for converting nitrates to nitrogen will be lost the moment you dig up the sand exposing them to oxygen.

erm...can anyone comment if my proposed sump is workable or it needs modification or it is a crazy idea? I will like to start to gathering equipment for my sump real soon...thanks!