bswe22 Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 I am starting to set up a new tank. (clap) I have a 38 gallon tank on a black stand. There is not much room inside the stand to put anything. I can barely fit a 10 gallon tank. I want to know what would be better to have, a 10 gallon sump or a 10 gallon refugium? (scratch) I was going to use an Aqua Clear 110 for a little refugium off the back of the tank but it won't fit under the light fixture I have for this tank. What is the best choice for a reef tank? Thanks Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bswe22 Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 So nobody has any suggestion as to what would be a better fit. A 10 gallon sump or a refugium? Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jadams7 Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 What all would you be hoping to accomplish with your sump if you ran it? I would think that you could run a refugium and chamber off a small section for your return pump and heater, and then if it were me I would look into getting a HOB skimmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bswe22 Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 Would you hang the skimmer on the back of the refugium or the main tank? I have never set up a larger tank on a stand. All I have is a 20 gallon tank that sits on the counter. That is why I am asking. The other question is should I do hard plumbing with PVC os just use hose? Thanks Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bswe22 Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 I thought I would post a couple pictures of what I have so far. So will I get better results from a refugium or a sump? Thanks Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finch6013 Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 I think it might come down to personal preferance. I personally dont thing a refugium has that many benefits if you have enough rock and life in the display. A sump will let you have a skimmer, return pump, ATO, heater, maybe a small clump of chaeto if you desire. A sump can make WC's easier also. I like a sump so that you dont have all the equipment showing. Also it allows for more return and flow. Possibly eliminating one of your powerheads. Keep a healthy maintained tank and you wont need a fuge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bswe22 Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 Thanks Finch. How would you chamber off the sump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finch6013 Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 I think a typical sump has a chamber for the return from the tank and the skimmer. then a bubble trap, then an open space and then sometimes another chamber for the return pump. Sumps are kind of a custom to your needs thing in most cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bswe22 Posted March 7, 2010 Author Share Posted March 7, 2010 I have decided to go with a sump. What is the best way to plumb it? Drill holes in the tank and hard plumb it or should I just use tubing? The other question is how big of a return pump do I need? Do I want a external pump or a submersible pump? Is there some kind of formula to figure out the pump size needed? I will have many more questions to come. Thanks Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Max-GTE Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Bryan- You are welcome to swing by my place and check out my sump/tank setup. I can show you examples of all your questions and we can talk through what you need. I can also show you flow curves on pumps and we can work out what pump would be best for you. Let me know if youre interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bswe22 Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 That would be great!!!!!! (clap)(clap). When are you able to do this? I get off work tomorrow at 5pm. When is good for you? Thanks Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Max-GTE Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Tomorrow is fine. Ill shoot you a PM with my phone # and address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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