Converting 55 Gallon to a Sump/Refugium

[JoeDaddy]

I'd like to convert my existing 55 Gallon to a refugium. I've seen a few members actually do it and was wondering any good recommendations on baffle placement. A couple of other questions:

 

1) Where is a good place to buy acrylic thick enough and silicone that's aquarium safe?

2) Anyone know a good place to get my tank drilled for 2" hole? I'd like this hole to go to the pump.

 

Thanks!

 

~Joe

Edited February 12, 2008 by JoeDaddy

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I'd like to convert my existing 55 Gallon to a refugium. I've seen a few members actually do it and was wondering any good recommendations on baffle placement. A couple of other questions:

 

1) Where is a good place to buy acrylic thick enough and silicone that's aquarium safe?

2) Anyone know a good place to get my tank drilled for 2" hole? I'd like this hole to go to the pump.

 

Thanks!

 

~Joe

 

 

I'm using a 55 myself.

 

Here's what I did:

 

Measure for baffles. Went to Lowe's and had them cut thick acrylic for me (1/4"). Cut them a little bit small (1/4" small). Did that because I wanted the silicone to have room to go all the way around the baffle edge.

 

Bought 100% silicone from Lowe's. I believe it was GE window and door I. Just be sure it doesnt say mildew resistant.

 

Simple job. Just be sure to get silicone that isn't expired (that's a different story) Cutting that thick acrylic is a pain, getting Lowe's to do it free was nice.

 

Here's my old 55 (with fuge) and my new 55 (no fuge, I decided to set up a larger remote fuge)

 

 

OLD:

NEW:

 

Edited February 12, 2008 by extreme_tooth_decay

[dhogan]

I'd like to convert my existing 55 Gallon to a refugium. I've seen a few members actually do it and was wondering any good recommendations on baffle placement. A couple of other questions:

 

1) Where is a good place to buy acrylic thick enough and silicone that's aquarium safe?

2) Anyone know a good place to get my tank drilled for 2" hole? I'd like this hole to go to the pump.

 

Thanks!

 

~Joe

1) I used glass for my baffles, so can't help you there.

2) I used GE Windows Silicone I for mine, so far so good. Do not get the II because that is the mold resistant stuff.

[JoeDaddy]

Thanks for all of the help. I noticed you didn't drill your 55. What are you using to make water go to the pump? An overflow would be limited somewhat. Thanks

[Ziggy953]

From what I see in the pic it looks like he has the intake of the return pump plumbed up and over the edge of the tank. After the pump is primed (filled with water) it will draw water up, over and down to the pump and then up to his display.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

From what I see in the pic it looks like he has the intake of the return pump plumbed up and over the edge of the tank. After the pump is primed (filled with water) it will draw water up, over and down to the pump and then up to his display.

 

 

Sorry I didn't notice your question. I think I talked to you about it via PM though.

 

Ziggy is right, the pump just sucks the water over the top through the 1.5" PVC pipe you see in the pic. The first time I turned it on, I just shot some water in the pipe with a power head to prime it. Now it stays primed. No problem with power outages, etc.

 

Drilling is such a hassle. I put this together in 5 min and the PVC cost less than a bulkhead. Not to mention a drill bit and a second tank when I screw up the first one. Also, the tank in the "OLD" pic was tempered on all sides anyway.

 

tim

Edited March 27, 2008 by extreme_tooth_decay

[Antiguan]

Nice idea on the return. Would a T with threaded cap in the PVC line to pump make for an easier way to prime line?

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Nice idea on the return. Would a T with threaded cap in the PVC line to pump make for an easier way to prime line?

 

 

Sure, if you consider it a hassle. Shooting some water in there with a power head is pretty easy though (I have a power head with a couple feet of tubing connected to it, and I feed the tubing up the PVC.

 

Also, in my case, notice the gate valve on the return line that goes up to the next floor. If I take the pump out of service to clean it, I close that gate valve. Then after I reconnect the pump, I open the gate valve, and water drains into the pump from the line going upstairs, and that primes it.

 

tim

[FishWife]

We converted a 75g. We used Melve's Reef to gather ideas and then adapted our favorite schemes from there. Melev's Reef

 

 

Our first attempt was not drilled. We suspended the Dart over the tank. We had problems with microbubbles because water travelled too fast through the baffles; they were placed too close together (which was 1", as recommended). In our second attempt, they were more like 2" apart, cause we wanted more flow than 1" baffles permitted.

 

BTW, the silicone doesn't bond to the acrylic. Rather, you form troughs for the pannels that simply hold it in place, unless the water pressure bends the acrylic so much that it pops out. If you see water bowing your pannels, plan to brace them somehow.

 

In our second version, we designed it totally around the microbubble issue. We used Lowes' 1/4" acrylic, and we used silicone designed for aquariums: ask for it. Teal green tubes that say "Aquarium" in gray letters. Here are our pics. (We incorporated bubble towers and used egg crate for overflow "teeth" seen on Melev's reef, cause we lacked tools to cut crenelations. Also, we bought from BRK a 2" hole drill for glass cutting and drilled it for a new Dart placement. The results have been perfect: no microbubbles from our sump.

 

We added a bathosphere to it, too:

 

You have to have acrylic glue in order to make the bubble towers.

 

You can see more by clicking on our tank build link in my signature. Hope this helps.

Edited March 28, 2008 by FishWife

[tbittner]

Wow Marcia! Nice sump setup!