Incorporating a refuge into a sump

[bph]

Anyone out there have one of those rubbermaid 100g stock tanks and have sectioned it off and made a partial refuge from it? If so, how? pics?

 

TIA,

Brian

[L8 2 RISE]

I have one... except the whole thing is a refugium... these things are pretty hard to section off. I would say the easiest/best way would be to use eggcrate. Or just don't even bother sectioning it off.

[Origami]

You can section it off by setting another container inside the stock tank.

[bph]

I have one... except the whole thing is a refugium... these things are pretty hard to section off. I would say the easiest/best way would be to use eggcrate. Or just don't even bother sectioning it off.

 

That is what I have now, but my issue is the plants are getting sucked into my external pump. I have installed a T on the bulkhead sticking into the tank, and put some gutterguard material burrito'd into the T to act as a mesh. So far, it seems to block most of the plants from getting chopped and sent to the main display, but flow of water moves the plants to hover over the intake. Just got me thinking on how others might have done it.

[rioreef]

You can section it off by setting another container inside the stock tank.

 

 

I just have a 29g sump with a section partitioned off and the water flows over the top edge into the return section. I do not get any plant material going over. If it close, I just push the mass of plants material down into the fuge further.

 

By taking Tom's suggestion, the same might work with the second container having water pumped into it and letting if overflow out. Set the height of this fuge just above the sumps water and you would not get much splashing either.

[bph]

I just have a 29g sump with a section partitioned off and the water flows over the top edge into the return section. I do not get any plant material going over. If it close, I just push the mass of plants material down into the fuge further.

 

By taking Tom's suggestion, the same might work with the second container having water pumped into it and letting if overflow out. Set the height of this fuge just above the sumps water and you would not get much splashing either.

 

Sounds like that is the way to go... now just to figure out what a good inner tank would be.

[zygote2k]

If you like, I can cut you a piece of foam that will fit cross wise in the middle of the sump if you give me measurements.

The foam will be 2 inches thick and slow the water considerably in the fuge section. Since it is porous, it will grow tons of things on the surface and allow diffusion.

[Origami]

Sounds like that is the way to go... now just to figure out what a good inner tank would be.

 

Since there's very little pressure on the inner container, just about any container that's a little taller than your water height should work - a smaller rubbermaid, even a small plastic trash can cut down to size. You can drill holes in the wall to allow water to flow freely between the two - just make it small enough to keep the macro contained.

[rioreef]

Just have a tube going from the main sump area off a powerhead and into and down to the bottom of the fuge container. This will keep detritus suspended and the water will just upwell out of the container.