[Ratpack]

I have completed a sump for my 75g but need a little help in deciding if I should incorporate a fuge. The sump is a 30 gallon tank, 36x12x16. After I sectioned off the section for my DIY skimmer, I am left with a section that is 16 1/2 x 12 x 16 for a return section. My original plan was to use a seperate 10g as a fuge , but I am concerned about space under the stand of a 75g. What I am now thinking is sectioning off the 16 1/2 section in to a 10" and a 6 1/2". Then use the 10" as a fuge, but I am concerned the return will then be too small. Should I just scrap the fuge idea? I know the skimmer and sump are more important, but a fuge would be nice. I am hoping someone may be more creative than me and I can have both.

[scubadude]

Kind of hard to say w/out a diagram to go by, but I think I understand what you are saying. I would glue/silicone little slots that make your baffle(s) able to slide in and out....in other words dont glue them permanently in yet and do some test runs on them to see how they fair. Definately work with trying to make a fuge in your sump!

[Ratpack]

Actually the baffles are already in place. I placed my skimmer in the sump and then put the baffles at the closest point they could be and allow the skimmer to go in and out. That left me with about 16 1/2" of linear length in the 30 gallon tank for a return section. The fuge would be part of that if I do one. I was reading some yesterday and it appears that most people use a fuge for pods to breed and that a gravity feed into the main is more desirable so they don't get chopped in a return pump. I guess I should also mention that I plan to run either one or two reactors, one at least with carbon and perhaps another with phosphate remover. So, some have said that a fuge isn't really necessary since the phosphate remover would do the job of the cheato. But everything is still up in the air as I am just doing the planning now with the exception of the skimmer and sump baffles.

I toyed yesterday with the idea of building a cabinet on one side of my stand that I could house all my maintenance gear and perhaps make it so that the 10g could fit and then gravity feed from there. Any of this make sense?

[Reefland]

That return section wouldn't be too small as long as the tank was topped off daily (which it should be anyway). That is about the size of the return section in our sump and it is only a 20gal sump.

[Ratpack]

Are you saying the 16 1/2" isn't too small or after it is sectioned off for a fuge, it wouldn't be too small?

[ivgonmad]

My 29g Sump/Refugium FTS

Skimmer & Filter Sock Section

Return Pump Intake Section & Phosban Reactor/Refugium Pump

Refugium

[joker_kokoo]

trdsa

[Sarmo]

i had the same problem. my small sump has two sections. total size is 42long x21wide. the skimmer, macro algae and mech filters are in the 36 x 21 section and the return pump pulls from a 6 x 21 section. i have an auto top off so i don't worry about the small chamber running dry. if you get an auto top off you should make sure you get a two switch system. (it sucks when your auto top off runs 100 gallons of RO into you sump and tank, bad things happen)

[scubadude]

Originally Posted by Ratpack

Are you saying the 16 1/2" isn't too small or after it is sectioned off for a fuge, it wouldn't be too small?

I dont think it will be too small Ratpack, you may have to do some modifications if you get any slurping/bubbles/intake entrapping of macroalgae but that will more than likely have to be fine tuning of your tank as you mature it. My return was right next to my fuge on my sump too...and my return was smaller than that on my 240g if memory serves me right...my pump was a 2400gph and I also had my Ca Reac dripping and my autotopoff in that return section and I would get calerpa clog my intake grate after so long...also calcification...the mix of calerpa and calcification would form almost a cement after months if I did not clean it...so I had a spare grate that I would just unscrew the dirty one and replace w/clean one while I cleaned the dirty one. I had to do this about once a month.

[Ratpack]

Thanks all, I was surprised to see this pop back up. I have actually decided to not do a fuge at all. I hope that since my tank will be bare bottom, that I can control the phosphates and such by keeping the tank cleaner. But what I did do just in case is put a section of eg crate in the return portion so I can run carbon and GFO or similar in filter bags.