I agree with Krazie, especially with a 55 because it's long and thin. If this sump was a 40 gal breeder my recommendation would be different, but there is a way to use the best sump principles in a 55. Keep reading. I've 100's of sump-refugium setups. There are some basic principles to be considered.
Filter sock This is useful and yet it's not a bad idea to leave it off half the time. Detritus/Food coming down the drain feeds the bugs living in the Refugium, which in turn provides live food for the animals in the display.
Flow into the Skimmer All the drain water does not need to flow through the skimmer, in fact the tank does better in many ways if just 50% of the drain water goes into the skimmer. The constant turnover of water through the sump will still send all tank water through the skimmer every hour.
Flow through the Refugium There is very good reason for flow through the Refugium to be swift. Algae grows better in swift flow rather than stagnant flow. Also splitting the drain can be a source of failure. If sand is desired in this area a pan can hold it or just Crushed Coral and small rubble can be used there which isn't easily swept away in the stream.
Baffles or No? I didn't see anything about baffles. My recommendation is to not use them. The filter sock will isolate and slow the flow so the current can run past the skimmer and into the macroalgae. Without baffles the open flow of water in a larger channel allows microbubbles to rise and pop. The Macroalgae also captures bubbles so they don't make it to the return pump.
Return Pump A return pump can be maintenance free, or in other words can almost never clog if a double strainer or what I call a strainer cage is used. It's made by sewing together with fishing line, a cage of needlepoint plastic canvas. Here is an example.
In this whole thing I am the exception in the way I do sumps, but that's probably because I believe in the engineering principle KISS (Keep It Simple so that untrained(Stupid ) people can repair it in the field. Keeping it simple has worked very well for me. Complexity causes points of failure. There is a link to a good thread in the "Reefkeeping Tips" (see below in my signature line) titled http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=36396" rel="nofollow - Secrets of an Easy Refugium . That's the link directly to it. Enjoy.
Aloha, Mark
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|