Plans for Refugiums

[RevClyburn]

Heylo everyone,

does anyone have plans for a rubbermaid fuge? Thinking about building one, before I go the aquarium route. My current W/D will do, as long as I keep it clean, but want to add more life to my tank and the fuge will do that for sure.
So if you have plans, a outline for a fuge, please post them so I can get a idea of what I need to do.

thanks

revclyburn

 

[RevClyburn]

thanks everyone for all your great ideas, they really helped

revclyburn

 

[RichT]

thanks everyone for all your great ideas, they really helped

revclyburn

Hmmmm.... I guess I must of missed something. I don't see any ideas...

I had a leaky ca reactor I put into a rubbermaid tub that I raised a little higher than the sump. I drilled a hole for a 3/4" uni-seal, shoved a piece of 3/4" pvc pipe in the uni-seal and let the reactor leak. When the water eventually reached the height of the pipe it simply leaked into back into the sump. Someone (I think Phyllis) asked me "is that your drip rate?" pointing at the water fast dripping out of the pipe. I had to reply "No, thats my leak rate!" D'oh....lol











It was funny at the time. I guess you had to be there.
Anyway, you can do the same thing by feeding it with the tank drain or power head and let it overflow back into the sump. I would use bigger pipes though. Say 1½" maybe - 2 of them.

Good Luck

 

[concept3]

ed, how big of a rubbermaid fuge were you thinking? were you thinking just fuge OR sump with fuge? dimension and gallon wise? it's gonna be hard to baffle the rubbermaid to do a sump/fuge, as most of them budge a bit because of the plastic walls, you'd need to find a super rigid one.

 

[Marcelog]

You can just put a smaller rubbermaid container inside the larger one and you have an instant "baffle". Typically the stands braces will keep the tubs from bowing too much.

Marcelo -

 

[RevClyburn]

Thanks everyone

I was reminded by my sister that I left a tank at her house. She put it my aunts basement when she moved. It's a 38 gal with a mirror back. Was my first reef tank back in the good old days. I'm going to use that as my sump/refugium. I have been looking at some pictures of sumps, and I think I have the jest of what to do. I have to make the run up there and get it. Then I can figure out for sure where everything should go. I hope it's not broken, been there for a couple of years. I'll post pics as I go along, maybe a log of what I did for thos like me that don't have a clue. I also need to get some glass for the baffles, or would plexi be just as good?

edwin

 

[jazzsam]

You may have issues connecting the two together. I have seen people say they have problems and some sucess. I usually go glass to glass and so on just incase. The last thing you want is for a baffle to fall out when everything is running great!

 

[RevClyburn]

then I'll go with glass,

but going to have to have the edges smoothed down, not about to cut myself to peices when I have to adjust or clean something. Any idea when I can get that done at? When did some of you guys get your glass cut at? Plus, I have 2 skimmers, my old counter current and a venturi, I would love to use both, but where can I, or should I put them in the sump? Before the refugium or after, placing the return pump in one corner, the fuge in the middle, and skimmer(s) in the smae area as the return pump? What would be best?

these are the dimensions: 38 Gallon 36 1/4 x 12 5/8 x 19 3/4

edwim

 

[jazzsam]

I heard you can get glass cut at Home Depot or a local glass store really cheap.

 

[Carlo]

Another thing you can do is get a couple thick (3/8 to 1/2" and about 1/4" wide) blocks of glass cut from scrap to use as "guides". You would use 4 total. 2 guides on each side. Then you can glue plexiglass across the tank inbetween the guides. Basically the guides keep the plexiglass from moving out of place and the glue just keeps it "water tight" without really "holding" it in place.

Just another way to do it that works.

Carlo