My first sump/fuge

[mantis32]

So I bought camz28's 30gallon tank to use for my sump/fuge for my 55gal.

I created three main sections with the two 1" apart baffles before it gets to the return.

Water overflows into the first compartment where the skimmer is and heater will be, then into the 2nd where the refugium is through the baffles and into the 3rd where the mag9.5 pump takes it up.

Problems:
*My Euroreef ES-4 skimmer says keep the water level between 6-8", so I built my walls to be be 7" not thinking I could have built them higher and just put the skimmer on top of something. So I've already limited the full use of my sump/fuge.
*My second problem the one that I'm more concerned about is that my water level is at a happy medium of about 2" higher than my dividers. The water still goes through the baffles, but I'm worried that the point of the refugium is lost because water will just pass over instead of going through. Is this a problem I should be concerned about? Should I take water out, so that it isn't 2" higher than my dividers?

 

[mikem]

1: Why can't you fill the sump higher? And raise the skimmer.
2: You can add an extention piece to the top of the highest baffel. Just cut a few inch piece and silicone it on top of it.
Is there any concern? Only if your getting micro bubbles in the display tank.

 

[mantis32]

At the moment, that's what I did, I put the skimmer on top of some round tupperware. I was skimming wet and now I'm skimming nothing at all. Will have to do some more trial and error.

I really hated cutting the optix and caulking it into place, so I'm dreading having to add an extension piece, but it seems that's what I will have to do to get more use out of the sump/fuge. For now I took water out of it, to bring the water level to the top of the divider.

I just don't see how the refugium does its work if the water just passes over the top of it as opposed to somehow being forced to go through it which I have yet to see.

 

[mikem]

The water will circulate thru the fuge, you just don't see it. You don't want massive flow thru there anyway. You want it to be a comfortable breeding grounds for Pods and other things.

 

[mantis32]

Okay. So then would it be okay, to raise the water level to be about 2" higher than my dividers? The water would still go through the baffles to remove any bubbles.