Need help setting up my sump/fuge

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mikedel

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Oct 27, 2003
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Ok so I have my sump/fuge built now and put together a light for it. I stole the 24w PC out of my stock nano cube hood when I bought the quadlight. Here is my shoping list.
CPR BakPak
PanWorld 30px return pump
SCWD
Any suggestions on differant equipment would help.
Now come some more questions. Im fixing to set up the fuge and get it cycling. Im going to order 5 pounds of garf grundge from GARF, find someone with some sand to trade and buy one of these refugium kits from florida pets. http://floridapets.tripod.com/refug.html
Im not sure if I should buy the "Booster Mix" the "Starter Mix" or the "Macro Booster" and buy my own snails and stuff. Which do yall think would be best? What other critters should I stock my fuge with? should I keep any astreas of hermits or anything in there? Should I build a plenum for the sand bed?

Now for plumbing. Havent done much plumbing before so I have a million dumb question on it.
-What size bulk head should I use for the overflow?
-I want the use vinyl hose instead of PVC for my plumbing, so what size tubing should I get?
-What do I need to get to connect the tubing to the PVC.
-I would also like to run my lines through the top of my stand behind my tank. I was thinking if taking a hole saw and cutting holes in the top of the stand and getting something I could mount to the top of the stand and attach vinyl tubing to it on top and bottom, that way I have something like a water fixture behind the tank instead of hoses hanging there.
-Also thinking of drilling holes for the returns. what size bulk heads would I need for these holes. I was thinking one on th left and one on the right.
-Is something like this MPPC2, seen here http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc..._Code=lockline, what I would need to connect the return nozzles to the bulkheads?
Like I said before I have never done anything like this before, but if yall help me figure out what all I will need for this project Im sure I can figure out how to put it all together. I will just need to make sure I add a mop and a few extra buckets to the shopping list before I turn everything on.
Im sure I will have lots more questions during this project, but this should get me pointed in the right direction.


Thanks,
Mike
 
A lot of questions, and I can't do them all in one shot. Here's a start.

First, I am having a slow morning, and can't figure out the size of the tank or the fuge. Is the bakpak for the main tank or the fuge?

I love the pan world pumps, by the way. Cheaper than Iwaki but just as good. How will it connect to the sump?

As far as the kits go, I like the "booster mix," for the mix of macros and detritivores. I am not a big fan of caulerpa, though. It has a tendency to sneak into the main tank. A few ceriths or astreas would probably do well in the fuge, but I also like the little strombus grazers that IPSF sells. They breed like crazy in my fuge, and keep the macros pretty clean.

I would avoid hermits in the fuge. Although some species are peaceful, the idea of a fuge is to provide a safe place where parents, eggs and larvae will be able to live and grow without being hassled.

With regard to the plumbing, with the 30 PX, you have 3/4" male threaded fittings, and the SCWD works with 5/8" tubing. So, one possibility is to use 5/8" tubing all around, with adaptors (3/4" female to 5/8" barb) to connect to the pump. Because the pump is putting out less than 250 gph, I don't think the flow restriction of 5/8" tubing will cause cavitation.

What helps me a lot in the planning stages is the US Plastic catalog. It lays out all the possible fittings and tubing, then you go online and order what you want.

This will probably take a several rounds of back and forth, with other people chiming in, so be patient.
 
Sorry I forgot to mention. This is for my nano. Both the main tank and the fuge are 10g tanks. All my equipment will be going into the sump/fuge, except for a small power head in the main tank.
Im not sure how I will connect the pump to the fuge. Im putting the fuge in a cabinet under the main tank. I was thinking of just setting the pump on the shelf above the fuge and running PVC from the sump to the pump. Then running the pump to the SCWD and into the main tank. I would really like to run the 2 outlets from the SCWD straight through the top of the stand to a pair of ball valves. That way I can cut back the flow easily while I feed.
 
Well, that arrangement with the pump probably won't work. I don't think the pump is self-priiming, so it can't operate above the sump. You could:
-put the pump next to the sump and drill the sump or have a u-tube going to the pump.
-spend half the money, and get a mag3 that will pump a few more gph, and which can be plopped directly into the sump.

-What size bulk head should I use for the overflow?
Click to expand...
You won't have a lot of flow, so 1" will be more than adequate.

-Also thinking of drilling holes for the returns. what size bulk heads would I need for these holes. I was thinking one on th left and one on the right.
Click to expand...
depends on what you plan to plumb with. With only 200 gph or less coming out of your scwd (after flow loss from head pressure and bends, you could easily use 1/2" tubing after the scwd and hook it to 1/2" bulkheads. Your link isn't working, so I don't know what you want to hook it to.

I would really like to run the 2 outlets from the SCWD straight through the top of the stand to a pair of ball valves.
Click to expand...
I'd run a line straight up to the scwd and use it as a tee at the top. You want to have as few bends as possible to preserve flow, even though it may not look as elegant. Why not a single ball valve before the scwd?

-I would also like to run my lines through the top of my stand behind my tank. I was thinking if taking a hole saw and cutting holes in the top of the stand and getting something I could mount to the top of the stand and attach vinyl tubing to it on top and bottom, that way I have something like a water fixture behind the tank instead of hoses hanging there.
Click to expand...
You mean some kind of manifold. Here's one kind, maybe not what you're looking for.
57168p.jpg

Hunt around US plastics, maybe you'll find something.
 
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