Skimmer and refugium in same chamber

[Simon Reefing]

Good afternoon! I had a quick question can i add my skimmer to my fuge separated by egg crate and maybe some foam? i had another thread and a helpful user gave me this idea. I have a waterbox marine 110.5 stock sump. I’m not worried about water level or micro bubbles since the return pump is in another chamber and I have an air bubble trap before. My main concern are killing pods and having chateo being sucked up

 

[Greg P]

Aside from your concerns, if you're lighting the fuge I'd be concerned with light causing growth inside the skimmer.

 

[Arego]

I've done similar, the biggest thing is make a cage out of some rigid plastic similar to the smaller kind that can go between sump baffles to cover the inlet of the skimmer. Strands will sneak through and get jammed in the needle wheel.

Don't worry so much about containing it, figure out a good way to pre filter and keep the tiny floaters and strands out of the skimmer. As for light I just wrapped a towel around my skimmer reaction chamber using rubber bands to eliminate light inside. The chaeto will grow and keep the light out of the skimmer beneath the water line.

Hope that helps some.

 

[dedragon]

Aquamesh Black 1 - Extra Coarse - Lifegard

Progressive density mesh mechanical filtration system can be used as a system or separately. Aquamesh #1 is great for removal of large debris and free floating particles most commonly used as a first stage to allow longer use of finer stages between cleanings. Dimensions:19.5" x 24" x 1.5"...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I would use this to seperate them if it works in you sump, it is rigged and can be cleaned easy. It will just stop any pieces of im guessing chaeto from going through to the skimmer intake

 

[Arego]

Exactly like that. A straggler here and there might get by but if you double it up and box out the pump intake the chaeto can free float around the rest of the skimmer and chamber.

A seraded blade cuts that stuff really easy, otherwise you'll struggle with any scissors. In another system I used that between two chambers to prevent macro algae making it's way to the skimmer because it will and it'll add up.

 

[Simon Reefing]

Thank you all! I will give it a try thank you all!

 

[Simon Reefing]

Exactly like that. A straggler here and there might get by but if you double it up and box out the pump intake the chaeto can free float around the rest of the skimmer and chamber.

A seraded blade cuts that stuff really easy, otherwise you'll struggle with any scissors. In another system I used that between two chambers to prevent macro algae making it's way to the skimmer because it will and it'll add up.

Do you think getting a ruby trigger sump 30 would be a better choice?

 

[Arego]

Don't know anything about it to say one way or another. If it has a dedicated refugium section and it is setup In a way that makes sense for your system, go for it.

 

[dedragon]

Do you think getting a ruby trigger sump 30 would be a better choice?

I would do the trigger systems tideline 30 or sapphire 26 over the ruby. The ruby has lines going straight into the filter socks, much easier/quicker to change out filter socks on the tideline or the sapphire.
Though i do think it is easier to just stick a piece of the lifegard filter mesh in there between the sump and refugium for $30 to serve the same job as one extra piece of glass/acrylic baffle. Could always try it and if it doesnt work just use the filter mesh as filter mesh on the new sump, but it will prob work fine. What protein skimmer are you using/ footprint?

 

[Simon Reefing]

I would do the trigger systems tideline 30 or sapphire 26 over the ruby. The ruby has lines going straight into the filter socks, much easier/quicker to change out filter socks on the tideline or the sapphire.
Though i do think it is easier to just stick a piece of the lifegard filter mesh in there between the sump and refugium for $30 to serve the same job as one extra piece of glass/acrylic baffle. Could always try it and if it doesnt work just use the filter mesh as filter mesh on the new sump, but it will prob work fine. What protein skimmer are you using/ footprint?

Thank you so much for the help! I think I am going to try that filter mesh. I rather try 30 dollars then spend hundreds on sort of the same solution. I am running the nyos 160. I think it’s like 9 by 12 or smaller. My main reason for wanting to try the mesh is because the light pollution will still happen no matter what sump since my light is not super close to the water. And using the mesh equals some what the same size I would get with the new sump but I lose a built in AIO. I will take a look at the sump you listed though because the ruby filter socks did concern me. Again thank you for everything!

 

[Simon Reefing]

I would do the trigger systems tideline 30 or sapphire 26 over the ruby. The ruby has lines going straight into the filter socks, much easier/quicker to change out filter socks on the tideline or the sapphire.
Though i do think it is easier to just stick a piece of the lifegard filter mesh in there between the sump and refugium for $30 to serve the same job as one extra piece of glass/acrylic baffle. Could always try it and if it doesnt work just use the filter mesh as filter mesh on the new sump, but it will prob work fine. What protein skimmer are you using/ footprint?

Also do you know if petco or petsmart have something similar I couldn’t find anything but prefer to use those than BRS

 

[dedragon]

 

[dedragon]

 

[dedragon]

Im getting in the green one on thursday to try it out, so i can let you know how that one is working/ how coarse it is when i get it, black is super coarse and will never clog i just want to see if the green may be better with microbubbles, wont be an issue for you with a bubble trap

 

[dedragon]

any reason you prefer petco over BRS though? I use petco for cheap stuff but i find myself needing to use brs to just get any other reef stuff myself as petco just doesnt have much