How to Build a Sump Refugium Filter
A sump is a reservoir that is normally positioned below or behind an aquarium. Its function is to increase water volume and also to serve as an out-of-sight container in which to place unsightly pieces of aquarium equipment, such as heaters and filters. Sumps are isolated, but connected by piping to the main aquarium display. A refugium is a section of the sump filled with coral sand, in which bacteria and tiny invertebrate animals breed, free from predation by the main tank's inhabitants. Aquarium water is thus biologically filtered as it passes through the refugium. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Work bench
- Aquarium, 18-inches long by 6-inches wide by 8-inches high, 0.31-inches thick
- Two panes of glass, 6-inches by 6-inches, 0.31-inches thick
- One sheet of emery paper
- Small bottle of acetone
- Clean cloth
- Two soft towels
- One tube of non-toxic, 100 percent silicone, 10 fl. Oz
- Two match boxes
- One roll of masking tape
- 30-lbs of coral sand
- Large nylon bag, close knit (from aquarium dealer)
- 1.5-oz bottle of aquatic bacteria (in a state of suspended animation)
- Scissors
- GenX -2400 submersible pump
- Two aquarium heaters
- Fist-sized marine rock
Instructions
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1
Place the aquarium on a clean and smooth work surface.
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2
Cut the emery paper into strips and use it to sand the edges of both panes of glass.
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3
Wet the cloth with acetone and wipe the edge of both pieces of glass to remove oils from the glass cutter and any residual dirt from the emery paper.
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4
Lay both panes of glass on the towels, on the work bench.
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5
Squeeze a continuous thin bead of silicone sealer along the side-edge on both the right hand and left hand side of the first pane of glass.
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6
Measure a distance of 6-inches from the right hand side of the aquarium and make a mark on the front and back panes of the aquarium. Place both match boxes, lying flat, at equal distances from each other along an imaginary line running at the 6-inch mark, across the width of the aquarium, at the marks.
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7
Place the first piece of glass carefully into the aquarium and rest it on the match boxes. Run your finger over the silicone bead, where the first pane of glass is secured to the aquarium front and back panes.
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8
Cut three strips of tape and use them to hold the first pane of glass in position, by taping the pane to the aquarium, on both front and back walls. Because the glass pane is standing on the match boxes, there should be an opening between the bottom of the glass pane and the aquarium bottom.
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9
Measure 6-inches from the first pane of glass and make a mark on the front and back panes of the aquarium.
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10
Squeeze a continuous thin bead of silicone sealer along the side-edge on both the right hand and left hand side of the second pane of glass.
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11
Place the second piece of glass carefully into the aquarium at a distance of 6-inches from the first glass pane. Run your finger over the silicone bead, where the second pane of glass is secured to the aquarium front and back panes.
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12
Cut three strips of tape and use them to hold the second pane of glass in position, by taping the pane to the aquarium, on both front and back walls.
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13
Leave the aquarium to cure for twenty four hours.
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14
Remove the tape and match boxes.
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15
Cut the large nylon bag open, to create a single piece of nylon cloth. Place this into the first compartment of the aquarium, from the right hand side. Position half of the piece of nylon cloth on the aquarium floor at the gap under the first pane of glass and position the remainder against the first pane of glass, so that the nylon cloth forms a barrier over the gap between the bottom of the glass pane and the bottom of the aquarium.
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16
Carefully place the coral sand into the first compartment. Place it onto the nylon cloth hand full by hand full. Place sufficient sand to reach a height of 4-inches from the aquarium floor. Place the rock on the sand, in the back corner of the sand compartment.
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17
Fill the aquarium, which has been designed as a sump, with water to a height that is 1-inch above the second piece of glass pane.
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18
Place the pump into the compartment on the left hand side of the sump.
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19
Connect tubing from the pump to the main display aquarium above the sump. Connect tubing from the main display aquarium to run into the right hand side of the sump. Place the inlet tube to run onto the rock, so as not to disturb the sand.
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20
Place the two heaters into the sump, in the compartment next to the sand. Add the bottle of bacteria to the sump, by pouring it into the compartment with the sand. Turn on the sump pump.
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