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Converting a marine sump to freshwater

2603 Views 4 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  zerodameaon, 
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As posted in my other thread, I'm considering switching from saltwater to freshwater and I'd like to reuse as much of my equipment as possible. I have an Eshopps R-300 sump/refugium and I'm looking for input on how to use it. I assume I can leave the refugium section as-is and plant it but how would I set up the former skimmer section? Partition it for different media? If so, how many partitions and what media?

Just a quick explanation of my attachment... Water comes in through the two inlets and fills a hidden compartment. Most of the water spills over into the 7" sock while some enters the refugium through the 3 slits on the left. The water from the sock area travels under the refugium into the skimmer section then dumps into the return about half way up the left wall.

Thanks!

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About all you need in a refugium for FW are the filter socks for mechanical filtration. There is no need to put any anything in the refugium section or the skimmer section, because it's a planted tank. However you could plant some things there if you wanted to. You could also place biological or chemical media there. You can also put your heater there, keeping it out of the display tank. but your likely already doing that.

Yea, it's going to look kind of bleak compared to all the equipment you can put in there with a reef, but it will work fine.
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ichy
I would cut a couple pieces of poret foam to fit in the skimmer area to create a couple walls for the water to flow through. that would be a great surface for BB and then just throw you return submersible pump into the skimmer area and be done.
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You can slip a Co2 reactor into the sump as well, possibly with its own pump (taking from and returning to the sump) to avoid lowering return flow. You could even throw a light over the refugium and grow plants there too.
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zerodameaon
The skimmer section would be good for fish who need a time out for various reasons but don't actually need to be removed from the tank for treatment etc. I built my sump and have a refugium section that a few fish and a frog live in since they refuse to stay in the display tank and like to ride the overflow. In your case the skimmer section would be better since it is bigger.
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