skimmer question

[VB68]

This might be a dumb question,but won't know if I don't ask.... Can a skimmer be setup so that the water goes thru the skimmer first, then into a sump with refugium and back to the tank? Was thinking this way all the water going to the refugium would be skimmed first.???????

 

[fastrd400]

They make external skimmers that do sit outside your sump. But to answer your question, not really. No skimmer I am aware of would be able to keep up with the overflow.

 

[phastroh]

Well you could have a pump that pumps water to your skimmer from the first chamber or just use the skimmer pump if it has one and have it release the clean water into the refugium.

A lot of people drill the first chamber of their sumps and add a Bulkhead so they can have water go to their sump.

My skimmer is in the second chamber of my sump and I have a hang on refugium in my return chamber for my Chaeto and Rock. I also have some rock on the bottom of the second chamber.

I only worry that if my return pump breaks the skimmer pump will burn out but the pump sits about 2 inches under the water line in the chamber so it may just run in a circle after it can no longer dump the water high enough to overflo into the third chamber.

I posted 2 pix.

1 is the way my sump is set up. Pardon the scale as I just wanted to make clear what stuff is. My Hang on refugium has a little pump that pumps water through it and the return pump is behind it.

The other is how most people who want what you want do it. At least that is all I have seen.

The black circle in the first chamber is my Nano powerhead I like to have to keep the bottom clean. It works on mine.