The sump is finished

I have been wanting to get a Mandarin, but have only a 20 gallon reef tank. Lots of Pods, but have read that a Mandarin should not go in less than 40 gallons. So I decided to build a 20 gallon sump/refugium as a place to raise more pods and get the equipment out of my main tank.

Finally got my sump finished and added the macroalgae. Built my own filter sock, because the ones I had from a purchase of some saltwater equipment were waaaayyyy to big (7" diameter and 12" long - that would have taken up the entire space where my protein skimmer and heaters are). I went to the hardware store and bought a 4" to 3" PVC reducer, rubber banded a large whisper filter bag on it and dropped it into the 3" receiving partition of my sump. The four inch part rests on the baffle and it makes a great filter sock. Eventually, I will probably build my own overflow from the main tank also. The one I put on it takes up the entire end of the 20 long tank... talk about overkill! It would probably handle a pump with 4 or 5 times the capacity of my little Rio 600. Since my sump is a low-flow sump (better for the refugium part and that's the main purpose... so I can get a Mandarin), I left one HOB filter on my main tank. I guess, technically it would be HOE on my tank, since it hangs on the end opposite the overflow. It is there more for the flow than for its filtering capabilities. It discharges across the front of the tank, while the sump pump discharges from the opposite end across the back of the tank.

Gotta work on some decent lighting for the sump next. I think I am going to use LED lighting for it.
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WOW! Amazing work. Looks like that'd work very well!

Thanks Mikey,
So far everything is working well. I don't like the amount of time it takes for the system to shutdown so I can feed the main tank without all the food going into the overflow. It takes at least five minutes for the levels to equalize and the flow to stop. I think I am going to build my own overflow on a much smaller scale and with a shutoff gate valve on its discharge. That way I can shut off the return pump and close the valve. It should be a quicker way to stop the flow. Another possibility is perhaps to raise the overflow above the water level. I can't do that with the current one. Everything is so oversized that there is no flexibility.
I guess the lighting is more critical than that. I don't know how long the macroalgae will survive with the current lighting.

You have done a great job with your whole setup, and also a great illistration with the picture.

The macro should do fine under that lighting. I have mine under a 65W i think...6500k flood light from home depot. the other tank it is under 96w pc lighting which I think is too much wattage.

Thanks for the comments, Addicted and lilfishie.

As for the macro doing alright under its current lighting, I am concerned about that. It is only a 15 watt fluorescent and it is 7-8" above the tank with a lens cover on the fixture. I was thinking I needed more light than that on the macro and even wondered if I need some blue light.

This is probably TMI, but this whole setup is in a small bathroom! (Great view from the throne!)

How much does a set up like that cost to assemble?

I got most of that stuff free or real cheap on Craigslist and here on WFB. I have no idea how much it would cost to start from scratch. I'm sure I have less than $50 in it. It has taken about 8 months to get it that far.

I added some LED lights over the refugium and it seems to be doing very well. It is absolutely teeming with pods and the macro keeps trying grow past its compartment. I have to redirect it almost daily. Not that long ago I only saw the pods at night with a flashlight. Now they are everywhere, even in the middle of the day... I'm ready for my Mandarin, as soon as I find a reasonably priced one. I am also wanting to add a small Blue Tang and another Ocelaris Clown. After that... I guess I'll want to go bigger and better! Who's addicted???... not me!!!

I also added a few fish to the live rock part of the sump. Not "non-reef-safe", but just fish I don't want in my main tank. So, now when people ask if I have saltwater fish for sale, I don't have to say, "no".

thats a nice setup.
im currently rigging up a 20gallon long as a sump for my 30gallon hex, i like the "for sale" baffle, im taking notes...