Rubbermaid

[Zack]

I will be using a rubbermaid for a sump/refugium. what things do i need before i start to fill out what do i need to.

[paulsreef]

Get your plumbing hardware all set (bulkheads, fittings, tubing, etc)

Sand? No sand?

Rock?

Return pump?

Skimmer?

[Zack]

I am upgrading my 15 gallon fuge to this 50 gallon rubber maid. So most of it will be fuge with sand, one small part for a hang on skimmer, and a last for a return.

So should skimmer be before fuge or after? any cleaning for rubbermaid? :)

[paulsreef]

Are you going to section them off from each other... acrylic or something?

[Zack]

yes for the fuge to seprte it out from return/skimmer so can the skimmer go after the fuge or is it better for the skimmer to be before?

also what abouty cleaning the rubbermaid, just wash it out???

[Zack]

is the rubbermaid safe to use or will it leach chemicles??

[paulsreef]

I've never had a problem with them, nor have I heard any reports on them leaching chemicals.

Yes, I Dont Think That They Will Leach Any Chemicals

[Macbeth417]

First off let us assume that by fuge you mean a refugium in the traditional sense, a seperate area were fauna can grow without predation and not in the macro algal nutrient sink sense that it is often mis-used (imo) today.


Zach, using the definition above, the Skimmer should be before the fuge or simple not in line with it. In my opinion there is no valid reasoning behind sending pods or other planktonic organisms through your skimmer. Additionally sending them through two pumps (Skimmer and return) is in no way beneficial to the system.

Rubbermaid is perfectly safe. However, you have to consider that they are made with much more elastic material than say an acrylic refugium and thus they are much harder to alter. I recently helped a friend fix a bulkhead that was leaking in a Rubbermaid (silicone city!) because the side-walls can flex a great deal. This flex makes them harder to add perminant baffles, deviding walls or bulkheads to.

Anyway hope that answered some of your questions. I only scanned the thread so just post back if I didn't answer something for you.

-Erik

"for here there is no place that does not see you.
You must change your life."