RedSea Reefer sump reconfig

mvallee

Non-member
Like many Red Sea reefer owners, I found the config of the included sump on the reefer 450 very limiting and wasteful in it's space utilization. It is basically a 40B configured with baffles, socks, a fairly large central space for the skimmer and any other equipment you have and a 3G ATO with no accomodations for a refugium.
oldsump.JPG


While the benefits of a refugium are debated by many, with my old tank and the 55g sump I enjoyed spending time on the floor watching the critters in the sump almost as much as the DT itself. It was like a second tank full of weird and wonderful life. It was not clean or pristine but raw and enjoyable to watch and I always felt when the fuge was bustling with life my tank was healthy.

So after a bunch of research on how to add a Fuge and nothing was what I wanted other than some kind of cellar sump system I decided to do some reconfiguring. I very carefully removed the sock holders and accompanying ATO framework and now I can fit the Skimmer where the Socks were. I will build a sock holder in the back section on the back right where the overflow dumps into the sump for when I need it but from what I remember once you get your tank dialed in and feeding figured out socks are not really needed.
Back right is where the overflow dumps in and that white rectangle front right represents my Skimmer footprint

sump no ATO.JPG


The skimmer will get fed raw overflow water and fits that space perfectly with just a little wiggle room, I will probably figure out how to box this in so I can put sand and macro algae in the now 16"X18" fuge section
I will either go with an external ATO outside the cabinet or build a shelf that will allow me to put the ATO tank that I just removed on the front left something like this, still giving me access to the pump and not inhibiting the plumbing at all.

new sump.JPG


And of course a FTS of where I am at thus far, hoping to get this wet in the next couple weeks

fts sump.JPG
 
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I've had it for a couple years and has held up really well, fits the tank perfect. The only problem, not really a problem but you need to know what cutouts you need when you order. When I ordered I was running this as a fresh water so two cords were all the cutouts I needed but now with a saltwater I was looking at adding light brackets and another power head but with the cover it gets hard because there are no cutouts for the brackets or extra cords so I will need to hang lights from the ceiling and run cables further than i would like.
If you have been running for a while and know what you need then a non issue and this cover has held up well, I have taken it off the tank every couple weeks for tank maintenance and cleanings and no issues so far.

When I was selling my fish I left it off the tank and had a jumper within the first week so definitely saved lives too.
 
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