above tank refuge

[jokersplayground]

Ok so I want to do a refuge but don't have the money for a overflow box. So I was think of putting a 10g above the tank mounted on the wall. My question is do I need to screw it in to the studs or will I be ok just to screw it right to the wall?

 

[aresangel]

With that much weight I would make sure it is into the studs and perfectly balanced for the shelf. Each gallon of water is about 8-9 pounds. Dry wall won't be able to hold that much weight (+rocks and anything else)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jokersplayground]

One of my thoughts on have the refuge above the tank is that pods that will come from it will not get mashed up and that they will just flow back down to the dt.

 

[aresangel]

I would also suggest a brace coming down from the shelf as well to make a triangle with the wall


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Coalminer]

With that much weight I would make sure it is into the studs and perfectly balanced for the shelf. Each gallon of water is about 8-9 pounds. Dry wall won't be able to hold that much weight (+rocks and anything else)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, imagine hanging an 80 lb bag of quickcrete on the wall...

 

[jokersplayground]

Ok that's what I figured but didn't want to do anything till I asked

 

[mnavick]

How are you pumping the water up?
If power fail, make sure you have a back-flow preventer or the ability in the DT to take on the extra volume.

Overflow can be done many ways and for cheap.

 

[jokersplayground]

I was thinking a mj 900 or 1200. I would have a few holes drilled into the return line.

 

[nemodan]

I have a MJ 1200 pumping water to my fuge that is 1 f above the DT. It is in fish room beside the DT. Water goes and come back through the wall. I did a stand for the fuge.

The return from the fuge are ~ 1" below the top. I have 2 returns to reduce the water pressure and avoid the strainers be blocked by the Algae

 

[nemodan]

Pictures of my fuge:






If pumps stop, only half an inch of water volume goes from the fuge to the tank.

The fuge water level is up to the start of the bulkheads. The pump from the tank push another 1/2 " until start to drain to the tank. That is the amount of water that goes back if pumps stop. I NEVER had an overflow of the tank.

I stop all the system every weekend for WC that now is done in the fuge (40G breeder). I empty half fuge, fill it with new water and re-start the pump. All goes back to equilibrium without any issues.

Cheers