Highly unusual setup

[jusney]

I was at a friend of a friend's house and noticed a rather interesting tank setup. There was a DT with a pump sending water to a sump/refugium that was slightly higher than the DT. The water entered the sump and continued to the refugium and then flowed back to the DT. The owner said that the pump sending water to the sump was doing about 300 gph and that he had never had any problems with the system if power ever goes out. This is because the overflow of the sump is very high so if the power goes out them no water is going up to the DT and not much going to the DT.
Just wanted to know if anyone here has ever tried something like that. Curious to see the mechanics behind it.

 

[dakota9]

Read the OP several times, sounds like every other system w/ refugium, but his display is where the sump usually is.....

Correct?

How is all this laid out that it's aesthetically preferable to the owner?

 

[dawgface]

Only real inconvenience is the evaporation takes place at ehw DT rather than the sump.

 

[jusney]

I guess it's just that I had never seen water pumped to a sump. Aesthetically it is actually pleasing because he uses cabinetry to frame the entire setup and the refuguim section of the sump is displayed and looks like a cool planted tank. Is this setup slightly safer with respect to flooding ?

 

[grouper therapy]

dakota9;700003 wrote: read the op several times, sounds like every other system w/ refugium, but his display is where the sump usually is.....

Correct?

How is all this laid out that it's aesthetically preferable to the owner?

+1

 

[acroholic]

Any tank/sump combo should be designed so the lower tank can accept all draindown without flooding in case of a power outage. In that respect having the DT/sump reversed is no different. If draindown flooding is a concern, then the lower tank is not big enough, however you have them arranged.

 

[irahmatulla]

I have seen this application, where the sump was in the top of the canopy. The cabinet covered the "top of the tank" where there was ample room for drainage. The sump was above/behind so all maintenance could be done from behind the DT.

 

[jesse'sgirl]

only concern i see as well is the evaporation comes out of the lowest tank, in this case. the dt tank. but if set up correct it could be good.