I need a refugium and have no idea what to get!

[Battys Reef]

Hello, My name is Chris, i am newish to the hobby. I am losing coral and cant get my tank to settle. I have a 55 gallon cube style tank, i have had it going for almost a year, my fish are fine but i cant keep coral alive.... I really need help, I am looking to get a refugium going, I have a 10 gallon tank that i bought with the intent of turning it into a refugium for my 55 gallon tank. After reading all the info on the web about Refugiums i am completely lost lol. I Like the Aquafuge 2 HOB filter but dont have room for it... that being said will the 10 Gallon work as well as the HOB? How do you keep them form overflowing when the power goes out? also what do i put into the refugium for a reef/fish tank? I have a bio-wheel HOB filter, Fluval canister, Two 400GPH maxijet PH's and a protein skimmer. what do i keep and what do i get rid of when the refugium is up and running? Also, should i have carbon filters or not? My understanding is that carbon is bad for Saltwater/coral because they don't discriminate between chemicals, so they take out chemicals you need to keep, is this true?

I need help ASAP! I am losing coral!

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in Advance!

 

[carey]

If you go with a 10g tank as a refugium then you are going to need to get the water to the tank and will need a hang on back overflow. I would stick to a hang on type, maybe look at the smaller ones? You just need to keep some live rock rubble and macro algae in it.

What are your water parameters? That can go a long way to helping solve your coral issues. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, calcium. magnesium and alkalinity would be the numbers we will need. Also what type of lighting? And finally what are the corals in question you are having trouble with?

 

[Battys Reef]

Thanks for the quick response Carey! I am not sure the water parameters as of this minute. I have to do maintenance today and part of that is water testing. I will let you know asap. Also i have a 150W metal halide and two actinic t5's on the tank now. its an odysea fixture. the coral i have lost so far are polyps and a flame torch. My leather is hanging in there but i think he is going to die soon if i dont do something! What do you think about the Aquafuge 2? what size HOB do i need for my tank?
Thank you again =)

 

[carey]

While a 150w halide isnt that bright really, especially in a deep tank the corals you mentioned dont need excessive amounts, so I would say as of now, that lighting isnt your issue. It usually is the first thing that isnt up to par and can explain corals not doing their best.
As far as a fuge, you want the biggest you can logically fit. The more space the better. BUT I will say this, I know alot of people, ALOT swear by them but in my couple years of reefing I have not noticed any benefits to my tanks. It's your choice to give it a try if you like, and hey, it may turn out it will work for you but for me I havent had any luck. I took the refugium space in my sump and got a bigger skimmer. lol Which reminds me, are you running a skimmer? And how often are you changing the water and how much? I suspect the water parameters might be at play here. Corals can be finicky, even the easy ones on occassion. But when we see your water test results we'll have a much better picture.

 

[Battys Reef]

Yeah i have a Skimmer. I do not think it is doing its job though. no bubbles coming up to the cup at the top... I will post the parameters asap. I am getting ready to head down to the LFS to pick up an overflow box and a return pump for the ten gallon i mentioned earlier. the HOB is only 2.5 gallons..... That isnt enough is it? also how do i know what size overflow and return pump so they match up? or is that a trial by error kind of thing?

 

[bribo12]

While a 150w halide isnt that bright really, especially in a deep tank the corals you mentioned dont need excessive amounts, so I would say as of now, that lighting isnt your issue. It usually is the first thing that isnt up to par and can explain corals not doing their best.
As far as a fuge, you want the biggest you can logically fit. The more space the better. BUT I will say this, I know alot of people, ALOT swear by them but in my couple years of reefing I have not noticed any benefits to my tanks. It's your choice to give it a try if you like, and hey, it may turn out it will work for you but for me I havent had any luck. I took the refugium space in my sump and got a bigger skimmer. lol Which reminds me, are you running a skimmer? And how often are you changing the water and how much? I suspect the water parameters might be at play here. Corals can be finicky, even the easy ones on occassion. But when we see your water test results we'll have a much better picture.

I agree with Carey. If you aren't running a skimmer that would be my bet as to why the corals are going downhill. A fuge is not really going to fix your issue IMO. What is your fish stock as well? If you could list water parameters like ammonia,trites, trates, pH, calcium, alkalinity and magnesium that would help too. You aren't dosing correct?

 

[bribo12]

Yeah i have a Skimmer. I do not think it is doing its job though. no bubbles coming up to the cup at the top... I will post the parameters asap. I am getting ready to head down to the LFS to pick up an overflow box and a return pump for the ten gallon i mentioned earlier. the HOB is only 2.5 gallons..... That isnt enough is it? also how do i know what size overflow and return pump so they match up? or is that a trial by error kind of thing?

Lol I posted at the exact same time you did. Letting us know those parameters will be the best way to deduce the problem.

 

[carey]

I would say a 2.5g refuge isnt worth it, just not enough area to put stuff into.

If you get an overflow rated for 600gph then you want like a 750gph or maybe even a 900gph return pump. You have to account for the pressure the water has to travel to get back to the tank so you lose some gph depending on how far it is going. If you are going to a overflow setup then you are ditching the canister and going with a sump? This would be the time to do it. AND I just was on petco's website and they are doing their $1 a gallon sale on tank tight now!! You could get a 29g tank for less than $30 and that would be a great addition to your setup. As long as it would fit under your tank. lol
A 40g would be the best but I doubt you have the back to front space needed for one. :-(

 

[Battys Reef]

Fish stock, tang, trigger, two clowns, midas goby, sand sifting goby, yellow tail damsel, filefish. tons of hermits and a few snails....

 

[bribo12]

That trigger could be the problem

 

[Battys Reef]

How can i tell if my skimmer is working properly? it is the "sunsea"? skimmer from petco.

 

[carey]

That is an awful lot of fish for a 50g cube. lol What kind of tang btw? Hopefully not one of the large ones.........
That bioload could be a major reason issue as far as corals and the non skimming skimmer is another issue. With that much fish you really NEED a skimmer to work for you.

 

[Battys Reef]

Thank you both very much for the info. I will watch my trigger more closely but i think he is ok i havent noticed him messing with any of my coral.... sad, he is my favorite fish. yeah i have hippo tang. she is tiny though maybe 2-1/2"

 

[mr_X]

I wouldn't bother with a refugium. I'd rather invest in a better skimmer. I believe the bio load is the problem. How often are you feeding and how much? How often are you doing water changes?

That's incorrect about carbon being bad for corals btw.

 

[Gregcoyote]

You have some fish that are known to increase bioload quite a bit, the trigger and the tang. They will both outgrow your tank, so be aware of that. An efficient skimmer is my first recommendation. That should be done first before worrying about a refugium. Those fish are generating a lot of waste. That waste will greatly effect the health of your corals if it isn't disposed of.

My best bet is that your phosphate levels are too high.

 

[Battys Reef]

Greg you were right. my phosphates were way out of hand.... I got a PH buffer additive and tweaked my Seaclone100 skimmer to get it working properly. took about two hours of tinkering with it to get it dialed in. Fish are happy and water is healthy finally. I really appreciate all the feedback and help! This site rocks!!! I tried Reef Central and 2 weeks later I still haven't got a single reply.... So I truly thank you all!
Now that i have it working properly and my levels are healthy (for now) i have a few more questions...

1- My LFS told me to top off the tank daily with fresh water, no salt or tap-safe. I am very reluctant to do so but what he said made sense. he says the water evaporates but the salt doesn't so i don't need the salt, also no tap safe because i already have it in there from water changes??? any truth to this?

2- i have a green film algae on the glass that grows in a matter of hours my tanks glass has a green tint/film, how can i prevent it from growing once i clean it off the glass?

3- I am looking at the Eshopps overflow box with the wet dry filter/fuge. it is rated for 600 GPH witch would turn my water 10 times and hour. the model number is WD-125CS If someone can tell me if this is worth the $240 they are asking? or should i piece my fuge together? and what site should i be going to in order to find the best deal/products for piecing it together?

4 - what size return pump would i need with that ^^^ overflow/fuge?

That is all i have for now lol.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Gregcoyote]

1- My LFS told me to top off the tank daily with fresh water, no salt or tap-safe. I am very reluctant to do so but what he said made sense. he says the water evaporates but the salt doesn't so i don't need the salt, also no tap safe because i already have it in there from water changes??? any truth to this?

He is correct. You top off with fresh water, I suggest you use RO/DI water exclusively as you already had a phosphate problem and some tap water can contribute to that.

2- i have a green film algae on the glass that grows in a matter of hours my tanks glass has a green tint/film, how can i prevent it from growing once i clean it off the glass?

Again, excess nutrients cause the algae to grow. Some will grow regardless, but snails and a cleaner magnet will help.

3- I am looking at the Eshopps overflow box with the wet dry filter/fuge. it is rated for 600 GPH witch would turn my water 10 times and hour. the model number is WD-125CS If someone can tell me if this is worth the $240 they are asking? or should i piece my fuge together? and what site should i be going to in order to find the best deal/products for piecing it together?

That's not a bad price for one that is already set up. Look at YouTube, there are many different schemes offered there for a fuge.

4 - what size return pump would i need with that ^^^ overflow/fuge?

You would want to shoot for a pump that will turn your tank over about 10 times per hour. You can do less, but will need to increase flow with power heads. For a 55 gallon reef, shoot for 500-600 GPH.

That is all i have for now lol.
Thanks in advance![/QUOTE]



You're welcome, have a good new year.

 

[Battys Reef]

Thank you!!!

Thank you Greg, I will be getting the fuge up and running asap. I have been looking at a good Ro for the tank, will be after the fuge though. they can be pricy. I figured the algae is a constant battle kind of thing just making sure i wasnt missing something. I will let you know what i do as soon as i get it going. I truly appreciate the quick response and help! Happy New Year!!! have a great day!

 

[mr_X]

You must use tap water conditioner for any water you add to the tank. You have things like chlorine in the water that will need to be detoxified. The idea that a weekly addition of a tap water conditioner to your tank will protect the tank indefinitely is not something that I would trust to be true.
Using it more, will not hurt anything, but using it less than necessary, will.

 

[Battys Reef]

That's what I was thinking Mr x. So I cant overdose with tap safe? That's what he told me, I would overdose the tank with tap safe and kill coral and then fish if I continued.

B-)