refuge build

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

microd0t

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jan 22, 2013
Messages
55
Turning my 20 long into refuge for a new 45 or 50 gal. I'm hopeing to do this this weekend but I just have a couple questions before I start, how many gallons dose a 20 gal refuge filter? How many gals should I make my main tank? And I have a hob skimmer, can I run 2 skimers one in refuge and one in tank? And lastly what's your best designs?
 
Theres no set number. It will greatly depend on the size and amount of fish along with feeding schedule. Rule of thumb is go as big as you can't fit. I use a 20 long sump/fuge on my 46 and I've seen people use them on larger.
 
This is the tank I'm converting.
 

Attachments

  • ForumRunner_20130125_172533.jpg
    ForumRunner_20130125_172533.jpg
    62.7 KB · Views: 111
Oh wow, that sailfin needs a MUCH larger tank. 180s are what's reccomended.
 
Are you planning a sump/refugium or just a refugium? Will it be above or below the main tank? What are your primary goals for the refugium (i.e. what do you hope to accomplish with it)? What types of macroalgae and invertes are you hoping to maintain and why?

As was stated already, the bigger the better. IME deeper tanks rather than shallow tanks are also better, as they provide more area for overflow collection in the event of a power failure while maintaining a better volume of water in normal opporation (only a consideration if you are considering a fuge below the main tank).
 
My sailfin is the main reason for the upgrade I'm wanting to give him a 55 for now but he needs a 75 at least, when I bought him he was in a 2 gal prison so I thought he would be ok till I did some research. I looked at refuge sumps and all have a skimmer in them but I already have a hob skimmer, should I use 2 or use filter media in the intake water chamber?
The fuge us going to be below the main tank, and since there's room I was also thinking about doing a hob fuge off of my refuge, good idea or bad?
The microalgae was another thing I don't know much about, what's the best ones to be useing under a t5 high output fixture?
(I knew I was gonna catch some big tang small tank heat :p I'm sorry guys I'm trying to get him some more room.)
 
Hopefully buying my new display tank tommorow hopefully 45 - 55 gal what's the best way to move my live stock over. 20 gal ro water then 20 gal tank water?
 
Got my new 60 gal display tank today the 55 was only 10 bucks cheeper so I went with the 60

ForumRunner_20130127_143829.jpg

This pick shows how much more room my sailfin will have only a couple more days:)

ForumRunner_20130127_143759.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom