Rubble Chamber/fuge?

[SkinnyPete]

I've got a 50 gallon cleaned and glass cut to make a sump. My only question left is where to place LR Rubble? My design has a seperate refugium of about 10 gallons (a little more) where I will keep chaeto, sand, and rock rubble. I have 60lbs of rock rubble from hirocks just awaiting a new home. I can put a lot of it in the fuge, but will have a lot left over. Is it better to create an actual chamber for the remaining lr rubble (which will take away from the size of my fuge) or can I just throw rubble underneath my skimmer riser? I need to raise my skimmer about 3-4", planned to use eggcrate and pvc, plus the tank is so wide I'll have plenty of space on the side of the skimmer to throw some rock rubble without having to compromise the size of my fuge.

Basically, I guess, the question is - although it won't be getting all the water flow like it would in it's own chamber - would rock rubble work just as well for bio filtration in the skimmer chamber as it would in its own chamber. It's the last design question that I have before construction begins.

Thanks.

- Skins

 

[dskidmore]

How much rock is going in the display tank?
How big is the display tank?

If you're thinking the tank will be overstocked for the amount of rock in the tank, then putting the rubble in a high flow area is a good idea. If you're looking for pod growth, then you need to put it in a chamber with more regulated flow.

 

[SkinnyPete]

The tank has been up for 10 months. 110 gallon with about 150lbs of rock.

I have 60lbs of rock rubble from hirocks.com...so, I will have a low flow fuge stocked with rubble, but I'll have some left over. As far as adding to biofiltration, I don't know if I should bother actually constructing a seperate chamber for the remaining rocks, or if I will get the same results from just throwing them in the skimmer chamber. I'm assuming a seperate chamber with high flow would be better.

 

[dskidmore]

It sounds like you have plenty of biofiltration already, are you having an ammonia/nitrite problem that you need so much?

 

[SkinnyPete]

No, not at all - but, the more the better. I already have the rock, so I might as well use it the most sufficient way possible.