What to put in my fuge?

[CleverBs]

I am going to do a fuge for my 40. I'm thinking I'm going to use a 10 or 14 g rubber maid. What ever one fits best. I want chaeto in it with some life rock. But should I do a deeps sand bed? I don't really know how to be critters in the fuge because the 40g was cycled with only live rock. I have pods in a 4g that has been breeding but what else do I want in the fuge? Ill be running 2 t5ho lights when my tank lights are off.

 

[Gboy66]

How about mangroves, cheato, a DSB, and pods? That sounds good to mee!

 

[CleverBs]

I don't think I can do mangroves because I'm not going to have much clearance from the top of the tub an the top of the stand/workbench. Are the benifical organism in a dsp bacteria and will grow on their own or do I need to seed them? Do I want course or fine sand?

 

[Gregcoyote]

I don't think I can do mangroves because I'm not going to have much clearance from the top of the tub an the top of the stand/workbench. Are the benifical organism in a dsp bacteria and will grow on their own or do I need to seed them? Do I want course or fine sand?

Bacteria will seed on their own from the water flow. Chaeto Algae is my favorite if you have the lighting to grow it. I like corse aragonite or crushed coral as fine sand goes anaerobic too easily and I like the buffering crushed coral provides, but just my opinion.

 

[fort384]

I run my fuge with chaeto, and some live rock rubble - bare bottom.

 

[MikeYQM]

I run a 2" sandbed, rubble, mangrove & chaeto. Ill be adding about 30-50 lbs of rock soon along with a few other macro algae. My goal is mainly micro fauna over nutrient export.

 

[Softie Guy]

Mangroves were difficult for me & too much work. Microalgae works well. I like a DSB.

 

[Softie Guy]

Bacteria will seed on their own from the water flow. Chaeto Algae is my favorite if you have the lighting to grow it. I like corse aragonite or crushed coral as fine sand goes anaerobic too easily and I like the buffering crushed coral provides, but just my opinion.

Chaeto rocks. One guy from aquasd.com said it works just as good as mangroves for removing nitrates.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Every handful of algae, any kind, that you throw in the garbage is nitrogen, phosphorous and all the other goodies you don't want dissolved in your water.

 

[CleverBs]

I have a t5ho hanging about 10" above my sump, The water level is about 7" so not very deep. Theres no reflectors on the fixture its just a cheap 2 bulb t5ho from Home Depot. If i need a better light I can do that.

Its a 3" Sand bed,With a 8LB peice of live rock. I ordered Chaeto, 5 Mangroves, and a CUC from reefcleaners today.

 

[danbstrong]

I have a t5ho hanging about 10" above my sump, The water level is about 7" so not very deep. Theres no reflectors on the fixture its just a cheap 2 bulb t5ho from Home Depot. If i need a better light I can do that.

Its a 3" Sand bed,With a 8LB peice of live rock. I ordered Chaeto, 5 Mangroves, and a CUC from reefcleaners today.

Just chaeto in my fuge nothin in the way obstructing it that way it can tumble as water goes thru it i have dsb in display so no need for it in fugi

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Did you get your order in? Let us know how things work out.

 

[Qube]

You could devote a small section of it to Xenia. Lots of people run portions of their refugiums as "Xenia scrubbers". Prune it now and then and trade it in at the LFS. Just a thought.

 

[CleverBs]

You could devote a small section of it to Xenia. Lots of people run portions of their refugiums as "Xenia scrubbers". Prune it now and then and trade it in at the LFS. Just a thought.

yeah i have a patch of it in my tank so when i have to trim it maybe ill try that out.

 

[danbstrong]

yeah i have a patch of it in my tank so when i have to trim it maybe ill try that out.

Typically one form of macro will take over your fugi unless its a display fugi id just use chaeto its the most effective macro i have a 150g with 10 fish and feed daily and my chaeto keeps trates at 0 xenia consumes nitrate but not efficiently enough to use as an export just my 2 ¢

 

[Ice Man]

Refugiums are great! I got 10g with chaeto and 3 red mangroves, deep sand bed. (30g display tank with 4 fish) Mangroves grow much quicker when roots are buried in sand. I use regular fluorescent 6700k bulb, 10w or something like that.
So far ZERO nitrates and zero phosphates.
Good luck with your fuge!

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I always grow Xenia in small reefs that can't have a sump just because it helps export nutrients. In a sump I like to keep plants. Makes things so simple.

 

[TommyP]

I was looking at a refugium for my 55 g tank but I do not have a sump. I was looking at the small 1g fuges you can add on for HOB, would this be worth it?

 

[Softie Guy]

I was looking at a refugium for my 55 g tank but I do not have a sump. I was looking at the small 1g fuges you can add on for HOB, would this be worth it?

A hang-on-back fuge is way worth it! You don't have to worry about a flood if u have a power outage and your one-way valve fails as with a below-tank fuge. Still, proper setup can take into account of extra room below to prevent floods in the worse cases. A HOB fuge allows u to have less hoses to break-down & clean. U can save on buying another expensive pump as well although u may need a small powerhead in the fuge.

 

[Softie Guy]

You may want the largest HOB fuge you can fit. One gallon seems small.