I am starting a 55 gallon reef. I already have a solid build on what I'm going to do. The one problem I have is that I don't know what to put in my ref I was thinking about having a 10g ref. What skimmer is best for a reasonable price? What pump and overflow are a good combo? And do I need a bigger tank for the ref?
55 gallon refugium
- Thread starter Whobe143
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DA fisherman
Aquarium Advice Freak
When I had my 55g mix/reef I had a DIY 30g sump/refugium .
600gpd overflow.
Mag-5 return pump.
Bubble magus 150 skimmer.
Refugium was about 10-15g with in the sump, had chaeto,copods, amphipods, worms, live rock.
And it's probily was my best tank, can't wait to setup my 90 gallon reef
600gpd overflow.
Mag-5 return pump.
Bubble magus 150 skimmer.
Refugium was about 10-15g with in the sump, had chaeto,copods, amphipods, worms, live rock.
And it's probily was my best tank, can't wait to setup my 90 gallon reef
Zer0
is back to save the day!
On my previous tank, i used a standard 10G AGA aquarium as my refugium. It was a great asset to my tanks stability and excellent nutrient export. You can use a 10G tank for fuge, but if you plan to keep a skimmer in there, i suggest going bigger. A 10G tank is really small when you think about it, and i couldn't fit any skimmers in my small fuge. I suggest going with a 20G long, if you can. It makes for an excellent sump. Enough space for a fuge, skimmer section, reactor section, even a frag station, assuming you make each area equal.
The pump and overflow will depend on how much flow you want in the tank. I never drilled my 55G, so i can't help you with the overflow part. However, you could go with a 700GPH overflow system from glass-holes.com if you want to drill your tank.
However, what brand tank do you have? Is it an AGA standard 55G? If so, then you will need an external overflow box, as the 55G AGA's are made of tempered glass, and cannot be drilled otherwise they shatter.
The pump and overflow will depend on how much flow you want in the tank. I never drilled my 55G, so i can't help you with the overflow part. However, you could go with a 700GPH overflow system from glass-holes.com if you want to drill your tank.
However, what brand tank do you have? Is it an AGA standard 55G? If so, then you will need an external overflow box, as the 55G AGA's are made of tempered glass, and cannot be drilled otherwise they shatter.
AquaEuroUSA Classic 55 Gallon Needle Wheel Protein Skimmer with Bubble Plate Reviews
Is this a good skimmer for me?
Is this a good skimmer for me?
Zer0
is back to save the day!
Yup. You could go with one of those if that's what you want to do. Believe it or not, that's what I did with my 55G reef. I had a Reef Octopus HOB skimmer. It was a great skimmer, but i quickly got tired of the cluttered look. With all pf the powerheads, heaters, and skimmer pump, as well as thermometers etc.. It just looked so unnatural. Just my opinion though...
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BeanPets
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
It does not have to be an actual aquarium. You can get any kind of plastic tub or two. You want the water flow to the refugium to be slower than what feeds the sump and you could separate them into the two tubs so you can get them under the stand.
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