New Sump Installed - Need Fuge advice

[goisles1]

I just upgraded my 10G sump to a 20G Long with approx 70% of space allocated for a Refugium.

What kinds of substrate should I go with? Is it OK to just go with a DSB of Fine Aragonite in the Fuge? Or, should I go with the MUD products out there?

[Wy Renegade]

Originally Posted by goisles1

I just upgraded my 10G sump to a 20G Long with approx 70% of space allocated for a Refugium.

What kinds of substrate should I go with? Is it OK to just go with a DSB of Fine Aragonite in the Fuge? Or, should I go with the MUD products out there?

Generally speaking on the mud products, they require two things; a good quantity of mud-dwelling microcritters and a semi-constant resupply of new mud (which can get expensive). Not that all of them do, but many do. DSB also requires microcritters to maintain properly. In a 20L, I would think that going DSB would severally limit your water quantity? Just some thoughts.

[goisles1]

Originally Posted by Scopus Tang

Generally speaking on the mud products, they require two things; a good quantity of mud-dwelling microcritters and a semi-constant resupply of new mud (which can get expensive). Not that all of them do, but many do. DSB also requires microcritters to maintain properly. In a 20L, I would think that going DSB would severally limit your water quantity? Just some thoughts.

I was thinking the same thing re: the DSB.

My goal is to grow some Cheato and maybe some other MArcro flavors. My Display tank seems to have alot of Copepods already as I've begun to see them all over my glass. I'm thinking I'll just go with a normal Aragonite sandbed not a DSB. I'll throw all my LR Rubble in there with it. I might even order some more rubble for the sump in the future.

[neilanh]

I'd stick to just the macros in that configuration. If you can afford the space, you can do a remote DSB if you wish to have one. I've seen remote DSBs made out of kitty litter containers.

[goisles1]

Originally Posted by neilanh

I'd stick to just the macros in that configuration. If you can afford the space, you can do a remote DSB if you wish to have one. I've seen remote DSBs made out of kitty litter containers.

OK... So in the Fuge, just the Macro thrown in?

I know I'm getting WAAAY ahead of myself.. But I invision a Frag Eggcrate Tray on top of the Macro. As I just added my fist corals which are Frags themselves, Iknow I'm a long way away from that.

So.. No Sand in the Fuge, Just my LR Rubble and the Macro (prob just Cheato).

Also..FYI.. My Display tank has a DSB

[neilanh]

you can put some sand in there, might not be a bad idea. As for frags in your fuge, what kind of lighting do you plan to have there? My fuge has nowhere near the lighting needed to support corals.

[Wy Renegade]

If you got the room, I would definitely consider a shallow SB and some LR rubble, especially if you got pods now. As soon as you introduce a pod-eating fish, the population in your DT will decline rapidly and the fuge gives them a safe haven to continue to survive and propegate.

[goisles1]

Originally Posted by neilanh

you can put some sand in there, might not be a bad idea. As for frags in your fuge, what kind of lighting do you plan to have there? My fuge has nowhere near the lighting needed to support corals.

Like I said... It's a LOOONG way away from me fragging ANYTHING...

I have a canopy for my 10gal that fits nicely over my fuge area. I just had to rig up some supports for it. I replaced the bulbs with 2 X 23W CF bulbs rated at 5100K. But, if I did decide I wanted to add frags, I would upgrade my lighting.

[goisles1]

Here's a Pic of the New Sump:



Note#1 - LR Rubble is in the plastic box in the Fuge area. Just waiting to add some Sand before I dump it in.
Note#2 - Not esure what to do with that Purigen bag yet. I was thinking maybe putting inside a small filter bag and hanging on the end of the Sump pipe. When I had the 10G in there, all the LR rubble and the Purigen bag was in an Old AquaClear 500 which has now been removed