The refugium I made is the greatest and up and running!

[jessicasmarine]

IMO if you put the entire colony in the DT they wouldnt be able to maintain a breeding colony before being eaten. You cultivate them in the fuge so they will have an undisturbed habitat for reproduction. Of course you could just constantly buy more for the DT but its just easier and more economical to breed you own.

 

[thincat]

I put my leftover LR in the space that was taken up by the bio-balls. You could put in some cheato in there for your pods.

 

[CementShoes]

IMO if you put the entire colony in the DT they wouldnt be able to maintain a breeding colony before being eaten. You cultivate them in the fuge so they will have an undisturbed habitat for reproduction. Of course you could just constantly buy more for the DT but its just easier and more economical to breed you own.

You can also build a 'pod shelter' by mounding some LR rubble in your DT somewhere. They will hide and propagate there. Been done in the hobby for years.

 

[stratmaster]

Switched around a few things. I've moved the skimmer to the first section where the water drops in the refugium, this works out nicer I think and it frees up room in the return pump section. Also added one of those berlin media bags for catching any crap that falls into the refugium. Attached that to the water line that first enters the refugium. It's coming along so nice! I may add one more light though, I'm not sure if the single light I have is going to be sufficent enough.

I'll be slowly pulling the bio-balls out as my live rock gets more beneficial, because bio-balls are a pain in the butt IMO so I don't want them in there. I simply moved them over just so I can have some good bacteria so I won't go through a second cycle. Gonna slowly remove them week by week, by the end of the month I should be good to go.

I agree not needing live rock in your sump, I have plenty of live rock in the top of my tank although I put some in the refugium just for the look of it and also so my macroalgae has something to wrap around.

Here's a pic of the switched around refugium:

 

[stratmaster]

don't mean to get off the topic.
I have a wet and dry filte. This is my first setup.
It will be FOWLR for a few month than i will head towards Reef.

I have a 90 gallon tank with 100 lbs of live rock.
Is keeping the bio-balls a bad idea.
what should i replace in with? live rock? how much of it?

Sounds like my situation, I just added about 100 pounds of live rock myself which is why I ditched my wet/dry with the bio-balls because wet/dry filters really are truely nitrate factories like I've heard them called. I had nothing but problems with my aquarium for the three years I had a wet/dry which is why I've only kept the Wrase in there and not added more fish. The tank never had the health for more fish. So I say you should ditch the bio-balls and go with a refugium.
I just pulled a couple of my pieces of live rock from inside my tank, it actually looked to crowded in there with all that rock. Dropped in the refugium and it looks excellent if I do say so myself!

 

[Etunes]

Actually, you are now starting to give me ideas for my sump. I am glad i tagged along.

 

[thincat]

Yes for a reef tank ditch the bioballs. I keep some LR in my sump. That way I don't cramp up my display tank and give the fish more swimming space, I also like to add or remove a rock from the DT every now and again.

 

[stratmaster]

So I can definitely completely ditch my bio-balls right? I mean I have about or over 100 pounds of live rock in my tank and of course the macroalgae is in there as well. So I don't think I'll even need those anymore, what do ya'll say?

Steve

 

[thincat]

So I can definitely completely ditch my bio-balls right? I mean I have about or over 100 pounds of live rock in my tank and of course the macroalgae is in there as well. So I don't think I'll even need those anymore, what do ya'll say?=quote]
Don't remove them all at once. Do it in like three or four stages so as not to tilt the balance of your tanks chemistry.

 

[stratmaster]

Gotcha, do you think it would hurt if I added maybe like 30 more pounds of live rock to my tank? It can never hurt right? You can like have to much? I'd like to add a few more pieces in the refugium, too and maybe another piece of algae.

Steve

 

[thincat]

The only limit to LR is the space for you fish to swim. I have more lr in my sump then in my DT.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Interesting.. You have more rock in your 24g sump than you do in the 65g main? Never would have thought it looking at your pics.

 

[thincat]

Yes, I have 5 sections in my sump and only the return pump section has no lr. I removes bioballs and filled it to the top with LR, and went through the rest of the sections and did the same. lots of rock went in there.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Ouch, what's the actual water amount in there? Where's the skimmer located?

Must be a tough calculation to account for a power outage

 

[thincat]

The way my tank is built there is no way for the tank to overflow..the skimmer is in the second compartment and yes, there is no rock in that compartment also. Here is a picture taken a few hours after setup. You can still see the bioballs in there. My mistake, it has 7 sections.

 

[Tank2379]

Hope this design isn't copyrighted... I will be copying it for our next sump!

This set-up has been used before...

 

[CaptainAhab]

Ahh, appears to be a HOB/behind the tank/raised sump no?

Quite interesting. Not sure I heard you mention that before. If so, are you pumpin in and out , just in? just out? What size/type of pump is it? What kind of skimmer? Is there an overflow box or just drilled at the top?

The way my tank is built there is no way for the tank to overflow..the skimmer is in the second compartment and yes, there is no rock in that compartment also. Here is a picture taken a few hours after setup. You can still see the bioballs in there. My mistake, it has 7 sections.

 

[stratmaster]

This set-up has been used before...

Ah yes you're right, but I am still very very proud of the work I put into it and I still say it's the best refugium out there!

Steve

 

[thincat]

Ahh, appears to be a HOB/behind the tank/raised sump no?

Quite interesting. Not sure I heard you mention that before. If so, are you pumpin in and out , just in? just out? What size/type of pump is it? What kind of skimmer? Is there an overflow box or just drilled at the top?

It's drilled. Water is drawn in through slots and makes its way through the chambers and the return pumps it back into the tank.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Kewl, what size pump? I've heard of gravity fed just never HOB/Behind the tank before.
Any surface skimming or is it all thru the drill hole under the surface?
What kind of skimmer fits in there?
Was it custom, DIY or bought?


MIght be a nice solution for some people.