How to Refugium...

[icolon]

Hey alittle help here! I have a 90 Gal. Reef set-up. With a Wet/Dry Trickle filtration Tank under the main. It has been a year since my set-up. I have about 90 lbs of live rock and about 2-3 inches of sand base. Your normal clean up crew, some Shrimps and Crabs...I have the original "starter Fish" in plus added a pair of "Nemo's",Dragon Sleeper and Alge Blenny.

The question is Refugium? Pros and Cons? How big should it be? Where to put it? What makes up a Refugium? Piping the Refugium.

Some help

Thanks, IC

 

[Civicman86]

Refugiums are good to keep alot of stuff out of the main thank, like heaters, and you can plumb alot of your returns to get rid of some of the powerheads in your tank. They also have a place to grow maco algea to eat nutrients in the water. Pods can live in the fuge w.o being pestered by the fish in the main tank (constant supply of pods). Bigger is better but any size will do. There is no perfect size so to speak. People say a good size is 20% of the main tank, but like I said bigger the better. Search Refugium and you can see peoples designs. Most usually have a box for water to fall in, then it goes over a wall into the place where you have sand, peice of LR some macro, then three walls offset to catch bubbles, then maybe a skimmer and return pump. Piping can be made using simple PVC piping. Not every hard at all

 

[Brenden]

Cons are some algaes can go sexual and foul your water quick. Choose macro wisely and this will not be a issue.
Tons of pros. reduces nitrates in water, increases bio-filtration capacity, increases water volume, pod habitat. I have a sand bed, 30-40 lbs of LR and 6-7 different macros in my fuge. I supply water to the fuge from the sump with a mag5. I have a 2" gravity feed back to the sump. Try to make the fuge around 20% or more of your tank volume. My fuge is under the main next to the sump. You want to keep the flow low in the fuge. Fuge is also handy for keeping crabs, mantis, and other things I remove from the main.
PS. leave the heaters in the sump. Not sure what civicman is talking about as far as getting rid of power heads? (closed loop)?

 

[Civicman86]

Not sure what civicman is talking about as far as getting rid of power heads? (closed loop)?

I was thinking sump when I wrote that part lol. Dont mind me. I think all the rest was somewhat correct

 

[icolon]

Hey, thank so much for the responses. I'm going to make this my weekend project. Some more questions, constant lighting? Any type of light will do?? Should I run the over flow from the refugium back into the sump tank, should it be after the filter media area or after it? Once again, thanks for the info.

IC

 

[Dr.Nate]

Most people (myself included) run the refugium lights on the opposite schedule from the main....helps keep PH more constant from what I have read.

Also, if you're gonna have macro algae ( I highly recommend chaetomorpha) you'll want to use regular old lighting (6700K or so)--I just use 4 bulb work light from home depot on a timer.....chaeto is growing like mad and I have to think it out every month or two.

 

[icolon]

Hey Dr. Nate thanks so much for the info,

In Re: to macro algae Brendon: wrote "6-7 different macros in my fuge" can you name them. Thanks

IC

 

[icolon]

/acronym] 6-7 different macros in my fuge

 

[czcz]

With enough macro algae in a fuge, can an 8gal reef with corals and inverts (no fish) thrive with no skimmer? Is there some guideline for macro algae mass vs. bioload? Thank you.