Need help with Refugium buy

[Fishboy-from-NY]

Hello everyone, I am trying to find out from anyone how I can effectively control my Nitrate levels in my tank the most economical way. I am leaning towards to building my own refugium since I have 2-20 Gallon tanks that are not being used. Also, I was in the process of taking out the Bio Balls in my 2-canister and only use them to circulate the water and replace my bio-balls in the wet/dry with live rock. What I wanted to do with the other two 20 gallon tanks is 2-refugiums and more live rock in them to see if this will solve the problem. I need help in figuring out what plants or Macro Algae are the most effective to place in the refugium to control the Nitrate and Phosphates, HOW Much of each and how can I construct the two 20g tanks to be effective refugium. I have enclosed a general description of my tank buddies and my current water parameters.

130 GALLON F/O-Saltwater
2-Ehiem 2217 Filters
1-EcoAqualizor
1-Maxi Reef 200 Wet/Dry
1-25 Watt Sterilizer
1-Natulis TE Skimmer
1-1/4hp Drop-in Chiller
NO LIVE ROCK on 3 inches of live aragonite sand.

Current fish in the Tank:
1-Humu Trigger, 1-Yellow Tangs, 1-Purple Tang, 1-Green Bird Wrasse
1-Snowflake Eel, 1-Ghost Eel, 1-Watchman Goby, 1-Red Pygmy Angel
4-3 Stripe damsels

Current Water Parameters
Ammonia: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 30, PH: 8.1, Salinity: 1.023, & Phosphate: 1.5
:? :? :? :?

 

[Anemoneman]

A tried and true method of getting ris of nitrate is to use liverock as your only means of biofiltration. For a tank your size you will need at least 100 lbs to get started and end up with around 200 lbs. It doesn't all have to be live rock. You can make a large percentage of it dead base rock which will be cheaper. It iwll eventually turn live. Add another 2 or 3" of sand and a detrivore kit. The DSB will also help remove nitrate. After you have added rock begin removing the bio balls amd other filter media. You do not need to replace the bio balls in the wet/dry with LR. Put the LR in your tank. Your wet/dry will then be a sump. Soon nitrate will be zero and you will have a reef tank.

 

[BBReef]

well, in a fish only nitrate isnt as big of a concern as with inverts. try just taking out all the bio balls and replacing with LR. this should lower some nitrates naturally. if you want to do a fuge, just put more sand and LR, you probably don't need to use algae. the lr and sand will promote pod and other planktin growth for natural food for your fish. but unless you plan to add inverts, which i highly doubt with what you have, i wouldnt worry about getting and keeping nitrates at zero. just get them as low as possible with what you have, and try to maintain them at that level. HTH

 

[Brisc0]

If you wanted to use a fuge I would make it between 30 - 130 gallons. You could put your DSB in the fuge. As far as linking the two together I have no idea its not an area I have any experience in.

 

[Fishboy-from-NY]

Thank you all for your feedback, I shall say it again "this is the best website for advice"

 

[beachbumin]

i just got a fug going myself and this website helped me a lot http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html hth do you have any ideas as to what your going to stock your fug with? oh yeah and "this is the best website for advice"