GriffinMarsh
Member
For the past three or four years now I have always had a display refugium tied to my display tanks. It wasn't just a want, it seemed to be a need. I love the combination of a reef aquarium with corals, and the beauty of flowing saltwater plants in wave currents. Because my history includes many freshwater tanks, I couldn't get away from the attraction I have to plants and aquascaped planted aquariums. However, as I have matured in the saltwater hobby, I have found what I liked about saltwater plants and what I disliked. Since this thread is going to be dedicated to my new display refugium, I figured I better focus on plants instead of corals(even though corals will occupy the refugium as well). Here is the history of my refugiums and what I've learned, liked, and disliked;
72g bowfront mixed reef, 30g display refugium
Species of macros in this tank:
C. mexicana
C. prolifera
C. brachypus
Ulva sp.
H. ingrassata
Penicillus
Gracilaria sp.
Rhizophora mangle
This was my first attempt at a display refugium. Things I really liked about this tank was the added water volume to the aquarium with the nitrate removing power of plants. What I found to be the most challenging was the control of caulerpa from growing out of control. As you can see from the first picture. After most of it was removed, I added some of the red algae. I can't remember all of the species I had in this aquarium, but I didn't have great success. Later I realized that an iron supplement was necessary. While I had Red Mangrove propagules, they also faired relatively poor in this tank.
90g Reef Flat Tank, 30g Half Cube refugium
Species of Macros:
C. prolifera
C. brachypus
Gracilaria sp
H. pannosa
R. mangle
Attempt number two had the same results as the first refugium with caulerpa, but better success with red and brown macros(for the life of me I can't remember the brown species). I also like the shallow tank. It was easier to pull fast growers out and find room for other unique additions. It was also where my sickly gifted mandarin lived before it was moved to the big tank when my mantis came into the picture.
I know the picture is bad. But she was so awesome.
60g Cube Mixed Reef, 60g Cube Mangrove Tank, 30g Half Cube Refugium
Species of macros were the same transferred from the flat
This setup had great potential. However the execution was poor. I had at the time a 30" mangrove that I received from a friend that I thought would look great inside the cube. Unfortunately one of the main knees was damaged causing a massive phosphate issue that produced nuisance algae. After the corals were sold off so I could fix the problem, my interest dwindled with this setup. It became the recovery tank for the mangrove that is now over three feet tall.
But now my interest is resurrected...
350g Mixed Reef, 180g Display Mangrove Tank/Refugium/AWESOMENESS
So. After months of planning and negotiating, I have acquired this massive reef tank (well the backstory is the previous owner of this aquarium was a client of mine that he had me design and setup this tank, and due to him moving couldn't take the tank). We planned all the corals together and most of the fish. With the exception of a coral nip happy gold flake angelfish. But I have come to love him, and he seems to be fine with SPS, so I decided to put corals he loves to eat inside the 180g refugium. Luckily for me, they are all corals that will do fine in the same conditions as the macros. Since I designed the 350 and built the 180, they follow the same dimension scheme that means they almost look like they were meant to be side by side.
As of now, I have yet to decide all the corals/plants that are going inside the refugium but know that it will have a combination of LPS, NPS, Softies, Seagrasses, Macros and Mangroves. The main reef is staying SPS dominate. I will continue to update my progress and plant selections as time goes by. Hopefully with lots of juicy pictures. Hope to talk to y'all and get some advice and questions.
72g bowfront mixed reef, 30g display refugium
Species of macros in this tank:
C. mexicana
C. prolifera
C. brachypus
Ulva sp.
H. ingrassata
Penicillus
Gracilaria sp.
Rhizophora mangle
This was my first attempt at a display refugium. Things I really liked about this tank was the added water volume to the aquarium with the nitrate removing power of plants. What I found to be the most challenging was the control of caulerpa from growing out of control. As you can see from the first picture. After most of it was removed, I added some of the red algae. I can't remember all of the species I had in this aquarium, but I didn't have great success. Later I realized that an iron supplement was necessary. While I had Red Mangrove propagules, they also faired relatively poor in this tank.
90g Reef Flat Tank, 30g Half Cube refugium
Species of Macros:
C. prolifera
C. brachypus
Gracilaria sp
H. pannosa
R. mangle
Attempt number two had the same results as the first refugium with caulerpa, but better success with red and brown macros(for the life of me I can't remember the brown species). I also like the shallow tank. It was easier to pull fast growers out and find room for other unique additions. It was also where my sickly gifted mandarin lived before it was moved to the big tank when my mantis came into the picture.
I know the picture is bad. But she was so awesome.
60g Cube Mixed Reef, 60g Cube Mangrove Tank, 30g Half Cube Refugium
Species of macros were the same transferred from the flat
This setup had great potential. However the execution was poor. I had at the time a 30" mangrove that I received from a friend that I thought would look great inside the cube. Unfortunately one of the main knees was damaged causing a massive phosphate issue that produced nuisance algae. After the corals were sold off so I could fix the problem, my interest dwindled with this setup. It became the recovery tank for the mangrove that is now over three feet tall.
But now my interest is resurrected...
350g Mixed Reef, 180g Display Mangrove Tank/Refugium/AWESOMENESS
So. After months of planning and negotiating, I have acquired this massive reef tank (well the backstory is the previous owner of this aquarium was a client of mine that he had me design and setup this tank, and due to him moving couldn't take the tank). We planned all the corals together and most of the fish. With the exception of a coral nip happy gold flake angelfish. But I have come to love him, and he seems to be fine with SPS, so I decided to put corals he loves to eat inside the 180g refugium. Luckily for me, they are all corals that will do fine in the same conditions as the macros. Since I designed the 350 and built the 180, they follow the same dimension scheme that means they almost look like they were meant to be side by side.
As of now, I have yet to decide all the corals/plants that are going inside the refugium but know that it will have a combination of LPS, NPS, Softies, Seagrasses, Macros and Mangroves. The main reef is staying SPS dominate. I will continue to update my progress and plant selections as time goes by. Hopefully with lots of juicy pictures. Hope to talk to y'all and get some advice and questions.
