Attempting to build a refugium

[nubomb]

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice laying this thing out.

I currently have a 55 FOWLER with about 40 to 50lbs of live rock. I currently have a wet/dry setup under the stand (overflow box and a Mag 5 return pump).

I plan on putting a 20G Long tank under my stand to replace the wet/dry. The deminsions are 30x12x12. I'd like to divide it into three sections. I'm thinking I need about 7" for the intake/overflow section. I plan on putting my CSS 65 Skimmer in this section. The last section will be my return and I think I only need about 4 inches for this section. This leaves me about 19" for the actual refugium area. Realizing it won't be 19" because I need to build in divider baffles...

So My question is how far apart should I space the baffles? Will the space b/w them dictate flow through the fuge area?

Also how high should the dividers be? The tank is 12" high and I was thinking about 3-9" dividers (times two to create three sections). Two of them flush with the bottom of the tank and the middle one about 2" off the bottom. I'd try and draw this out but I don't have a program to do it.

I'd appreciate any comments. I guess my goal is to try and lower nitrates and possibly create a area for some critters.we

 

[bgreenlee]

Re: Attempting to build a refugium

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7039739#post7039739 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nubomb
Hi all, I'm looking for some advice laying this thing out.

I currently have a 55 FOWLER with about 40 to 50lbs of live rock. I currently have a wet/dry setup under the stand (overflow box and a Mag 5 return pump).

I plan on putting a 20G Long tank under my stand to replace the wet/dry. The deminsions are 30x12x12. I'd like to divide it into three sections. I'm thinking I need about 7" for the intake/overflow section. I plan on putting my CSS 65 Skimmer in this section. The last section will be my return and I think I only need about 4 inches for this section. This leaves me about 19" for the actual refugium area. Realizing it won't be 19" because I need to build in divider baffles...

So My question is how far apart should I space the baffles? Will the space b/w them dictate flow through the fuge area?

Also how high should the dividers be? The tank is 12" high and I was thinking about 3-9" dividers (times two to create three sections). Two of them flush with the bottom of the tank and the middle one about 2" off the bottom. I'd try and draw this out but I don't have a program to do it.

I'd appreciate any comments. I guess my goal is to try and lower nitrates and possibly create a area for some critters.we

If the last section is your pump section you may consider making it larger if you do not have an auto top off system. 4" does not allow for much evaporation.

Just an opinion of course.

 

[nubomb]

Thanks! Good point, didn't really think about evaporation and the affects on flow and water getting into the last section.

If I drilled holes in the baffles going into the last section (say about 6 inches from the bottom) wouldn't this help if I ever got into a situation where I was gone for a couple of days and had two much evaporation? I'm thinking the water level in the fuge area would drop and be some what of a buffer for the return section. Any thoughts on this? I'm guessing the holes would allow pods and such get into the return zone.

Also could I eleimante the baffles b/w the fuge and the intake? This would allow me to increase the return zone.

 

[Wildeone]

Right wrong or indifferent (more like the later), I completed my first refugium this weekend. I used the same tank you used, a 20L and I used glass plates to section it off. I could not get a clean answer on the footprint of the skimmer I ordered (Turbo Floter 1000), so I just made the input side a little bigger than I probably should have.

The baffles are 9" tall and they are spaced 1" apart. The middle baffle is 1" above the bottom. The major difference in my plan is that I put the refugium on the opposite end as the skimmer section with the return in the middle. I baffled the refugium with a 10" plate and I will divert water from my display tank with a T- and a valve that way I don't have as much flow through the refugium as I do through the skimmer. I read on many occasions that you just want the water in the refugium to have a slight surface ripple, yet your skimmer will put through much more.

I don't know if I am 100%, but thats what I did. I will post pics once I ge off this laptop onto my main PC. Later!

 

[Wildeone]

1st Refugium

1st Refugium

Here are the photos of my 1st refugium...

 

[alien9168]

I like your refugium wildeone

-alien

 

[nubomb]

Looking good, especially the bar scene Now you got me rethinking my approach. What was the width on thebaffles so it would fit inside the tank? I did a quick a measure and I came up with 11 7/8.

 

[sales weasel]

I have a 55g with a 20H under it. I wanted to have as much sump capacity as possible, so I bought a 15" HOB refugium. It's mounted to the 20H sump and I use a minijet 606 to circulate water through it. I have pics on my digital camera, but I haven't uploaded them yet.

 

[alien9168]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7048524#post7048524 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sales weasel
I have a 55g with a 20H under it. I wanted to have as much sump capacity as possible, so I bought a 15" HOB refugium. It's mounted to the 20H sump and I use a minijet 606 to circulate water through it. I have pics on my digital camera, but I haven't uploaded them yet.

When you upload them, id love to see pics of your setup.

-alien

 

[Wildeone]

That's a good idea for the HOB unit. Thanks for the compliment alien. Nubomb I measured 11 7/8 on mine, but when I got the glass back to the house it was too tight of a fit. I then went out and bought a glass cutter and shaved an 1/8 off. Have you ever tried to get 1/8" off of a piece of glass? Not easy, in fact I busted one!

I suggest you get 11 3/4, The pieces are loose, but the silicone holds em in place once it dries. Unless you are going to have surging water in it you should be OK. You will need to figure out a way to clamp the pieces in place, I used various hillbilly methods, I am sure you can find something to sandwich the glass panes with.

Whole process took about 2 hours labor, over a period of 24 hours. You can only add a pane or 2 at a time due to clamping.

I bought a 12" light to go on top and I think I am good to go.

I was quoted $224 for an Acrylic like this. I made the whole thing for $50 including the glass cutting tool. Saved enough to buy a skimmer (funny how we have to justify that to our wives in that fashion)!

 

[quangtam7]

I am building a controllable 30g single baffle refugium, fuge level depends on the length of the pipes, there also a gate valve to allow water to bypass the refugium area, thus slow down water movement through it.

 

[Wildeone]

Nice, it looks like you have a bunch of work in it, keep us posted on how it works out!