DIY Refugium Questions

[Chebon]

I am new to the saltwater side of this hobby, but I've done my reading and research, but I have some questions I'm having a hard time finding the answers to. I'm in the planning stages of building a refugium running a reverse light cycle to sit behind my JBJ Picotope 3G made of black opaque acrylic (to prevent light leakage). I have the space to make it about 12"X12"X12" with a water level of about 9" so I can make it overflow directly into the display and use a small in line pump to suck water from the display via tubing. I plan to section off an area to house the pump, a heater, and a Current USA Fission Nano Skimmer that overflows into a tray holding black filter pad or carbon or the like when needed and then on into the refugium. I want to incorporate a holding area on the upper back wall for fresh top-off water with a drip valve constantly replacing water due to the massive amount of evaporation I've been experiencing

I plan on keeping Sun Corals (Tubastarea/Tubastrea), Xenia, Dwarf Feather Dusters, Mushrooms, Sexy Shrimp, and maybe Zoanthids. Any suggestions for any interesting corals/inverts suitable to low light conditions?

Now my questions are what is the best combination of macro algae and substrate to cultivate food for this combination, most importantly the Sun Coral/Tubastrea? So far I'm thinking chaeto over live rock rubble over mud but any suggestions will be considered.

By my calculations this size should give me 8+ gallons total. 5+ Refugium to 3 Display, anyone ever done or seen something like this?

What do you guys think of dosing the refugium with some like DT's live plankton, "ReefBugs", and brine shrimp eggs?

The Current USA Fission Nano Skimmer is rated at 84 GPH, I'm thinking this might be overkill and skim out all things I'm trying to cultivate as food... Would it be wise to T off the output of the pump to have half the water flow directly into the refugium bypassing the compartment with the skimmer? And if I do this should I place the heater in the refugium to make sure all the water has a chance to pass it?

Any suggestions on flow rate 10X display volume? 15X? 20X? What should I shoot for?

Any suggestions, comments, or constructive criticism (other than a larger set-up) will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Blown 346]

I myself would just use the Chaeto and maybe some rock. I have my fuge bare except the the Chaeto.

Dosing it wil help it along, and help porduce a pop, of food, but the skimmer will work against you.

I would redirect the skimmer intake, the heater will be fine where ever you place it.
I like to shoot for atleast 10X turnover.

 

[bpd964]

I have a 20g fuge pumped in by a maxijet 1200 and gravity fed back to the sump. I only have chaeto and rock. No substrate in my fuge.

 

[dendro982]

Low light tolerant corals: where xenia will grow, should grow bright green candycane, bright red mushrooms, yellow polyps, green star polyps, white lemnalia, hammers and frogspawn. Non-photosynthetic corals also, but you will have a problem with keeping water within limits. The good side is - the smaller volume, easier water changes.

I had these corals in 6g Nano-cube, ~12x12", 18W 50-50 PC. Also hairy mushroom, but it grows too big - 4" in diameter now.

Tubastrea will compromise water quality the most, IMHE, because of twice a week feeding 1-2 cubes of frozen cubes (mysis or ocean plankton - larger than mysis, or homemade seafood mix), depending on the size of colony.

Skimmer will help, and watch if you will need a finer filtration, like micron pad (100 micron or less). And removing the uneaten food, if other tank inhabitants will be unable to clean it.

You can feed refugium, of course, the larger amphipods will require the larger pieces of food (mine eat the same seafood mix, as other tank inhabitants), smaller - finer particles, left from cubes, didn't tried the live phytoplankton for the smallest, though.
Algae: caulerpa grows faster, but invasive, you may never eradicate it from the tank; chaetomorpha - harmless, good a a matrix for copepods, any colorful algae to make refugium looks good. Take a look at photos here: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-01/sl/index.php

Flow: for 2.5g I used Red Sea HOB nano-filter, ~70 gph, if I remember right, for NC 6g (~12x12") - Mini-Jet 606, 150 gph, for 5g - HOB power filters DynaFlo 1 and Whisper 10 (~110-120 gph). Cartridges can be replaced by plastic grid and fliter floss pads for coarse filtration, after them - micron pad, for fine filtration.

You will see, what will be more suitable for your tank.
Best of luck!