Just setup my new refugium and need some advice..

[headhawg7]

The refugium is a 30g reef ready natures view and was curious about substrate and flow/turnover rate. I want to stay away from sand as I believe it leads to an excess buildup of nutrients. I was thinking about crushing LR into maybe M & M size pieces and making about a 2-3" bed for all the zooplankton to breed and rumage. I will have about 100gph water running THROUGH the refugium which is about a 3 to 1 turnover ratio. I was thinking that I would need to put maybe a 300gph powerhead or two to help with the turnover rate so cyano and hair algae do not have a chance to take hold before my macroalgae does. Any thoughts or advice very appreciated. Thanks Danny

 

[kmk2307]

Hey Danny,

Sounds like a great plan! That is pretty much exactly what I have done on the refugium for my 75 gallon reef tank. Pretty much no matter what you do there will be low-flow places where cyano will take hold IME but my macro is still the "dominant force." I took all the LR rubble I have accumulated and put it in the 'fuge compartment of my 20L sump/fuge. I have a bout a 6" layer of LR rubble with a few somewhat large pieces of live rock. I have chaetomorpha over that and all is well. The tank has two overflows in it and the return pump is a Mag 9.5. Attached is a photo of my 'fuge.

HTH,
Kevin

 

[headhawg7]

Thats exactly what I want to do. My fuge is going to be a display fuge with alot of macros. Do you think 2-3" bed of crushed will be suffice with maybe another 20lbs of whole LR? I want the tank to be a nice lush display of marine algaes undisturbed with the zooplankton present. So the 2 maxijet 1200's will not be too much for the chaeto and other macros to take hold? I know chaeto really doesnt take hold but the others will.

I was also thinking about putting the fuge on the same light/time schedule as my display tank. Reason being my display has nice moonlights(looks sweet) with 4 seperate rays (can't describe how awesome it looks)(only cost me $14 for all for led lights and lights my 75g awesome) of soft white light from my leds and do not want the fuge lights being 24 hrs or on a reverse light schedule interfering with my moonlight look. I am not worried about PH swings either. The only real concern I have is the macro, other than the chaeto, going sexual on me. Any advice on this?

 

[kmk2307]

Hey Danny,

Your layout sounds good. What kind of algae besides Caulerpa do you want to grow? Red algaes might be the only thing you have trouble getting to attach to the rock in the 'fuge with that kind of flow. Using many live rock rubble pieces 1-4" in diameter would probably promote infaunal critters the most. I use a 24/7 lighting schedule on my refugium and I would recommend the same. I understand that that would interfere with your nice moonlighting though. I have had a couple bad experiences with Caulerpa going sexual on me. Apparently 24/7 lighting prevents this. So far I haven't had any caulerpa go sexual under 24/7 light but that doesn't mean it WON'T happen. I use Chaetomorpha as my primary filter and I have a couple other types of Caulerpa that I keep cut way back.

Do you have any pics of your moonlighting system?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[headhawg7]

I will post some pics in a few days. I will post them to this thread. I think I want Chaeto. also. I think I will probably go with 24/7. Thanks for your help Kevin, Danny

 

[GTR]

The fuge/sump looks good.

One thing though that I find hard to believe is that in the background I actually see an empty electrical outlet.



Steve U

 

[headhawg7]

LOL, not any more. As a matter of fact that fuge in my gallery that sits to the side of the tank is gone. I put in a nwe much better looking fuge consisting of a 29g natures view tank and stand. It completey matches my display tank now and looks freaking AWESOME! I have all the plumbing and wires hidden and all outlets attached to the walls with them all running through GFCI's. Thanks for the compliments. I will be updating my gallery in a few days.