Refugium Set-up

[Guzzetta]

I have a 10 gallon portion of my sump that I plan on using for a refuguim. What is the best set-up? Sand Bed Depth? Live Rock? Rubble? Mud?

Thanks in advance for the great information

 

[spleify]

I think there are a lot of different ways and opinions on setting up a fuge area, so I will tell you how I set mine up, and you can take what you like.

I have a deep sand bed of about 6", LR rubble and chaeto. With the sand and LR rubble, that takes up about 1/3 of it then I have the rest packed with chaeto. Thats it. I have a CF spiral type bulb over it on a reverse light cycle. Melev has some great info on refugiums and bulb recommendations on his site.

HTH

Good luck

Spleify

 

[Guzzetta]

Thanks for the info. I've seen Melev's site and have a 5600K CF for lighting. With my Fuge smaller than yours, what is an adaquate amount of room for Cheeto to grow. I have 12 inches to work with - 4/5 inches for DSB - is 7/8 inches enough room for growth?

 

[thegrun]

Chaeto will grow in a shot glass, the more room the better obviously, but an 8" space is fine.

 

[Fizz71]

Probably won't have room for a DSB at that height (you'd really want deeper sand than you said for a DSB). I've setup 2 fuges so I'll do what spleify did and just tell you what I did and you can make your own opinions:

Fuge #1 did an awesome job and was up for about 3 years. It was about 15 to 20 gallons in a custom made (cut up) rubbermaid tub that had about an inch or so of aragonite (southdown) sand, rubble rock on the bottom and mostly caulerpa racemosa. I lit it with a LOA outside flood light form home depot that had a PC style bulb and STILL had coraline growth on the platic walls!!! Very low flow rate in the fuge, water came in the middle, and went out the sides, egg crating was used to keep the drains from clogging. I had tons of life with baby bristleworms growing in the macro along with the baby brittle stars, pods and some other things. I also let some crabs have free roam to take care of any big detrius. I was surprised they were still alive when I broke it down.

Fuge #2 is just establishing now. I have small end of a 100g sump sectioned off with egg crating. I have LR in the section along with cheato. It's suspended over a huge 9" RDSB with egg crating as well...actually the whole 100g sump is suspended LR over the DSB. I have much more flow in there now than the last one. Lit by a freshwater light...I might go to 2 when I grow more macro. Too soon to claim success or failure. I have very high nitrates right now (25) because I just setup the sump and had some serious die off from live sand bought from a fellow reefer.

I have heard some people say slow water movement for fuges is best, and I've heard some say tumbling cheato in high flow is the best way to go. I went slow before, going faster now. What's best? I can't answer. I'll have to wait and see.

 

[padgett152]

I like the DSB of at least 5", with live rock, and a wad of chaeto. It all seems to work well together. My fuge has a similiar capacity and here is how I did it:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/213678101_4143__Small___WinCE_.JPG

 

[padgett152]