Refugium

W

widdledink

Graphic Design sluth
Sep 23, 2003
89
0
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Chattanooga, TN
I have been reading how some of you guys use Refugiums in your systems. I was wondering if most of you have built your own or have bought a ready made refugium. I too am thinking of building one. Only thing is I don't have much $$ cause I am about to get engaged. Do any of you have a diagram that you could send me IYO on how to set one up? I am not sure on if I am to run it inline with my sup or on its own system.

Any Info would help

Grady
 
I guess it would be cheaper to build one (if you're handy with acrylic) but, as another idea:

I bought a used SeaClear 50 gallon acrylic aquarium from E-Bay for $50. Bought a 48" double flo. NO light fixture and two 48" plant-gro bulbs (40watts each) from Home Depot for $30 and some macroalgae from members on Reef Central.

So, for about $100 (plus pump if you need one depending on your set-up and, tubing and shelf), I set up my refugium.

Just a thought.


(P.S. I also splurged on a heater since mine sits in my garage and it gets cold in there in the winter.)

I'm monitoring my nitrates to see how much of an effect it will have.
 
I'm monitoring my nitrates to see how much of an effect it will have.
Click to expand...

Let me know how it does on your nitrates. This is the same reason I am wanting to make a refugium.
 
Mine's a little CPR aquafuge, with a 13 watt PC light over it. Not much room for more with the 20. Can't say that it does much for NO3, but it provides a lot of pods and having it on reverse day/night cycle has stabilized the pH of the main tank.
 
I'll update regarding the nitrates as time goes on.

Here's a pic to give you an idea of the tank I bought from E-Bay, the set-up (pretty simple) and the chaetomorpha I bought from a few folks on ReefCentral. All for about $100. (Shelving and heater were extra.)

Fuge5.jpg
 
What is everyones oppinion of putting a DSB in the refugium. I have seen some refugiums that are just like another tank that is running in parallel to the main tank and then others only have some calurpa in it.

I found a guy at my local HD, when I was going to check on the prices of acrylic, and got to talking to him. Well found out that he has 3 30G tanks that are in his way and is willing to part with them for only $20 each. I have a 75 G and was wanting to know if a 30 G refugium is to much.

I also plan on placing a pump on one end of the Refugium as to pump the water back up to the main tank. Is this a bad idea? I don't want to kill off all the pods that I hope will grow when I pump the water back up. My space is limited but I have room under my sump to put the refugium with a couple cheap 18" light strips.
 
For sumps and refugiums, bigger is better. I've seen 10 gallon tanks that had 20 gallon sumps--all the added water volume helps stabilize the tank.

Pumps will kill pods. I think--but am not sure--that there are screw drive pumps that won't chop everything to bits, but I do not know a brand or where to look for them--sorry.
 
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