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refugium ideas

4K views 2 replies 1 participant last post by  jaxbchreef 
G
#1 ·
743
posted 07-02-2001 12:25 PM
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Looking for suggestions/help on a refugium.
I have 55g tank with 70lbs live rock. No corals except hitchikers on live rock. I want to add a 25g refugium w/ live sand, live rock and some macro algae.
Should I make a DSB or plenum?
DSB are easier to do. Avoid a plenum if you are new to the hobby.
How deep should the sand be?4-6 inches the more the better. Do 6 inches min in the refugium for a nice organism home
What type of sand? sugar grain of fine sand are the only ones to look for on a DSB I live at a beach, would beach sand work and should it be sterilized? I read somewhere that beach sand is made of silica and avoid using that in or systems. I wish I could get more technical as to why, but a bad a ESV osilite sand is 30 bucks for 50 pounds not the bad if you ask me.
I am going to route the water from the sump to the refugium and then let the overflow go passively(no pump) back to the main tank.Yes you can do that. I am planing to drill my refugium with 4 holes. All will be on top of the tank and all will have bulk heads. I will running plumbing from the main pump to the refugium and let the 3 holes drain it back into the sump. I do not feel it is a good idea to have a ton of circulation threw the refugium as it may disturb inhabitants
My objectives are to: create more filtration, increase bug population, reduce nutrients for micro algae, and I like plants Arent we all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for any suggestions or recomendations you may have. The 55g has been switched from FO w bio balls I hope you dumped the bio balls.
I started in Jan. I added about 5lbs-10lbs of cured rock every 2 weeks with 5% water change taking out a handfull of bio balls each time. Nothing has died ad parameters are good with 1 major breakout of cyno.
Your lighting design is not the best for a reef. I would do both VHO white so you would have 2.7 w per gallon. Then do 2 PC white for 1.3 w per gallon, and supplement 2 PC for you night time viewing 2 actinics. That will give you 3.0 watts per gallon which is pretty good,but not great lighting for a reef ( depending what you plan on keeping). I would add another vho system bring the PC for the sump,and use 2 pc too supplement the main tank. The key is the more light the better you never have enough light in a reef.
Enjoy the hobby
Mike
 
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#2 ·
Looking for suggestions/help on a refugium.
I have 55g tank with 70lbs live rock. No corals except hitchikers on live rock. I want to add a 25g refugium w/ live sand, live rock and some macro algae.
Should I make a DSB or plenum?
How deep should the sand be?
What type of sand? I live at a beach, would beach sand work and should it be sterilized?
I am going to route the water from the sump to the refugium and then let the overflow go passively(no pump) back to the main tank.
My objectives are to: create more filtration, increase bug population, reduce nutrients for micro algae, and I like plants

Thanks for any suggestions or recomendations you may have. The 55g has been switched from FO w bio balls. I started in Jan. I added about 5lbs-10lbs of cured rock every 2 weeks with 5% water change taking out a handfull of bio balls each time. Nothing has died ad parameters are good with 1 major breakout of cyno (under control now).
 
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