Survey - Refugium Owners Please Post Reply

[Jimbo]

Hi all,

I would like to compile some data of people with refugium's. I will use this data to further our knowledge of reeftank ecosystems and post cross tabulation data + graphs. Please post a reply for each tank you have. Even if your tank is not doing well, please post anyway, that info will help us to adjust your system based on others that are more successful.

1. How many gallons is your tank
2. How many gallons is your refugium
3. What is the flow rate to your refugium GPH*
4. How many watts of light are over your refugium, type (fl-flouresent, in-incandesent, MH - Metal halide)
5. Is 1/10 of your tank covered with diatom,cyno or hair algea(y,n)
6. For the most part is your refugium free of diatom and hair algea, compared to your main tank(y,n)
7. Do you have a deep sand bed in your main tank (y,n)
8. Do you have a deep sand bed in your refugium (y,n)
9. Bio load (low,med,high) gestimate
10. Months your tanks has been running

*Here's how to calculate GPH, take 1 cub measuring device and hold it over your flow and count the number of seconds it takes to fill. Then multiply this by 16 now take your number and divide it into 3600 This will equal gallons per hour. If your flow rate is to great use a quart container and multiply by 4 instead of 16.

Here's my tank
1. 40
2. 8
3. 225
4. 58 fl
5. yes
6. yes
7. yes
8. yes
9. low
10 .5

Thanks I appreciate your replys and will post some summary information once we get a several dozen responses.

Have a great month!

[dark horge]

I'll just cite the funkiest system on my hands right now:

1. How many gallons is your tank
display "tank" about 55 US gallons

2. How many gallons is your refugium
30 US gallons

3. What is the flow rate to your refugium GPH*
roughly 1800 USgph, but this is mostly in and off the top layer of water. The return to the display is surged.

4. How many watts of light are over your refugium, type (fl-flouresent, in-incandesent, MH - Metal halide)
dunno it's on Philippine sunlight --probably more light than most display tanks on the planet

5. Is 1/10 of your tank covered with diatom or hair algae(y,n)
Not visibly, but diatoms are assuredly present in virtually all systems. There is an intentional presence of tough-hair Chlorodesmis fastigiata, which I grow as a floating raft in the fuge (it grows downward from the water surface and is moored with monofilament to keep it away from the overflows) and tear bits from for nutrient export. I am certain most surfaces are covered with other 'hair' algae, but is constantly grazed by herbivores or abraded clear by tumbling action.

6. For the most part is your refugium free of diatom and hair algea, compared to your main tank(y,n)
No They're assuredly there, you just have to look realhard

7. Do you have a deep sand bed in your main tank (y,n)
No, the sand is regularly and violently disturbed by surges, and so does not quite qualify as a 'live DSB' like Ron defines it.

8. Do you have a deep sand bed in your refugium (y,n)
No, it is actually a DMB (deep mulm bed), hehe

9. Bio load (low,med,high) guesstimate
I don't know quite how to answer this
From a very limited point of view, the answer might be
'very high, but close to self-balanced'.





horge

[karsco]

Jimbo here ya go!

1) 58 gallons
2) 15 gallons
3) 100 gph
4) 65W power compact (LOA)
5) NO
6) NO
7) Kind of, one half of the tank is about 3-4 inches deep and it tapers down to about 1.5 inches on the other half. I am slowly adding southdown at .5 inch intervals to increase the depth of the sand be to 4-5 inches throughout the tank.
8) yes
9) low to medium

[R1Bill]

Here's my tank
1. 180 + 20 gallons in sump
2. 40
3. 200 gph ?
4. 72 FL 20hrs/day +strong outside light in the morning
5. yes no diatom, lots of algea and some red slime
6. yes but some red slime and lots of marco algea that is not growing
7. no
8. yes
9. low

[Allyson]

1. 29 gallons
2. 10 gallons
3. 160 gph
4. 10,000K florescent
5. Maybe that much - probably more like 1/20
6. Yes - none whatsoever
7. Yes (5")
8. Yes (5")
9. Low - tank only 3 mos old

[gregt]

1. How many gallons is your tank
180
2. How many gallons is your refugium
~15
3. What is the flow rate to your refugium GPH*
200
4. How many watts of light are over your refugium, type (fl-flouresent, in-incandesent, MH - Metal halide)
65 PC
5. Is 1/10 of your tank covered with diatom or hair algea(y,n)
n
6. For the most part is your refugium free of diatom and hair algea, compared to your main tank(y,n)
n
7. Do you have a deep sand bed in your main tank (y,n)
y
8. Do you have a deep sand bed in your refugium (y,n)
y
9. Bio load (low,med,high) gestimate
low
10. Months your tanks has been running
12

[DaveJ]

1. How many gallons is your tank

Main is 120

2. How many gallons is your refugium

30 Gallon AGA divided into a 15 gal sump and 15 gal refuge approx.

3. What is the flow rate to your refugium GPH*

I run a small rio 300 (i think) that runs from the sump into the fuge and the fuge overflows the divider into the sump.

4. How many watts of light are over your refugium, type (fl-flouresent, in-incandesent, MH - Metal halide)

Small 15 W and a Lights of 32W I think America PC

5. Is 1/10 of your tank covered with diatom or hair algea(y,n)

NOPE.. some slight cyno dusing but thats it. Macros in the fuge and caulerpa in the display

6. For the most part is your refugium free of diatom and hair algea, compared to your main tank(y,n)

About the same.. some small dusting of cyco.. no hair.

7. Do you have a deep sand bed in your main tank (y,n)

YES

8. Do you have a deep sand bed in your refugium (y,n)

YES

9. Bio load (low,med,high) gestimate

Low in the fuge, med in the tank.

[DaveC]

1. How many gallons is your tank
-- 55
2. How many gallons is your refugium
-- 16(20 gal with 4 gal sectioned off as sump)
3. What is the flow rate to your refugium GPH*
-- 65
4. How many watts of light are over your refugium, type (fl-flouresent, in-incandesent, MH - Metal halide)
-- 300watts no flourescent
5. Is 1/10 of your tank covered with diatom or hair algea(y,n)
-- yes, hair mostly
6. For the most part is your refugium free of diatom and hair algea, compared to your main tank(y,n)
-- yes, only a tiny patch of cyano once in a while
7. Do you have a deep sand bed in your main tank (y,n)
-- no, 2-3 inches
8. Do you have a deep sand bed in your refugium (y,n)
-- no, 2-3 inches
9. Bio load (low,med,high) gestimate
-- low
10. Months your tanks has been running
-- 9 months

[Reef Maniac]

1. 155
2. 15
3. 60
4. 60 watts NO bulbs (4-15w)
5. sand in tank is covered in diatom.
6. Y
7. Y 5-6 inches
8. Y 6-8 inches
9. High

[Jimbo]

Your all great keep them coming starting to see some patterns, but still need at least twice to three times as much data.

Have a great evening!

[schrader mo]

1.55
2.55
3.no flow,I move old water from the main tank to the refugium and the refugium water to the main tank about 10percent a month.
4.30w NO
5.no
6.yes
7.yes
8.no
9.low

[nickg]

Here you go

1. 55
2. 6
3. 19
4. 60 watts
5. no
6. yes
7. yes
8. yes
9. high

I noticed most peoples flow rate is alot higher than mine, if I let more water through it would overflow. The bulkhead couldn't keep up with much more

[fishinchick]

1. 60
2. 25
3. 1200
4. 80 FL 400 PC
5. nope
6. yep
7. yep
8. yep
9. med

That helpful?????

[Doug1]

1. How many gallons is your tank
75 AGA selfdrilled

2. How many gallons is your refugium
approx 30 (3/4 of a 55 wide tank)

3. What is the flow rate to your refugium GPH*approx 800 (needs to be split in half)

4. How many watts of light are over your refugium, type (fl-flouresent, in-incandesent, MH - Metal halide)
65 watt PC
5. Is 1/10 of your tank covered with diatom,cyno or hair algea(y,n)
y
6. For the most part is your refugium free of diatom and hair algea, compared to your main tank(y,n)
y
7. Do you have a deep sand bed in your main tank (y,n)
y
8. Do you have a deep sand bed in
your refugium (y,n)
y
9. Bio load (low,med,high) gestimate
low

[Alice]

Jim, I made the thread a "sticky" so you could have a shot at some more data!