Help! How to make a refugium

[redhairsunshine]

Ok, I am totally lost as I see things on different sites about making a refugium. I have a 30gal tank with 30lbs live rock, 1 sabe anemone, 1 coral (forgot what it is), mated pair of misbar clowns (the female is only maybe 2" and the male is 1" and lived in a 175 for over a year before I got them), hermits, 2 brittle stars, snails and a sand sifter star. I want to build a refugium out of a 10 gal without drilling anything. I really need to know if I need to buy pumps, overflow boxes etc or do I just set up the 10 gallon higher than the 30 gal and how/what do I need to do it that way??? I was also curious about what happens if power goes out so I do not end up with one empty tank and one overflowing to the floor! Please help as I am so lost! Thanks Rach

[beaslbob]

Originally Posted by redhairsunshine

Ok, I am totally lost as I see things on different sites about making a refugium. I have a 30gal tank with 30lbs live rock, 1 sabe anemone, 1 coral (forgot what it is), mated pair of misbar clowns (the female is only maybe 2" and the male is 1" and lived in a 175 for over a year before I got them), hermits, 2 brittle stars, snails and a sand sifter star. I want to build a refugium out of a 10 gal without drilling anything. I really need to know if I need to buy pumps, overflow boxes etc or do I just set up the 10 gallon higher than the 30 gal and how/what do I need to do it that way??? I was also curious about what happens if power goes out so I do not end up with one empty tank and one overflowing to the floor! Please help as I am so lost! Thanks Rach

You could place the 10 above the 30g and interconnect them with PVC tubing. If they were side by side all you would have to do is just add pump in the 10g and pump the water back to the 30g and let a hob siphon equalize the water level between the two. On power out the water levels in the two tank would just equalize.

If one tank is totally above the the other then you could use pvc overflows/siphons to control the water level in the upper tank.

my .02

[OneDummHikk]

First, why do you want a refugium? You could put an overflow box on the 30 gallon to drain to the 10G and then have a pump pump it back up to the 30 and thats the best way to orient them. When the power goes off, the water stops draining. Its the way they are designed to work.

But, it depends on why you want a refugium. Having one for the sake of having one is worse than not having one. And in most cases, they cause more work than they solve.

Welcome to TRT (both of you)

[beaslbob]

Thanks.

Hilliybillyville alabama

[OneDummHikk]

Its what I call Phenix City Alabama. Its a one hore, one hillbilly town.