How do I decide if I should add a refugium?

[PhilOlsen]

Originally Posted by lcstorc

Wouldn't that be your sump or a sump/fuge combo? Many people do have combo sump/fuge, but personally I have two separate tanks for the very different purposes. This allows me to have low flow in the fuge instead of the much higher flow rate in my sump. My sump holds all my equipment and give me water volume. My fuge has a DSB, LR, and several types of macro as well as pods etc that come with these. I didn't want a combination since I was afraid the skimmer would kill too many of the pods that I want to get to my display live and in good health.

The sump area usually holds filtration (bio balls or other mech type) which if you already have enough LR and a good sand bed is BAD as it will over produce nitrates. As for the skimmer killing the pods, put the skimmer before the fuge area and call it your equipment area, then baffles into the fuge area and the pods etc. will be OK, a skimmer no matter where it is will kill some life forms but they reproduce quickly especially if you give them a fuge to do it in.

[Gina]

Frankie! Nice fuge

[burning2nd]

Imo sump is a must, it just makes life eazyer, (some times)


just after a harvest

[lcstorc]

Check my chronicle thread for pics of my new sump and fuge. (It won't let me attach them again.) Since the pics we have added a 6in DSB to the fuge as well as lots of rock soon to be LR and several types of macro.
I love having two separate tanks for the two different purposes.

[bluespotjawfish]

Nice setup. Lots of room! How is your plumping ran for the fuge? Hard to see in the pics.

[Jynx]

I'm setting up a 75 gal tank and have limited experience with reef tanks (I have a 25 gal for about a year now). This 75 is on an office credenza and there is no place to put a refugium under the main tank, so my only option would be a HOT fuge like the ones sold by CPR. I am thinking of having mandarins, so a good source of copepods sound appealing. Any advice.

[bluespotjawfish]

Sorry don't have much advice to offer as I'm still trying to figure this out myself. I have looked at the hang-on type, and think I'd prefer to keep mine all contained within or near the sump. If you do the hang on style, make sure you have room to get to it for periodic maintenance. Good luck.

[sasquatch]

Bluespot heres a reason, 3 days ago my return pump died,it was out for 48 hrs, in 12 hours the display glass coated over, I clean this about every 8 to 9 days usually, after 24 hours HAIR ALGAE!!! and I havent had any showing in like 2 years. Meanwhile down in the sump/fuge yup, perfect, except my butterchurn skimmer is foam free. Pump is installed and running let the cleanup begin. I run about 1300 gph closed loop and 3 big powerheads in the display, so I would say yes please to a fuge hands down.Steve

[lcstorc]

I will try to explain the plumbing but please realize that I am the one who deals with the livestock while my husband does the plumbing etc and this one we called in assistance from a local reefer friend.
Basically there is a T off of our return line. Both sides if the t have a valve that you can open or close as much as you want to control the level of flow. The part of the T that goes to the fuge points downward and the other goes across to the sump so I can control the level of flow in the fuge by opening or closing the valve. Then we drilled a bulkhead in the fuge at about the level we want as our low water level in the fuge. This has a hose with air vent which goes into the return area of the sump but is at a lower height. So we just open the valve to the fuge the appropriate amount (this is the hardest part) and water goes into the fuge. Once it reaches the level of the bulkhead gravity takes it through the line and into the return area of the sump. The most difficult part of my setup is determining how much to open the valve so the water coming in is equal to the water leaving. We had some challenges at first where it was either open too much or not enough and either the fuge filled rapidly or not enough. I am still playing with the idea of adding a power head to the fuge since I have very little flow there and am a bit afraid of cyano taking over, but the whole system was designed so my pods and other live critters can get to the display by only going through the main return pump. I really don't want to chop them all up. So far we have not had an algae problem so I am letting it sit and see what happens.
Hope this made sense. If not let me know and I will get my husband to log in and give a better explanation.

[burning2nd]

black tube in from over flow 1.5" that is some hardware store, type seawer drain stuff,

and the clear plastic return line from the pump (witch i plan on replaceing with hard pvc soon)


lynn, what happens if you open both vavles all the way?

you get a flood?

my lfs is wired like this, you have to carefull open and close vavles to the exsact amount or in time a tank will either overflow, or not get enought water?
if that is the case you should redo your pump so you can open thos vaulve all the way and not have to worrie about anything,

if you close one the other should get very strong, and still not over flow.


pic?s

[bluespotjawfish]

Thanks guys, this is the type of info I was needing help figuring out.

[lcstorc]

The last time we tried it the fuge got very full but did not overflow. We just hooked up the chiller so we will need to do another power failure test as well and open each valve in turn to make sure there is no flooding. It wil probably wait till morning since we are both pretty beat right now and just glad the chiller is in and set. Amusingly we just got a cold front so we can't yet test the actual chilling. Perhaps at mid day tomorrow.

[bluespotjawfish]

A chiller does sound really cold right now. I'd go for a fireplace instead.

[lcstorc]

Well since we live in Central Florida where highs in the 80s are predicted today we might get to test it today. The one I bought though, does have an attachment for a heater so it will heat or cool depending on what is needed.

[bluespotjawfish]

Ok, the decision has been made -- I am getting a separate custom tank from Lifereef that will sit next to my existing sump. It will be 18"L X 14"W X 19-1/2"H. After all, if Lynn has one I want one too! The height of the return flow to the sump will be at 16", so should get good volume from this baby. I might try and feed it using the return line on my UV sterilizer instead of the drain from the tank, then run a hard PVC line from the outflow of the refugium directly to the return flow area of the sump so that the outflow from the refugium bypasses the sterilization process. Any suggestions on that? The only problem I see is if there is a pump failure, the refugium would not be circulated. I could set up a backup battery operated pump real easy to manage that. So, water would go from the tank, to the sump where it would be exposed to the skimmer, UV sterilizer, and phosphate reactor, then a portion of this would go to the refugium, which would then be directed back to the portion of the sump where the return flow is. Make since? I'm not an artist, so trust me the written description is best.

Also, now that the tank itself is figured out, I'll need lights and stuff to put in it, any recommendations?