compact refug

von_rahvin

von_rahvin

Member
everytime i read about one i plan on putting one in. only problem is, i am at college and my room mates rightly complain that my very cool tanks take up way to much space. they do not mind the space i am taking up as they take credit for them whenever they bring over chicks, ( i don't mind i don't tell them about the power bill) but they do not really want to give much more space over. i have 2 20 some odd gallon sumps beneath a 135. should i cut into my sump volume or what? extending the foot print of the tank is really not an option.
thanks again
 
broncofish

broncofish

Active Member
I would take down both and set up 2 refugiums if you ask me. My water has never looked better, my readings are great, my PH is way more stable all from just the fuge IMO. I do a modified ecosystem method. I'll draw up a design in paint really quick and post it for you.
 
broncofish

broncofish

Active Member
I guess I should also add that I have a DSB in the tank, Lots of live rock. I am running a ten gallon fuge on my 90 gallon tank, but I am planning to eventually have a 40g fuge
 
von_rahvin

von_rahvin

Member
got the 4" dsb, and approx 250-300 lbs of LR. still to skitish to pull out the skimmer. can't help it the thing cost me 250!
 
broncofish

broncofish

Active Member
I guess I should also add that I have a DSB in the tank, Lots of live rock. I am running a ten gallon fuge on my 90 gallon tank, but I am planning to eventually have a 40g fuge
 
von_rahvin

von_rahvin

Member
thanks for the pic. I will have to figure something out. do you really like he mirical mud? read about it but was not completely sold
 
broncofish

broncofish

Active Member
Yeah I was just scared my tank would be insane with out a skimmer, but there are mad copepods running around, Hey I forgot to mention the cuelurpa(macro algea) that goes in the fuge with the miracle mud
 
broncofish

broncofish

Active Member
I could see a differnece in about 1 week. Do a search on here see what people think. My LFS guy is changing his system at home to use it. His stuff is awesome, and he is one of the few LFS owners I really trust, some people say it is snake oil, others swear buy it.
 
von_rahvin

von_rahvin

Member
that's what threw me a loop. if it is so good why would anyone call it snake oil? if it does what you and all of it's proponets say . . . i would believe that everyone would be singing hosannas over it.
 
pferboy

pferboy

Member
here is a picture of what i just set up. don't know if it will help but lol. it is only a 5gal tank but i also converted the sump on the left side. i still have the skimmer set up.
also if anyone has any advice for how i set it up and if it will work ok let me know.
 
von_rahvin

von_rahvin

Member
hey i think i have he same stand. cept mine does not look half as neat! i have a thought, how about setting a 10 gallon with a small powerhead to feed it water inside of my bigger sump. thoughts?
 
pferboy

pferboy

Member
i hope you are being sarcastic about the neatness! what i did was set the 5 gal tank in between my 2 sumps and my sterilizer. it was the biggest i could fit. i cleared everything out of my smallest sump and put in only live rock and aragonite(too much flow for caulerpa) i put a small pump from my main sump on the right side into the refuge and 2 siphon hoses to the sump with the rock and aragonite. this system keeps the water level in the refuge slightly higher than in the 2 sumps and the flow rate is low enough to grow caulerpa. i have only had it set up for a week but it is doing well so far.
 
von_rahvin

von_rahvin

Member
nah man if i had a camera i would show you a nightmare!! my 2 sumps (they are connected with 1.5 inch through puts) so i have no place under my tank that is not being used. so thinking if i set a 10 gallon tank inside one of my 20-30 gallon (rubbermade) sumps. it may work.
 
broncofish

broncofish

Active Member
If I had my camera you guys would definitely want to change. I have literally one 10g tank, with two dividers, 3 powerheads in my tank, and that’s it. Most of the cabinet area in my stand is empty. Most the people who call it snake oil have not used it. Listen I'm no salesman for the crap, but I love not having a mess under my tank...of course if six months from now when my newest system is older, and everything is still the same than I will want to become a salesman for it.
 
tracklighter

tracklighter

Member
Broncofish,
Just curious about why you did a modified ecosystem with mud on top of LS?
I just started a 29 gal tank, and I have a sand bed that is about 3 inches. I read you are not supposed to have a sand bed greater than 1 inch.
I am going to leave mine in, since it is going to be a nightmare to get all the sand out. We'll see what happens.
Where did you get the idea for the modified system?
 
broncofish

broncofish

Active Member
Hey I guess I just took a bunch of info from here and combined it. The general train of thought right now is bio balls are not worth the hassle. They are nitrate factories.....but the live rock has tons of beneficial qualities to it(pods bristles etc...) so I figured I would buy some rubble and use it as a filter. There is constant water movement over it so it keeps it from having algae build up. I have always heard that you want a DSB in you fuge also, for the same reason you want it in your tank. I started my fuge with live sand only, then 2 weeks later I added the mud. I did basically because of two reasons. 1. because my lfs guy is switching his systems to it, and his stuff looks great. 2. I figured it could not hurt. So I got ten pounds of it. I like it...plus using live sand as a base is cheaper. IMO it is working great
 
von_rahvin

von_rahvin

Member
ok you sold me. i am going to have to order some mud. well once i get this fuge built. thinking NO actinic white and blue. and some macro's. with say 3 inchs of DSB and 10 lbs of MM on top.
 
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