Making a Refugium
- Thread starter smoney
- Start date
smoney
Active Member
farmboy
Active Member
If it comes over the top of the third wall at the same height, then it behaves the same as if the first 2 baffles wern't in there?! The idea (i thought) was to draw the water from under the second baffle and any air bubbles created from the water falling over the first baffle would return to the surface of the water in between the baffles. :notsure:
Where's Squiddly when ya need him?
Where's Squiddly when ya need him?
smoney
Active Member
Originally Posted by Hurt
...You want the water entering your return pump to come over the top. That will ensure proper flow of water. If it comes under the bottom, and your pump is sitting on the bottom, you will have dead spots above your pump.
I think I see what your talking about? So, I should move the pump up in the chamber maybe like half way to reduce that dead area?
...You want the water entering your return pump to come over the top. That will ensure proper flow of water. If it comes under the bottom, and your pump is sitting on the bottom, you will have dead spots above your pump.
I think I see what your talking about? So, I should move the pump up in the chamber maybe like half way to reduce that dead area?
hurt
Active Member
If it comes over the top of the third wall at the same height, then it behaves the same as if the first 2 baffles wern't in there?!
Nope, if you put in the first two baffles on the right, the H20 should flow evenly across your fuge, and then evenly over the 3rd baffle down to your return pump.
Nope, if you put in the first two baffles on the right, the H20 should flow evenly across your fuge, and then evenly over the 3rd baffle down to your return pump.
hurt
Active Member
So, I should move the pump up in the chamber maybe like half way to reduce that dead area?
I personally would not do that. The thing you will realize once you set it up. Your fuge is the only place in your system you will have evaporation, that is it is the only place where your H20 levels will flucuate. Once the H20 level in your fuge is even with the top of each baffle. The first place where the water will begin to drop(through evaporation), is in your return pump chamber. If you place your pump halfway up in that chamber, you may fry it, unless you have a perfect auto-topoff system. I probably just confused you more than I helped
I personally would not do that. The thing you will realize once you set it up. Your fuge is the only place in your system you will have evaporation, that is it is the only place where your H20 levels will flucuate. Once the H20 level in your fuge is even with the top of each baffle. The first place where the water will begin to drop(through evaporation), is in your return pump chamber. If you place your pump halfway up in that chamber, you may fry it, unless you have a perfect auto-topoff system. I probably just confused you more than I helped
farmboy
Active Member
I think I see the difference now, Hurt.
My pump area water level is usually lower than the fuge. This was to allow for more volume in the fuge while preserving as much space for water to come back to the fuge in a power outage.
Different setup, sorry!
Please continue. . . . .
Different setup, sorry!
Please continue. . . . .
smoney
Active Member
Originally Posted by Hurt
...I personally would not do that. The thing you will realize once you set it up. Your fuge is the only place in your system you will have evaporation, that is it is the only place where your H20 levels will flucuate. Once the H20 level in your fuge is even with the top of each baffle. The first place where the water will begin to drop(through evaporation), is in your return pump chamber. If you place your pump halfway up in that chamber, you may fry it, unless you have a perfect auto-topoff system. I probably just confused you more than I helped...
Naw, I think I understand. Hurt, what you have to understand is this is my first refuge and I'll take any advice and I understand what you did, thank you.
I like that way better, with the two baffles in the front, and then one in the return. Do you find that you have alot of bubbles?
...I personally would not do that. The thing you will realize once you set it up. Your fuge is the only place in your system you will have evaporation, that is it is the only place where your H20 levels will flucuate. Once the H20 level in your fuge is even with the top of each baffle. The first place where the water will begin to drop(through evaporation), is in your return pump chamber. If you place your pump halfway up in that chamber, you may fry it, unless you have a perfect auto-topoff system. I probably just confused you more than I helped...
Naw, I think I understand. Hurt, what you have to understand is this is my first refuge and I'll take any advice and I understand what you did, thank you.
hurt
Active Member
Different setup, sorry!
No need to apologize. There are many different ways to skin a cat
Do you find that you have alot of bubbles?
Absolutely none. Zero bubbles, the first bubble trap takes care of them. Ask any questions you may have, I'm just trying to help you. Another thing, is your fuge going to be directly under your DT or to the side, as in the diagram?
No need to apologize. There are many different ways to skin a cat
Do you find that you have alot of bubbles?
Absolutely none. Zero bubbles, the first bubble trap takes care of them. Ask any questions you may have, I'm just trying to help you. Another thing, is your fuge going to be directly under your DT or to the side, as in the diagram?
smoney
Active Member
Originally Posted by Hurt
Absolutely none. Zero bubbles, the first bubble trap takes care of them. Ask any questions you may have, I'm just trying to help you. Another thing, is your fuge going to be directly under your DT or to the side, as in the diagram?
Yeah I didnt think their was going to be any bubble. The refuge is going to be in the stand under the tank, so I dont know if the 45's are still going to work?
Absolutely none. Zero bubbles, the first bubble trap takes care of them. Ask any questions you may have, I'm just trying to help you. Another thing, is your fuge going to be directly under your DT or to the side, as in the diagram?
Yeah I didnt think their was going to be any bubble. The refuge is going to be in the stand under the tank, so I dont know if the 45's are still going to work?
murph
Active Member
yikes long thread. Here is my theory. Calupra grows so fast that if you add a established clump of it to your main tank it will grow faster than most animals can eat it, out compete nuisances algae and yada yada yada.
Plumbing is good for expanding water volume and in the fuge an undisturbed, except by you on water change days, deep sand bed, you don't even need to light it.
Plumbing is good for expanding water volume and in the fuge an undisturbed, except by you on water change days, deep sand bed, you don't even need to light it.
hurt
Active Member
Murph a fuge serves several purposes. First a refugium is just that, it is a separate tank plumbed into your main tank, usually free from predation-hence the term refuge. This will help to maintain a constant supply of pods to your DT because there are no predators in your fuge. The main purpose however is normally filtration-(nitrates and phosphates) mainly through nutrient export via macroalgaes. It also prevents pH drops at night. This because most fuges are lit on a reverse daylight photosynthesis (RDP) period. It also creates a larger total H2O volume for your entire system. This helps to dilute pollutants and keep your water parameters more stable. The larger the total H20 volume the easier it is to prevent spikes in H2O parameters. Besides all these benefits, it also increases your flow. Also, the H20 entering the fuge is usually surface skimmed. This top layer of H2O usually contains %70
of pollutants in your water. In short, you will have cleaner, healthier water and your tank will be easier to maintain.
Personally, I would not run caulerpa for my algae scrubber. You have to prune it daily and run your lights 24/7 to prevent it from going sexual. When that happens it releases everything it has absorbed back into your tank.
of pollutants in your water. In short, you will have cleaner, healthier water and your tank will be easier to maintain.
Personally, I would not run caulerpa for my algae scrubber. You have to prune it daily and run your lights 24/7 to prevent it from going sexual. When that happens it releases everything it has absorbed back into your tank.
smoney
Active Member
oooh neat, I see how you used the 45's I'm going to do that. I know what the purpose of it was but i just couldnt figure out how to do it, but now i get it out. I'm using the caulerpa because its really good stuff and it had been used in a refuge for like 3 years running. I heard that once the lights go off they go haywire, but its ok, i got a 24/7 light on there. I may change it later with some of my friends cheato. Or I have another Idea that when I have two ten gallon tanks, I can have one refuge with caulerpa, and the other can have cheato in it.
Tommorow I am going to add the baffles in, and order my overflow. Online the overflows are like 50 bucks, but in the lfs its like a 100 something, I was like damn!
Tommorow I am going to add the baffles in, and order my overflow. Online the overflows are like 50 bucks, but in the lfs its like a 100 something, I was like damn!
smoney
Active Member
I know you have been wondering if smoney was actually going to make his refuge, and he did! It took so long to get the overflow box and put the baffles in and blah blah blah, anyways here is todays two hour project. This was my first time I have built a Refuge and I think I did pretty good!
My Glass tank with the baffles in(I used Hurt's design):
1- Top View
2- Side View
Overflow box Rated for a 150 gallon tank
3- My overflow with the aqualifter
4- My overflow, the left one is plugged up and the right leads down to the refuge
5- Top View of refugium
My Glass tank with the baffles in(I used Hurt's design):
1- Top View
2- Side View
Overflow box Rated for a 150 gallon tank
3- My overflow with the aqualifter
4- My overflow, the left one is plugged up and the right leads down to the refuge
5- Top View of refugium