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[mp32]

I am in the process of making my sump/refugium and I am trying to figure out the best way to do my sand bed. I was wondering if should put a deep sand bed in my sump and a shallow sand bed in the tank, or only put a deep bed in the tank. I was also wondering what is best to put in the fuge like plants or cleaner clams? my Uncle wants to build a denitrator for it and if we do that do I need to put crushed live rock in there or anything else for that matter? I am using a 55 gallon tank for the sump so there is a lot of room to do whatever I want I just need some good advice. Also I was wondering if I should buy the live rock for cycling purposes or add it after? I was thinking that the cycle would kill any of the cool little hitch hikers that come along with it. I am going to add base sand and then live sand, should I mix them up or just put the base sand in and then the live sand after I add the water? Incase you need to know the tank is a 180. Thanks in advance!

 

[earlybird]

The DSB is entirely up to you. I would put a DSB in the fuge which will serve as a place for denitrification to occur. I'm a proponent for cycling with LR and as long as you have water ready to do a change if the ammonia rises above 0.5. Most will say 1.0 but I like to keep it safe. Just put the live sand right on top of the base sand, it will populate fairly quickly. A lot of people house chaeto which is a macroalgae in their fuges. It's one of the easiest to take care of and doesn't go sexual like other macros which can crash your tank. I would put some LR rubble in your fuge with the sand. More and more people are beginning to keep xenia in their fuges as it seems to be a nutrient exporter but it's still an issue for debate I believe. Cleaner clams are pointless really ask reefkprz. I would have some snails in the fuge though maybe some cerith, nassarius, and astraea.

 

[mp32]

Thanks for the info, I was also wondering about a denitrator. my uncle wants to build one for me and he says it uses a vodka drip, if I use this would it be necassary to have a fuge and just set it up as a sump? He says when they are set up properly they work very well, it is not that I doubt him I just like a second opinion because it is an extra cost and I am on the fence about it.

 

[mp32]

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