Refigum

[good alex]

So ive thought about it for a while and im thinking of adding a refigum on my 150g. This would be my first refigum that i would be setting up so im apologizing in advace for any newb questions i ask,
1) i bought some cheato(very small amount) with pods at the lfs and decided to grow it alittle before i hook up the refigium to the DT, so its in a 20L tank next to the sump do i need to add anything to the tank since its by its self, i do have plant growing lights on the refigum.
2)once the cheato has grown i dont know if i should (A) get a pump and pump the refigum water to the sump and have some sump water go to the refigum or (B) have some DT water come into the refigum and have the refigurm water go to the sump or (C) have the DT water go to the refigum and back to the DT.
the reason i ask is because ive heard that pumps and UV sterelizers kill pods so what should i do?
so heres the tank at the moment its just a little something i whipped up in paint

 

[shrimpi]

I ran into this same thing.
I think it would be ok to run water from either source, and just pump them back out...some will get chopped, but your filterfeeders will benefit. Alot of pods are so small that the pump doesnt do anything to them.

 

[good alex]

but what about the UV sterelizer??

 

[shrimpi]

I would try and make the return a straight shot back into the DT so that they have to go through as little pumping as possible. It depends on how your cabinet/tank is set up.
I think it would be alot of pumping for instance: if you pump the pods out of the fuge, into the sump, through the UV, then back up to the DT. I would just make a straight shot to the DT.
Maybe someone else can chime in on this one.

 

[greenwolf52]

put a powerhead in the 20g right now to give it some movement. it's good for the chaeto.

 

[good alex]

yes i do have a small pump in there right now, along with a diy net to go over the intake of the pump to kepp the cheato from getting stuck in

 

[good alex]

oh i was also thinking of putting a DSB in the 20L do you think i should do it, not sure because i dont know how many inches it would have to be and since its a long tank its only a foot high.

 

[good alex]

bump

 

[good alex]

wow looks like just florida people are helping me lol

 

[shrimpi]

palm beaches for the win!

 

[good alex]

so i kinda dropped the project for a while but now im back and ive almost got everything set up except the lights. So which kind?? I have some regular fluorsent stocklights, 50 50 bulbs, and some plant growing lights from Home depot.
so these are the hd bulbs

and these are the 50 50 bulbs

does anyone know which lights would promote the most growth?

 

[gatorwpb]

I have read that 6700K bulbs are the best for growing cheato. I have a fuge that is a 20 long and have a huge mat of cheato in it, with 3.5" dsb and rubble rock. I have a 10K PC bulb over it now.
Google "refugium light" or "refugium bulb" and I think youll get some good stuff. I got my 12" PC light off e bay and the cheato grows very fast.
Also, look into melevsreef dot com on fuge lights.