Refugium validity?

[mx mr bean]

Hey everyone quick question. Are refugiums really worth it? If so what are the pros or if they are not what are the cons?

 

[chilwil84]

the only con they take up space (if you can call that a con), they reduce biological waste (amonia through nitrates and phoshpates) they allow bennificial organisms to grow freely

 

[mx mr bean]

can unbenefical creatures grow aswell?

 

[aztec reef]

Originally Posted by mx Mr Bean
can unbenefical creatures grow aswell?
all kinds of beneficial critters will breed there, and also you will increase the water volume witch will have better chances of being stable tank...

 

[chilwil84]

if you put live rock along with the macro alge and or sand than yes but no more than your display tank unless you have something like a sixline that will eat them when they are small but you dont have to put live rock in it

 

[chilwil84]

forgot water volume the reason i started mine in the first place

 

[mx mr bean]

well so far refugiums sound great but i am completely out of space down in my wet dry filter and dont want to put a hang on in my main tank. can i run a pump from my wet dry into a 10 or 20 gallon rectangular tank (refugium) and put a return pump into it to get water back into the wet dry. would that work?

 

[aztec reef]

that might work, but imo the best way to setup a fuge is above display tank/behind wall if you can .that way the water circulates via gravity.

 

[chilwil84]

it would be easier if yoiu have the space to run it directly to the main tank just like your wet/dry if you have a reef or fowlr that doesnt have large predators and your wet/dry has bioballs remove them and make it into a fuge

 

[tahoetanks]

What about he whole soap dish suction cup thing? Has anyone ever had any luck with that? Or is it too easy to be true?

 

[ejensen]

I think they are well worth it. It made my nitrates drop to less than 2ppm with one. I couldn't not drop under 10 doing my water changes. It also keep it down. I wouldn't go without it.

 

[ricks280]

sump? a must imo, you can also run pumps, heaters, skimmer in this and i agree with the above volume of water you can also drip into the sump(kalk)

(rick)

 

[tahoetanks]

Good to know! I'll get mine going this week. I just wasn't sure about the size of the soap dish being sufficient. We are getting ready to move in 6 mos and I don't want to add a big ole refugium just to turn around and take it back down to move. Moving is a hassle enough. Thanks again!

 

[mx mr bean]

well i definitaly could run it up to the main tank but taking out the bio balls sounds even better. recently tho i have seen some custom sumps made with like 3 sections for skimmers heaters refugiums etc. has anyone ever made one or purchased one and liked it or is my wet dry by Current USA better?

 

[trainfever]

Take the bio balls out of your wet/dry, throw in some macro and a few pieces of live rock and you have a refugium.

 

[zj4play]

I was at the fish store today and a customer and the store guy both told me to take out all the bioballs from the back area of my new 29 biocube and put nothing back there, except the little protien skimmer and another Rio 800 powerhead that I am going to attach to some of those cool quicklock couplers and run into the tank. What do you think of this? Should I also add some LR back there and some little critters to help keep them clean? I am still cycling my tank so should I wait? As you can tell...I am a newbee

 

[chilwil84]

imo i would leave the bioballs in until after your tank cycles it will give more space for bacteria to populate sooner. a couple weeks after the tank has cycled and your live rock is cured and ready to handle some load then i would remove the balls. if you replace it with live rock use rubble (real small pieces) but this may create a place for deterious to accumulate so you would have to remove the rock periodically and clean it out

 

[zj4play]

Thanks for the quick reply Chilwil...very helpfull.
Anyone else?