ok.. alot of reading and information.. now, my head hurts! lol
I followed some of the links to read about overhead refugums, behind tang refugms, and even an article that included bio media (as being discussed in another thread)
<a href="http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aquasite.com%2Fwhat%2Farticles%2Farticles%2Fmethod.shtml" target="_blank">http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aquasite.com%2Fwhat%2Farticles%2Farticles%2Fmethod.shtml</a>
This is getting off subject - more to live sand methods - but the common thread is DENITRIFICATION - by use of refugiums and DSB's.
My question is - if you have a tank already set up (even tho i'm only in day 7 of initial cycle) - can a refugium also use the live sand base system as the sole system of denitrification and be sufficiente WITHOUT introducing it to the main tank?
My main tank (75 gal) uses seafloor as the base (primary very small shells, and some crushed coral - about 1-2" in depth).
an EXCELLENT url i've been reading about live sand and it's process is:
<a href="http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.athiel.com%2Flib%2Fjaubert.txt" target="_blank">http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.athiel.com%2Flib%2Fjaubert.txt</a>
SO.. what i'm wondering.. given a 75 gal main tank - could a person setup say a 30gal tall tank as a refugium as follows:
Live sand base by following method:
- 1" egg grate for trapped areas
- put a screen on top to stop sand and material from entering
- put small shell/crushed coral 1-2" on top of that
- put another fine screen on top of that
- put LIVE sand (aragonitic or oolitic sand) in approx 4-5" deep
Is this a proper live sand setup for maximizing denitrification?
Correct me if i have left anything out, but I also understand other "necessities" to such a system are both sand DWELLERS (that will live and roam around in the sand) and sand FEEDERS that will comb the top surface.
Is this a complete picture of a good sand filter system for the purpose of helping to denitratification (is that a word?) lol
FURTHER.. "IF" this is done in the REFUGIUM "INSTEAD" of the show tank - what other factors are important to realize?
WATERFLOW - do i undersatnd that you want "LOWER" water movement in a refugium? Thus no internal powerheads - and a "seperate" powerhead pulling from the sump to this tank - instead of the high tank turnover of the primary tank? Does this meet the needs of the live sand as well?
SKIMMING - do i understand you would "NOT" want any skimming going on "IN" the refugium? as it would be removing ingredients to the process of denitrification?
CLEAINGING - what form of mechanical filtration would need to be done in the refugium and what cleaning?
QUESTION - does the GROWING of hair algae and other such "undesirables inside a show tank" in a location like a refugium (that has an overflow flowing BACK to the main tank) seed and spawn such algae to begin more growth inside the MAIN TANK? Seems to me it would given the same water conditions, the high lighting and Live rock in which to take hold of. In setting up a refugium to grow such algae - how do you then keep it OUT of ur main tank?
This is a lot of info - and i'm sure I might have some of it mixed up above. Would appreciate others thoughts, experience, research and clarifications on the subjects.
Again, as i'm in the 7th day of my intitial cycle - i'm not resistant to some change. I'm strongly leaning towards keeping the wet/dry bio system BUT ADDING another tank for the purpose of a refugium (and growing algaoe for de-nitrating). I'm wondering if the live sand can be done in THAT tank instead of tearing up the main tank.
It "SEEMS" to me.. that seperating some of the systems (wet/dry bio balls & refugium tank) helps to create the best environment for each to do their job - SPECIALIZATION - and letting the main tank reap the benefits of them. The higher ppm of oxygen in the wet/dry seems to handle the ammonia/nitrite better than live rock and can take a higher bio-load using a smaller space. The refugium can specialize in lower currents, algae and macro-algaie blooms (and perhaps live sand system as well) for the purpose of reducing NITRATES (changing them to nitrate gas to leave the tank) - without the undesirable appearance of heavy algae in the main tank or inability to have herbevorous fish eating the macro-algaie.
I'm beginning to think - to put all this into "ONE" tank - i'm gunna need a tank the size of the ocean
I look forward to more comments on all of this.
