Refugium

sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
So, this evening I will be working on building my refugium. I have a 20lb bag of live sand (My refuge is a 20g tall) and will be making some water tonight. Do I need to have any powerheads in the refugium to move water around, or will the water flow move the water around enough? I also need to buy a large rock to place in the refuge... anything else I should need to start out or even down the line?
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
You'll want to get some macro algea like Chaeto and a 6,500k light to keep it growing. No need for any powerheads.
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by florida joe http:///forum/thread/380346/refugium#post_3310180
you never want your cycle to end, what are you trying to gain with your refug
It can't end? Maybe not end but have safe levels for me to add creatures into my tank. I also plan on using that area to breed copepods as well as using it to store the eggs when any fish mate.
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/380346/refugium#post_3310189
It can't end? Maybe not end but have safe levels for me to add creatures into my tank. I also plan on using that area to breed copepods as well as using it to store the eggs when any fish mate.
What about all the mouth brooders, you going to ask them to spit out the eggs? LOL
 
Copepods is an excellent idea for the fuge. You sound like you getting a mandarin or something like that.
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380346/refugium#post_3310193
 
What about all the mouth brooders, you going to ask them to spit out the eggs? LOL
 
Copepods is an excellent idea for the fuge. You sound like you getting a mandarin or something like that.
I will be getting a mandarin eventually. I suppose I phrased it wrong. When the babies hatch, I will be placing them in the fuge to make sure that none of the other fish will eat the babies. Not taking the eggs and placing them in there.
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I don't think you can succesfully hatch babies and get them to live in a regular marine system.
You need to have a little 10g or so that you can fill with the proper foods for babies (Rotifers and lots of them)
The babies grow up in that little 10g and depending on how many survive you may need to move them to a larger breeder tank until they are large enough for sale.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Joe is correct, you don't ever want the nitrogen cycle to ever truely end in your system...if it does then you've got big problems lol. When I refer to end I mean when your system reaches the point to where it's ballanced enough to begin to start adding your livestock slowly and safely to the tank. You pick up bad habbits of generalizing things sometimes and it can be a hard habbit to break. But yes I'd wait untill your cycle ballances out to add the macros.
 
The bacteria in the system will break down the ammonia into nitrite and then to nitrate...the macro algea will aid in the consumption of nitrates. It is also a great for breeding pods and lots of fish will eat pods not just mandarins.
 
I probably wouldn't plan on being successful at breeding fish in your system. It can happen with certain types like clowns are known for breeding in captivity but I wouldn't count on it too much unless you have a set up devoted to that sort of thing.
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
That is true, I don't intend for any breeding... I was just implying if it were to happen then I would move them into the refugium. I do however plan to breed copepods since from my understanding you can do just that in a refugium and is actually an exceptional area to breed them since they hatch and go directly into the DT from the return pump which again will help feed all the fish (or at least the fish that will eat copepods). Can I feed only copepods to clowns to start out? Or do they need the flake food?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Copepods will breed on their own...NO, they are not the only thing to be fed....and DO NOT use flakes.....that would be equivalent to you eating potato chips all day
 
get some frozen mysis, marine cuisine, emerald entree.....etc.....you want a good healthy variety for your fish
 
ladyreefseeker

ladyreefseeker

Administrator
Staff member
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sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/380346/refugium#post_3310272
Copepods will breed on their own...NO, they are not the only thing to be fed....and DO NOT use flakes.....that would be equivalent to you eating potato chips all day
 
get some frozen mysis, marine cuisine, emerald entree.....etc.....you want a good healthy variety for your fish
I like potato chips and COULD eat them all day!
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380346/refugium#post_3310155
You'll want to get some macro algea like Chaeto and a 6,500k light to keep it growing. No need for any powerheads.
Actually this depends on rate of flow through the fuge. I run a 20H sump/refugium, and I have to keep two k. nanos in the fuge. If I don't the chaeto becomes covered in diatoms and slime algaes. Slower flow through with water movement in the fuge is actually better for the purpose of the fuge than faster flow through.
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scopus Tang http:///forum/thread/380346/refugium#post_3310301
Actually this depends on rate of flow through the fuge. I run a 20H sump/refugium, and I have to keep two k. nanos in the fuge. If I don't the chaeto becomes covered in diatoms and slime algaes. Slower flow through with water movement in the fuge is actually better for the purpose of the fuge than faster flow through.
Well based on how my fuge will be set up I will have very little water running into the fuge since I have a ball valve directing the water. So my guess is that the water coming from the DT into the refugium will be a light flow and should keep a slow water movement going the whole time... so in otherwords, I shouldn't need any type of powerhead in there.
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by florida joe http:///forum/thread/380346/refugium#post_3310306
Randy you old dog you, how goes it
 
Joe my friend, I am good as always - how are things with you? Tried to get an up date on the Joerandfugium last week, but evidently you missed it or just skipped over it.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/380346/refugium#post_3310308
Well based on how my fuge will be set up I will have very little water running into the fuge since I have a ball valve directing the water. So my guess is that the water coming from the DT into the refugium will be a light flow and should keep a slow water movement going the whole time... so in otherwords, I shouldn't need any type of powerhead in there.
 
You're correct in that if you are controlling the flow through the fuge, you should be able to maintain slow water movement. However, my point was that slower water movement can lead to a build up of red slime algae which loves to thrive in low flow areas. To combat that, you may need to add powerheads to increase the water movement within the fuge, without increasing flow through the fuge.
 
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