refugium

[lobstergrabber]

WHat I have now is in my signature. My tank is about half way through its cycle and when it is done I would like to set up a refugium. Being that my tank is not drilled I was wondering if someone could explain to me exactly what equiptment I would need to buy and how to hook it up to keep my water levels stable. I am just having problems deciding what I need to buy.
Rich

 

[stacyt]

There are several posts in the equipment DIY forum on setting up a refugium. There are also some good diagrams. Basically what you are going to need is a HOB overflow, that will drain down to refugium, and then a return pump to push the water back up to the tank.

 

[lobstergrabber]

thank StacyT,
guess it would have made sense to look in there first.
Rich

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by lobstergrabber
WHat I have now is in my signature. My tank is about half way through its cycle and when it is done I would like to set up a refugium. Being that my tank is not drilled I was wondering if someone could explain to me exactly what equiptment I would need to buy and how to hook it up to keep my water levels stable. I am just having problems deciding what I need to buy.
Rich
Just a suggestion here. A refugium is simply a place for whatever (in this case macroalgae) to be safe from the livestock. Why not simply place a clear divider over some portion of the tank? That way you could seperate the livestock from the algae and not have to build the elaborate external refugium. You would have to make sure water would still flow through the divider by drilling some holes in the divider.

 

[stacyt]

If I'm correct one of the reasons for having the refugium seperate from the system is that you want to keep lighting on the refugium 24/7, or at least when the main tank lights go off. This will help stabalize the ph at night, and keep the algae from going sexual.

 

[saltmarsea]

...LOL...sorry but nice to know something is getting that in my house..LOL...little salt water humor...had to chuckle this morning....Thanks!!

 

[elan]

i was at my LFS a few weeks ago, and saw a hang on the back refugium on a nano tank... it was the coolest thing i have seen, and probably something i will consider if i create a nano (still getting the main tank in order)
it was great.. had the HOB overflow built right in on one side... and a section about 4 or 5 inches wide (and about 2/3 the hight of the tank) that ran the span of the tank... with the sump pump and return hose on the other side.
And a seperate light over it...
it was just perfect..

 

[ekclark]

I have a cpr hang on refuge on my 75 and I am a big fan. It was no work and I just had to buy a little 13 watt compact to clip on to it. The whole thing cost me about $140 and it is now filled with pods and two types of macro. It is worth a look.

 

[lobstergrabber]

I looked at the HOB refugium and there are two main reasons why I don't want one. Reason number one and probably the clincher is I have no room on the back of my tank due to the HOB filter and protein skimmer. Number two is I wanted to build the refugium so thit it would add about another 20 gallons to my system since from everything I read says the more water the more stable everything is. Other than those two the Hob would be nice.
Rich

 

[stacyt]

If you set something up under the tank you can set it up as a sump/refugium. This would allow you to move some of the stuff from the tank down below. You could move heaters, and skimmer. Also you could probably do away with that HOB filter. Gives the tank a cleaner look. Just something to think about.

 

[lobstergrabber]

True about the sump/refugium and transferring some of the stuff off the back of the tank. Remarkably enough the way my lights are other than the waterfall sound of water entering the tank you would never know the filter was there, As far as the protein skimmer it could definitely go below. My biggest decision is what type of return pump and how many dollars I want to spend on it. Only time will tell I guess.
Rich