Setup ideas

volitan_fa

volitan_fa

Member
So I'll be moving fairly soon and I want to get a saltwater setup (FOWLR) in the new house. Here's my current idea, but I would like some suggestions.
I would like a 75 gallon main tank with 40-50 lbs of LR and a 2-3" sand bed. I'd also like to house a 20 gallon refugium underneath for a cleaning crew (snails, shrimp, gobies, etc),pods, and to house equipment (heater, HOB skimmer, and such). Finally, I need advice on how to do the filtering. I've kind of thought about running a canister filter down into the refugium and then just a pump back into the main tank, but I'm unsure on if this is a good idea or no. Give me your input, and thanks in advance!
 
volitan_fa

volitan_fa

Member
Forgot to tell you what I wanted in the FOWLR tank. I would like to keep an aggressive tank, with a lion, trigger or puffer, and perhaps an eel. Any other species/combinations suggestions would also be appreciated!
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
I'd also like to house a 20 gallon refugium underneath for a cleaning crew (snails, shrimp, gobies, etc),pods
the clean up crew wont have much to do in the refugium they are more useful in the display unfortanely the fish you want will eat them LOL just becareful on how many you get cause they will need food to live.
Finally, I need advice on how to do the filtering. I've kind of thought about running a canister filter down into the refugium and then just a pump back into the main tank, but I'm unsure on if this is a good idea or no. Give me your input, and thanks in advance!
you can do a sump/refugium and add in the live rock and other filtration to keep the tank clean. the best filtration that you can get is going to be the LR and sand along with a good skimmer. the fish you list are messy eaters so they will have a lot of waste the best filtration you get the better.
I would like to keep an aggressive tank, with a lion, trigger or puffer, and perhaps an eel
If you go with a lion skip the trigger it will see its fins as a meal and pick on it and stress the lion. you will also need to research the puffer to trigger some like the porky puffers dont mix so well and triggers like the picasso or humu humu triggers can go ballisitic with no warning and tear up a puffer.
another choice in an aggressive tank like this would be the hardy tangs like the yellows.
Mike
 
volitan_fa

volitan_fa

Member
Thank you Mike. I know I'll definitely be getting a skimmer, but does anyone know if the way I set up the canister to refugium to main tank again will work? Never tried it personally.
I have heard that about both the triggers and the puffers in certain species. What kind of inhabitants would you recommend in an aggressive tank then (I like the tang idea)?
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
I had a yellow tang, portky puffer, stars and strips puffer, yellow headed morray, and the humu humu trigger ** thats how I know about the trigger going ballistic LOL** along with several cleaner clams for the puffers and trigger to eat and a condy anemone.
as fat as the canister you might run into flow rate problems not real sure because I havent done it myself either. you might try it and see if not you could problem plumb the tank normally and then add in the canister pulling the water out of the refugium and then back into it. actually seperate from the main plumbing.
just a thought
Mike
 
volitan_fa

volitan_fa

Member
That's a thought. My biggest thing is figuring out how to get water into the refugium and back into the tank again.
 
1911_guy

1911_guy

Member
Originally Posted by volitan_fa
That's a thought. My biggest thing is figuring out how to get water into the refugium and back into the tank again.
Either buy a pre-drilled tank or an overflow box to get the water to the sump. Use either an internal or external pump to get the water back into the DT.
IMO, a 20g sump is not large enough for a 75g DT....unless your skimmer and pump are both external, then you might be able to get away with it.
 
volitan_fa

volitan_fa

Member
Yeah I do want both my pump and filter to be external. I don't want a sump, I want to try something kinda different with this refugium.
 
1911_guy

1911_guy

Member
Originally Posted by volitan_fa
Yeah I do want both my pump and filter to be external. I don't want a sump, I want to try something kinda different with this refugium.
??? What kind of fuge do you plan on having without a sump? Unless you have a HOB fuge I'm pretty sure your fuge is a sump.
 
volitan_fa

volitan_fa

Member
See...that's exactly why I'm asking people's opinions. Explain to me how this would work if you were doing it. Cuz I'm honestly not all that sure.
PS: So does that mean that if a "refugium" is put under the tank, then it's technically a sump? Or am I misunderstanding?
 
ice4ice

ice4ice

Active Member
A sump & refugium are 2 different things. Refugium is beneficial if you're stocking madarinfish and other dragonettes. It also helps grow pods for those fishes. If you are planning on housing aggressive fishes, a refugium isn't needed. I am planning on going ther "Berlin method" which consists of skimmer and sump. Your live rock is your biological filtration; your clean up crew (snails, hermits) is your mechanical filtration. A calcium reactor is your chemical filtration. Although they do run pretty $$$, but only if you can afford it. They are not necessary though.
Read the Conscientious Marine Aquarist. This is a great book to read.
 
pituca

pituca

Member
That is a great book I've read it too, but I too would be interested in knowing what is the plumbing set up for a sump tank that is underneath the tank. I do not have a sump but the HOB skimmer and the canister filter with 170pound of LR on my 125gal. But I wanted a sump just could not figure out the plumbing. :thinking:
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Not sure if I'm understanding your plumbing question correctly but I'll give it a stab.
They make HOB overflows that pull water by syphon out of your display tank. You use that to drain water from your display into your sump. Then you get a pump to put water back into tank.
A sump is a body of water outside of the display to put your various gear in (skimmer, heater, drip chemicals, top off, etc.). A refugium, or refuge, is a place to allow biological growth to occur without predation.
A clean up crew in a refugium will keep the refugium clean.... not the display. Often refugiums are used to keep a DSB for anearobic bacteria, or macro algaes for nutrient export, or live rock rubble for pod production, or a combination.
Added benefit of sumps and refugiums is that they add to your total water body.
 
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