Things to put in my fuge

I

iluvfish

Guest
I'm very close to getting my fuge done:jumping: :D
Can you give me a check list of things I will want to put in it (sand, mud, kind of plants, etc) and also lighting suggestions. I have a lighting fixture off a 10gal that has a F15 - 18 - BP bulb in it now. Will that work??
 
maroonclownfan

maroonclownfan

Member
In my fuge I put:
2-3 inches of sand
3 varieties of Caulerpa (more the better IMO)
Live rock and rubble (not a lot just a few pieces)
2 Astrea snails (keep the glass clean so I can see inside)
1 lg. Blue leg hermit (eat any leftovers that come from display)
2 -13Watt spiral compact flourescent bulbs, no special K temp. on 24/7.
1 small heater (just for security in case main heater fails, not a neccessity)
1 old hang on mechanical filter just for gentle water turbulence, also not a neccesity just a preference. But I can use it to run carbon if need be.
I have to thin out the macro every 2 weeks to keep it undercontrol.
Hope this helps some....after 4 months I am very happy with the results and the bio diversity in my refugium.
 
saltynewbie

saltynewbie

Member
on top of what maroonclownfan added, i added a couple of cup fulls of sand from a friends tank and the LFS. this added tons of worms, snails, and pods that grow and reproduce down there. alot of them end up making it into the display tank which keeps my pod/worm population healthy.
 
I

iluvfish

Guest
Good question. I will have a bulkhead from my fuge into the return line of my sump where the PH is. Do pods survive this?
 
I

iluvfish

Guest
Thanks guys! Will my lighting (flourescent bulb) work? Anything else I need?
 
saltynewbie

saltynewbie

Member
i just have 2 fluorescent strip lights over my fuge and i run them 24/7. i think there is a total of 40W over it, and my caulerpa grows well. i harvest every 2 weeks or so. yeah, im sure that some of the pods and things make it up through the return pump, but im also sure that many of them are chopped up by the impeller :scared: but that makes for good coral/filter feeder food! all in all, my tank has been much more stable since i added my fuge.
 
I

iluvfish

Guest
By cycled LR do you mean from the LFS? Or from your tank? Does it matter?
 
I

iluvfish

Guest
WOW Carole - You're up early!:D I know my LFS has a bunch of LR in a rubbermaid container that they keep cycled. Is this considered cured?
 
maroonclownfan

maroonclownfan

Member
You shouldn't have to cycle your fuge unless using uncured LR. The additional bioload will be minimal from the fuge critters. Your display should keep up. Using a couple of scoops of live sand will also help prevent any upsets to the system.
Refugiums are very beneficial to your tank....and interesting to Reef Nerds like some of us are. I will sometimes just watch the little critters in my fuge instead of the tank. Anyone else guilty of this???
Waterfaller,
Thanks for compliment, I found that avatar and couldn't resist.
 
aarone

aarone

Active Member

Originally posted by YellowTail
do the pods have to travel through the pump back to your display?
some pods can but mostly larvae wil make it into the display where it has a chance to grow.
 
sparky0028

sparky0028

Member
How can you tell if your fuge is the right size for your display tank. I would like one on a 37gal tank and space is limited. How can I be sure the fuge is sized correctly.
 
I

iluvfish

Guest
Good questions Sparky! Wish I knew the answer - maybe someone else will chime back in.
Will a 50/50 15watt flourescent coralife bulb work for my lighting??
 
saltynewbie

saltynewbie

Member
my 20 gal fuge was originally attached to my 55, and when i moved to my 100 gal, i just moved it too. i think the key to the success of my fuge is the slow flow. i have a mag 5 returning with about 4' of head, so my flow is pretty slow. i think this is key. but my 20 gal seems to be doing great on my 100 gal. if i had it to do again, though, i would make it as large as possible. the more water in your system, the more forgiving it is. JMO! :D
 
maroonclownfan

maroonclownfan

Member
Any size refugium will provide benefits....even the small HOT refugiums provide a valuable service. IMO there is no certain size needed, based on display. Size only limits you as to how much macro you can grow at one time. The bigger the better, but that is just not always feasible due to space constraints. I have a 10 gal. fuge on a 29 gal. tank. I harvest macro every two weeks or less. I feel my fuge is doing its job okay for my setup.
So in summary, go as big as space allows, any size is beneficial. Lighting also plays a major part, the bigger the tank the more lighting needed.
JM 0.02
 
I

iluvfish

Guest
Will a 50/50 15watt flourescent coralife bulb work for my lighting??
 
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