refugium setup

[lakester]

Not sure where to start?
I'm interested in setting up a fuge for our 180g reef tank. I have a 39g high tank I would like to use for this purpose. It would be set up along side the main tank and therefore will also be for show. The 180 has a 40g sump below.

Question, will this arrangement work? How would you plumb?

Also, any suggestions as to what to include in set up would be helpful. i.e.-plants? mud bed? live rock?

lastly, any good sources on line or otherwise would be helpful.

:-) :-) HappyHollidays,
Lakester

[dakar]

Sorta depends on how your 180 is plumbed out now... If possible I'd run another pipe down to the fuge and from the fuge back to the sump. I like running multiple lines from the display, one to the fuge and on to the sump, with a t and valve to the fuge, that way I can control how much water is flowing through the fuge, but plumbed in such a way so that if the valve was to become (or better 'when') clogged then the water will have no choice but to go to the sump. That make any sense?

For the fuge, personally I like a sandbed, some live rock and Chaeto. It's been working well for us.

BTW is the new to be fuge drilled at all? If not a weir box would be in order.

[Reptoreef]

A display fuge... plumbing as described sounds good. As for the display critters: macro algae, pipe fish, sea horses, mandarin gobies, urchins, stars, etc... JMO, though.

Repto

[dakar]

Pipefish in the fuge... what a cool idea... Always liked them, but wouldn't want to risk them in the display tank... think they'd be lunch in a hurry. I'd have to clear out a lot of my Chaeto brick again. :lol: great :sign7:

[lakester]

I'm liking the sound of this. Thanks for the critter suggestions.
As for the plumbing, the 180g has two overflow boxes to the sump.Water from the sump is pumped to a protein skimmer.The sump is pumped back to the 180. We have no filter media other than some carbon in the sump. All filtration is through live rock and sand bed. Should the fuge be cyclical through the tank 100% or is it plumbed similar to the protein skimmer,i.e. separate pump from sump.
Also,in your first response you mention weir boxes, I'm not familiar with the term,would this be the same as overflow boxes?
In addition to critters any opinion on mangroves?

Lakester

[dakar]

Weir box or overflow box, the perform he same function.... My suggestion would be to take on of the output lines from an overflow and plumb send it to the the fuge, then another overflow from the fuge down the to sump. Let the other overflow fromthe display run straight to the sump as is. That's the setup I've been using and had great results with thus far, my only issue was finding a good method to trap the air bubbles out of the line before it hit the fuge (using a spray bar helped)....but that may or may not be an issue for you.

I'll leave the mangroves question for someone who actually has some...

[JustDavidP]

I have lots of fuge ideas. I'm leaving work, but will post them later.

Bottom line is..."What is your fuge for". They all have purpose. Mine is to grow pods for my mandarin in the display tank. Therefore, I'd kill ya if you put ponies or pipe fish or anything else but macro, sand, and rock in there ;)

Again, lots o' ideas. I'll write from home.

Here's my fuge

[lakester]

Dakar, thanks for the plumbing tips. I got it now.

Just david P, Main reason is to polish water quality. but am interested in other suggestions as well.

[dakar]

Great, of course we expect updates and a photo documentary :razz:

[lakester]

Keep you posted.

Lakester

[JustDavidP]

Back...from a much needed vacation/holiday.

If your goal is water quality, then I suggest a deep sand bed, additional live rock, and chaetomorpha. I also use a couple caulerpas, but am probably going to stop using them. I suggest chaetomorpha because it is a fast grower and does not have the same issues regarding water staining and the chance of it going sexual and fouling your system.

I run a small bag of carbon in my sump to help, but I do notice that the caulerpas tend to taint my water a little.

[Reptoreef]

Cheato is something else... I think it could be the key algae for a successfull fuge.

[dakar]

Cheato is something else... I think it could be the key algae for a successfull fuge.

It's the best growing stuff in our system, I have to regularly prune it every couple of months, give away all but a softball size ball, then in two/three months we've got another 20g block of it again.

[JustDavidP]

My chaeto has to be reduced to 1/2 of it's size every month. It grows under a Lights of America power compact Floodlight and boy does it grow. It is good at fixing the nitrates quick and is easy to harvest. It can also live out of water, in a moist bag, for days so it is good for shipping. Also, the pods, worms etc. love this stuff. It's like a brillow pad breeder!!

With all the issues surrounding the possible ban on caulerpa etc. Chaetomorpha will probably become the macro of choice for our fuges.