i build my own sumps for all of my tanks, is this the same as a refugium? i havent heard that term before sorry. if this is what youre asking post again and let me know.
after reading some more posts i see that is what you are talking about. but it will depend on what you are going to put in the tank as to how youre going to set it up. is it for a fish only tank? or a fish/reef? or a reef?
I setup a 20g (30"x12"x12") refugium tank behind my 100gRR and gravity feed into the 100gRR.
4" DSB (purearagonite.com) and 10 lbs of Fiji LR rubble.
Green Grape Caulerpa (this does need to be pruned every now and then to prevent it from going sexual)
Lettuce Caulerpa
Red Grape Caulerpa
(this is the 12"x12" side of the 20g tank)
Do you want to drain down to the fuge and pump back up to the main tank
or
pump up to the fuge and gravity feed back to the main tank? This is what I did to allow the pods, mysis shrimp ..etc to flow back into the main tank... instead of going through a pump.
Do you want everyone to see the refugium or do you want it hid?
I have a 90g. same setup as reefnewbie....
I was thinking a CPR or just grabbing a 5g glass tank. drilling it. Puting a standpipe in it and using a maxijet to run the thing.
Any advice would be great.
How much sand? should I use the kent bio sediment? How much flow should I use?
Should I do a reverse light cycle. What type of bulbs should I use. NO or PC?
I would get in while you can on inlandreef's powerbuy for the CPR aquafuge. Its a great deal and a great little refugium. I just ordered a Large one of these for the 90.
Depending on your lights setup, you may just be able to use your tank lights as the lights for your refugium.
I like having my refugium under stand so you can run the fuge lights opposite of the main tank.This keeps PH swings to a minimum.If your fuge is above tank or next to the tank its hard to keep the light from one tank from bleeding over to the other.So you ussually end up with running lights on the same time cycle.This might actually cause a bigger PH swing.My sump is a 60g long AGA tank that I used a couple pieces of plexyglass to seperate the fuge from the skimmer and return pump.The fuge is a DSB with a few pieces of LR mixed with some rubble.I through in some macro algea and it works great very low tech but works great.I always see many pods and critters.I put in some snails a brittle star and a few hermit crabs for a clean up crew.I run about 1000gph through it but with the rubble and macro in it the pods have many places to breed and not get swept away buy the current.Sorry I can't get a picture right now,I can't find my camera at the moment.If I find it I'll post pic later.
I still dont buy into the whole 24/7 idea with the lights. If you look at nature there aren't any places in the ocean where light is hitting algae 24/7. This is why i like keeping the fuge on the same light cycle as the tank.