How did you set up your refugium????

[dnorton1978]

Well I ordered a 40 gallon long today, to turn into a fuge. This is for my 125 gallon tank. I made this post to see what the norm seems to be.

A couple of questions I would like to know in particular are:

1) Substrate - DSB, Mud, etc.

2)Do you use snails or anything to move the sand?

Any other input would be a help.

Again I am just trying to see what everybody has done, and then take ideas from all of you. If 90% use a DSB, then I will follow.

Thanks

 

[dnorton1978]

Are these refugiums like being in a secret society? Perhaps you have to kill me if you tell me???


Is that it?

Hmm..

Okay then, I dont want to know :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Dude, some of us have jobs where we can't surf all day!

My fuge is gonna be bare bottom with lots of lr rubble. some cheato, probably some gracilaria, some calurpa, whatever.

Then I'm gonna throw some kind of light over it. Probably a crappy florescent.

it will be wonderful.

B

 

[dnorton1978]

Well thanks B.

I to have a job, and my wife stays home with the kids. I know all about not surfing. I just made the post ealier today and thought I would have heard something.


I have read about them, but wanted input from everyone that has one so I could put it all together into my own fuge.

THanks.

Oh, btw the crappy flourecent, does that get the job done? That was one of my other questions.

 

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on what you are trying to provide refuge for? I think some base rock will provide areas for zooplankton larvae to grow, and some sand will, too.

That being said, my sump has a few mangroves (more for novelty than anything else), macro algae (quite a few different genus) and aragonite DSB.

I use a HD porch light for a light source. I don't think most macro you can find available to you need too much light.

I try to return any snails or hermits I find to the main display. I want hair algae to grow in the sump, not the main display so having herbivores there defeats my purpose.

 

[dnorton1978]

Thanks for the info.

My purpose is to have a scource for pods to grow, as well as a form of nitrate removal/prevention. I use prevention with hesitation, I just like the fact that macro eat it. I mainly just want a very natural form of filtration. Obviously my LR being the biggest form of it.

From what I can tell so far a deeper sand bed seem to be the norm, for some. As for light it seems that it does not need to be some mack daddy lighting either.


Does anybody use a float valve for top offs, or do you all mainly use the remote sensor type?

 

[dnorton1978]

Those that use sand do you use sugar sand, thicker sand, live sand?

 

[Anonymous]

I have a large sump, so I don't use an auto top off.

I have read that larger grain size allows for spaces for zooplankton to reproduce, whereas oolitic, tiny grain size makes it harder for zoop to grow. I think that is Shimeks theory?

I would not have DSB in my refugium if I didn't have the mangroves. My macroalgae consumes a lot more nitrate than phosphate, so I don't appreciate the nitrate conversion effects of a DSB. I have even removed them in my main displays, except the one where my watchman goby and his symbiotic shrimp live.