want to start refugium

[kento]

i have a 55 gallon tank with some soft corals and fish. i have been hearing about the concept of refugiums and like the idea of having a filter system that can feed my fish as well as reduce my main tank algea (not that i have much anyway).

can anyone lead me into the direction of where to buy a set up. how to set one up (ie. mud or sand for substrate, plants with "critters" on them). what about hang on Vs. below or above the tank. i saw a small container that can go inside your tank. is this a good way?

any direction would be a big help.

Ken

 

[Len]

Ken,

Basically the larger the refugium, the more functional it will be. No in-tank refugiums will work well. CPR makes hang-ons that are decent and very easy to use. They are smaller then what you can go with refugiums below or above the tank, but then again you avoid all the plumbing.

There's not much to refugium design. It just needs to hold water (and preferably rock and sand) and it'll be great. I drew up a quick diagram of a simple refugium for you (above-tank type)

An above-the-tank refugium would be a good idea if you have space above the tank where you can put a large body of water. That way, you just pump water up to the refugium and let it flow back down to the tank via gravity. A below-the-tank refugium would require an overflow system (if you have no holes, you'll need a siphon-type overflow). This is more more complicated and more likely to spill water onto your floor. It's also not as desirable as letting the water from the fuge flow back into the tank naturally without the turbulence of a return pump. Imagine being a plankon and being whirled up a small pipe at hundreds of feet per minute

 

[kento]

Len,

Thanks for the info. i have seen the CPR hang on and wanted an experts opinion on it. now what about substrate, plants and critters? does the hang on pull the water into the refug or does it push it out?

thanks again for your time and expertise,

Ken

 

[ChrisRD]

The CPR hang-on fuges use a powerhead to feed and gravity/syphon to return to the tank IIRC.

As for substrate I guess it depends on what you want to cultivate in there. If you're looking to cultivate pods, mysids, etc. I'd probably use a little crushed coral or live rock rubble. If you're looking for extra denitrification and worms probably fine aragonite sand is best.

For vegetation some sort of macro like Chaetamorpha or Gracilaria would be good. I'd avoid Caulerpa.

 

[benthos]

heres a diagram I drew up when I was planning a new tank trying to figure the basics for plumbing. this would include having two holes drilled which could be difficult with your tank already setup but from what I gather this setup is pretty much the norm for under the tank fuge.

what ever design you choose It would be a definite benifit. I run a cpr HOB fuge on my 10 gal nano and couldnt be more happier with it.
good luck

 

[Anonymous]

Got a pic?
~wings~

 

[ZooKeeper1]

how about a side by side?