New Tank setup

[Jim K]

I am a beginner and have read a bit on reef tanks. I would like to ask anyone for advice regarding a new design for a tank incorporating a refugium.

I have read where a refugium should be a separate tank beside, above or below the main tank. People have also said that by organisms passing from refugium to main tank that some get killed, etc. depending on how they pass from refugium to main tank.

I would like to have a tank built 2.0 mtr long x 70cm (or 80cm) wide x 60cm high. Where you measure 1.6 mtr long I would like to have a glass or perspex divider glued in so, in effect, I have a 1.6m long tank and a 40cm long tank. This divider would have holes drilled at maybe 5mm or 10mm diameter.

Both tanks would share the same trickle filter (accessed from the main tank).

I think this design would allow the growth of algae and other food organisms in the refugium without predation by the fish in the main tank but also allow food organisms to pass to the main tank from time to time which should benefit the fish.

Algae and plant growth could be harvested at times to feed the main tank. I don't think the divider would look too out of place and it could be hidden behind coral, etc.

I would use the same lights over the setup (metal halide and VHO) so they would not be on alternative on/off cycles.

The refugium could also be a shelter for small or slightly damaged fish (fin nipping, etc) for a short while if necessary.

Can anyone comment if this would work or offer suggestions?

Jim

 

[Len]

I think I understand your plan and have done something similiar in the past. I had an acrylic tank built with about 20% partitioned. I then drilled some holes in my partition, big enough to exchange water and allow microscopic life but small enough that fish and other bigger animals couldn't get through. It works. Make sure the water to the sump is being drawn from the main display area and not the refugium area. It is a good idea to split the return flow so that the refugium gets some of it.

By the way, I used a black acrylic sheet to partition the area off. The reason I did this was because I wanted to do reverse lighting period for the refugium area (that is, lights on for the refugium at night when the display lights are off). I actually needed to add another piece of black acrylic to block off some of the light that was going through the small holes, but it wasn't a big issue. If you aren't using reverse lighting schedules, then it's not a problem.

 

[ChrisRD]

Like Len, I built something similar years ago, but it was for a friend who was keeping seahorses (which really need a constant supply of food to stay healthy). Same idea - acrylic sheet divider with lots of small holes drilled in it effectively creating two tanks - horses on one side and fuge on the other.

Another idea for a divider that comes to mind is using some sort of fiberglass mesh (something like you see on window screens, only maybe a little coarser) stretched over some plastic eggcrate (light diffuser found in home improvement and hardware store lighting sections).

HTH