Here is a thread for you to post your thoughts, questions, or opinions on refugiums. I will be using a CPR aquafuge pro, I will modify the main chamber with a 6 inch high divider, on one side I will use miracle mud and on the other kent marine bio sediment. some live rock, red mangroves, and calerpa. tell us about yours, your thoughts, or questions.
Refugiums
- Thread starter jhnrb
- Start date
Refuge
My refuge tank has been up since January. This refuge will be attached to my 135. I started with a 20 gallon, long tank. I added 6 inches of sand; some from my 55 gallon and added free sand from 2 different established systems. I asked for the rubble and stuff from the bottom of a LFS stores live rock tank, and added that (free again). Then I added small pieces of different kinds of macro algae, again free from established tanks. I have a small powerhead, and one small set of PC lights. I purchased some pods from an online dealer. I feed the tank flake food once every other day.
I should have a good amount of biodiversity by the time I attach it to the main tank in December.
Angela
My refuge tank has been up since January. This refuge will be attached to my 135. I started with a 20 gallon, long tank. I added 6 inches of sand; some from my 55 gallon and added free sand from 2 different established systems. I asked for the rubble and stuff from the bottom of a LFS stores live rock tank, and added that (free again). Then I added small pieces of different kinds of macro algae, again free from established tanks. I have a small powerhead, and one small set of PC lights. I purchased some pods from an online dealer. I feed the tank flake food once every other day.
I should have a good amount of biodiversity by the time I attach it to the main tank in December.
Angela
Great start up on the refuge pterois. sounds like you will definitly have a good bio diversity and the cost was very low. waiting for pics on yours chris. pterois if you have pics post. I will use the refuge to add minerals back to the system, remove nitrates, and promote a natural live food source. ill post some pics when i get to that portion of setup.
Well here are the pictures of my DYI refuge. I use a CPR overflow into a 10 gallon tank that was divided with plexi glass from Lowes (they will cut it for you) then a pump that goes thru a UV Sterilizer then to another CPR overflow into the second tank which has a Euro-reef skimmer then back to the main tank. The first tank also has a 6 inch DSB and calerpa growing in it. I have been able to keep 0 nitrates with this setup. Its actually backwards, I started with a hang-on skimmer which did not work near as well as the Euro-Reef. The skimmer should be first then the refuge, im loosing free food from the refuge to the skimmer. When I get a bigger tank I will be able to build the refuge right, this is one of those build and learn as you go tanks, WAY to much equipment on a 55. Hope this helps some.
great pics chris. all that matters is that it works. seems like you got the pieces all connected for a successful system. thanks for the pics. mine will be down the road a few months yet. what kind of calerpa are you using and whats in your bio diversity package/substrait etc.
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cooter1982
Reefing newb
how to make a refuge
hi I wanted to know what i need to make a refuge ?
hi I wanted to know what i need to make a refuge ?
my fuge is a 40 gal. long i set it up 2 yrs ago when i started my 55 gal. reef.i use a cpr overflow from main display.the fuge has 3 sections. water from display goes to the first section which has skimmer,heater,bioballs(pods love this section)water then flows under divider to the center section which has 4 inches live sand(dr.mac's) and 50 lbs live rock.than the water flows over the last divider where i keep my return pump.according to the graph in a martin moe book my turn over rate is 108 times per 24 hours.
sagent3000
Reefing newb
for my refuge i plan to use a 30 gallon have the water come in from the tank. run over a carbon and filter pad, then the bio balls. flow through a aqua medic skimmer. then flow to a 5 gallon camber with live rock and mangroves and kent biosediment and be on a reverse light timmer. and pump back out to the tank. how does that sound?
minireefer
Reefing newb
I am using the same refugium the JHNRB posted at the top except with out the divider.Just mixed the mud and biosedement.I am using a 6500 k pc for the lighting in reverse of my regular light.I have I have calerpa in there that grows like mad in there that grows like mad.Also added a few obsuleta snails from the main tank fair stirring the bed.Over all I am pleased with it.In the two months it has been running my nitrates have been reduced.
