SPS and refugiums

[MACH5]

Hello all,

I am currently doing an SPS (mainly acroporas) tank upgrade. I'm going from a 78 to a 90. A small physical upgrade but huge in terms of overall design. I'm trying not to overlook anything in the process and one question I have is how important a refugium really is? I understand well the benefits but I must say I have had great success with SPS for years without the benefit of having one.

Regardless, should I plan to have one in my new system? Would it be a crime not to??!! How many of you have one??

Many thanks!!

 

[MACH5]

Come on you guys. No one??

 

[beerfish]

A refugium is one method of filtration available to aquarists. When setting up any system, you want to balance the bioload with the filtration. The other methods you have at your disposal are an overpowered skimmer, a remote DSB (sort of a type of fuge), mechanical and chemical filtration.

There's no right or wrong answer to this question. It really comes down to what best suits your needs. I used to have a small skimmer on a tank I ran, but had a fuge about 30% of the size of the display tank. I currently have no fuge, but a skimmer rated for a tank more than twice the size of mine.

Good luck with the new system!

 

[MACH5]

Ok thanks beerfish this is helpful! I have an oversized skimmer planned for this new system so perhaps I don't really need one. I am leaning towards not having one again but perhaps throw a couple of pcs of LR in it.

 

[beerfish]

One thing to think about when designing the system is making your life easier. If I could change one thing on my system right now, I would add a T on my drain with a ball valve and a hose barb so that I could run a hose into a bucket and flip a valve to do my water changes. Never underestimate the value of valves and unions when doing your plumbing.

 

[mr_X]

good advice from beerfish. i use a refugium and i say that you can never have too big of a refugium. it can only help.

 

[ScorpionSys]

No system actually needs one but the benefits can be great. It can be an area for loads of pods and other critters that will feed the tank to grow.

An area for extra filtration such as growing macro algae, adding more LR and a deep sand bed.

I actually find myself staring into my fuge more than my tank always see interesting things in there that I will never see in the DT

 

[MACH5]

One thing to think about when designing the system is making your life easier. If I could change one thing on my system right now, I would add a T on my drain with a ball valve and a hose barb so that I could run a hose into a bucket and flip a valve to do my water changes. Never underestimate the value of valves and unions when doing your plumbing.

You read my mind exactly!! This is partly the reason why I'm doing this upgrade, is to include things like a T on the drain with a hose to make my WCs way easier. I have already spent a small fortune on just quality valves, unions and other plumbing equipment to improve and aid in future maintenance. You are so right!!!

 

[beerfish]

You are so right!!!

I usually am! lol
:fight2:

 

[MACH5]

:lol2:

 

[wonderballz]

Hey Beerfish. Would it benefit to do a refugium with a DSB and a skimmer, or would that be overkill? I have a 40G and gonna make a 20G sump.

 

[beerfish]

Generally speaking, the more nutrient export you have, the better. I say generally only because some corals (non-photosynthetic mostly), and some filter feeders require something in the water to feed on. These are generally the exceptions to what most people keep in their tanks, so I'd say go for it. (Besides... you can always add food to your tank if the water is too clean, cleaning it out is much harder).

 

[wonderballz]

cool thanks, and sorry to thread-jack

 

[mfarris2]

My experience has shown in a reef aquarium, always go as big as you can. Adding a refugium will give you more water volume. This will help aid in water stability. Thus help is some fashion the amount of water changes needed. It will help keep all parameters of the water stable. IE temperature, salinity, minerals and trace elements.
It will as previously mentioned allow a place to grow macro algae to help remove nitrates or just to feed to your fish. It will allow a place for copepods or rotifers to grow and breed without being completely consumed by the livestock in your tank. (Thus the hapless few that get caught in the water stream are continuously feeding my tank.)
I would also recommend as large a protein skimmer as you can afford. This will help keep nitrates down,...and you never know when a good deal pops up on a larger tank.

 

[jackson6745]

I would add a refugium if you can. It helps keep problem algae out of your main tank.

 

[topmav1]

Sorry if this sounds dumb but when I do a WC i shut off my return pump, water drains into the sump to the point where the overflow stops draining. So if you put a T valve on the drain how would you continue to get water out if you stop the siphon by turning off the return? Sorry maybe some pics or something would help???

You read my mind exactly!! This is partly the reason why I'm doing this upgrade, is to include things like a T on the drain with a hose to make my WCs way easier. I have already spent a small fortune on just quality valves, unions and other plumbing equipment to improve and aid in future maintenance. You are so right!!!

 

[Wes]

I personally feel like the small (in-sump) refugiums become more trouble than they are worth. Not enough volume to grow a significant amount of macro, pods, etc. It becomes a place where crap settles etc.

If you have a place for a large refugium my opinion changes and I feel they are beneficial.

In summary, keep the sump clean and if you have room for a seperate, decent sized refugium plumbed into your system go for it.


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[nickxx4360]

Easy, keep your return pump going. It will drain and go straight to the WC bucket

Nice!!

Sorry if this sounds dumb but when I do a WC i shut off my return pump, water drains into the sump to the point where the overflow stops draining. So if you put a T valve on the drain how would you continue to get water out if you stop the siphon by turning off the return? Sorry maybe some pics or something would help???

 

[topmav1]

Right but then how or where do you add the new water?

 

[beerfish]

You drain as much water as you want by keeping the return going. Once you're done draining, you close the valve, then add the new water to the sump. As long as you're changing less water than the volume in your sump you don't even have to shut off the return pump.