refugium
 

I was just wondering do refugiums have to be made out of a short tank? because i was thinking of building one out of a garbage can. Would it be to deep for a refugium?

Thanks for any input....

A fuge can be any size, shape or color you want. Whatever works best for you. Light just penatrates shorter fuges easier.

Any shape... many differing opinnions on size/tank relationship. I have a unique refugium made from an 18 compartment display tank from an LFS. See my gallery for a pic.

you may worry about phosphate leeching...other then that i think its an awesome idea..i mean talk about a cryptic zone, only prob is you may never get to see all the interesting things and animals going on in the darker bottom.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11513667#post11513667 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by poo-tang [/i]
[B]you may worry about phosphate leeching...other then that i think its an awesome idea..i mean talk about a cryptic zone, only prob is you may never get to see all the interesting things and animals going on in the darker bottom. [/B][/QUOTE]
how would the phosphates leech?

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11514485#post11514485 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefhead165 [/i]
[B]how would the phosphates leech? [/B][/QUOTE]


from the plastic in the garbage can
I was a non believer in this until some one had me lift the lid in my RODI storage can and smell (CAT P)nasty

you could still do this but the container may be a bit more expensive..HDPE will not leech...and i'm assuming this came about because it was cheap and you already have the container, but i really think its a cool idea.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11514849#post11514849 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by whiirly [/i]
[B]from the plastic in the garbage can
I was a non believer in this until some one had me lift the lid in my RODI storage can and smell (CAT P)nasty [/B][/QUOTE]

is it bad to mix rodi water in a garbage can then?

I stopped after I smelled it
I used a brute can for 4 years until it was pointed out to me
then I went and got a HDPE container and have not smelled that smell since

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11518620#post11518620 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by whiirly [/i]
[B]I stopped after I smelled it
I used a brute can for 4 years until it was pointed out to me
then I went and got a HDPE container and have not smelled that smell since [/B][/QUOTE]
whats a HDPE container

I used a trash can for a sump for a little while and the phosphates were off the chart. I had bad algae outbreaks. It was awful. I switched to an old tank and boom no more problems.

Tom

I am guessing that my hair algae problem is from mixing salt water and RO water in a trash can

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11520746#post11520746 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefhead165 [/i]
[B]I am guessing that my hair algae problem is from mixing salt water and RO water in a trash can [/B][/QUOTE]

I'm not sold on this theory yet, but I do have an open mind. I use Brute cans for me RO/DI-mixing water. I will have to test phosphates in my can downstairs. It has been mixing/heating for a week right now. Unfortunately it's already mixed, will that alter anything in the Phosphate tests?