Who uses Refugiums?

ManotheSea · #1 12/05/2007, 07:03 AM

Since the use of refugiums are so common on smaller systems, I want to know if they are just as important to large tanks. Who uses them here and what benefit do you feel they provide?

I have 300 gal refugium set in my garage and plan to plumb in a 90 gal display through the wall into the house. This tank area leaves room for future upgrade to a larger size.The display will be in the dinnig room with this plan. Although there may be better places for a display tank, the other areas would not be possible to plumb into the refugium. The refugium has DSB, hundreds of pounds of LR, large volume of Marco Algea, Skimmer, Auto top off. What are your ideas on the value of the refugium to the display?

Also, what are the easiest and most cost effective methods used to keep large water volumes up to level in calcium, alk, mag?

ManotheSea · #2 12/05/2007, 10:48 PM

No replies? My idea was too build the back end first. Try out a moderate size SPS tank up front. If that works well then I can expand in size. Should this plan give me an sps quality system or do you guys run large tanks without the back end? How about maintaining calc and alk?

sin05_omar · #3 12/05/2007, 11:48 PM

as to regards of this subject of CA/KH maintenance... from the way i see it.... there is onyl two options.

1.Get a mean,Kick a** huge Calcium Reactor supplemeted by Kalk Doesing

2. Manual or auto dosing with food grade Calcium Chlorid/Sodium Bicarbonate.. as the volume of system is quite huge... it will be financially draining to use aquarium additives...

Untamed12 · #4 12/06/2007, 12:50 AM

If I made one mistake in building up my system...it was not putting in a refugium. I could not get hair algae under control so I found a way to shoe-horn one in. I really wish I had planned it all along.

Since bringing the refugium online, my hair algae problem is under control.

Nanook · #5 12/06/2007, 01:28 AM

I am planning on incorporating a 120g tank for macroalgae only on my 1000 gallon system...I would like to go larger, but this is what I have room for and something is better than nothing.

faded1004 · #6 12/06/2007, 02:22 AM

i have a 60g for my refugium, and it gets filled alot. i think it helps out alot. i have it unfiltered back to my main display. so i get pods and stuff spit out from there.

i think you idea is good to have it soemwhere else... just make sure you think about heat loss and gains where the other tank will be... i woudl think alot of garages are cold?

ManotheSea · #7 12/06/2007, 07:13 AM

Being in S. FL helps with garage temp. A window a/c unit and a space heater help, plus Im insulating the front garage door.

I always relate back to my first sump/fuge on a 40gal tank. It was only 15gal but my nitrates and phos dropped to zero after a month. Ive always used one ever since. This time I wanted to see if a huge refuge would add benefits and stabilization. I figured I could put in as much sand and LR and macro and anything else to make a solid ecosystem. Its been running for more than a year. The only down side so far is I cant get purple coraline to grow. It doesnt die off but it doesnt spread either. Right now I have been trying Aragamilk added daily. Ive had good results with kalk in smaller tanks but havent used it here because of cost and hassle. Maybe I will try food grade bicarb flakes. How do I prepare the mix?

The Tampa Bay forum has a long thread about not using a refug. It made me wonder, so I wanted to get opinions from owners of other large systems as to refug benefits or misconceptions.