Is there such a thing as to big of a fuge?

[Hella]

Hi guys im looking for some input as to fuge size. I have a 125gal that im setting up and ill be using a 75gal for the fuge/sump and two 20 longs for RDSBs. In the main tank there is a Sequence ReeFlo Dart Pump for a CL and a Wavebox. There will be Lifereef VS3-60 skimmer, Geo kalk reactor in the basment with a Iwaki MD70RLT to bring the water back up top.

I guy i work with has a 125g tank thats in a house he just bought and does not want it, and said I can pick it up for $100 with all the pluming thats with it.

So I guess what im looking for is some input as to fuge size. I have about 120-150 pounds of rock for the fuge. So I could fill a 2ed 125 with the rock for a fuge and about 2 feet of it would be where the return lines and feed lines to the main tank would be. I would be looking at a fuge size of 48x18x18 ish keeping in a few inchs from the top with the 125 and a fuge size of about 30x18x18ish from the 75.

So back to the main question. Is there a point of diminished returns when it comes to fuge size? Would I need a substantial amout of flow for a fuge that big?

Thanks for your input guys.

Hella

[Zestay]

i think two 20 longs for RDSBs is a bit over kill... you might want to make one into a planted tank or a frag tank...

[Hella]

What I was looking for with the two 20s was being able to rotate the sand out of them in 1-2 years, so I could change out one every one to two years and still have one going and not have my tank with out it as it recycled. It may be a bit of overkill, but I was trying to look at the big picture.

[fishysteve]

Why would you want to destroy an established DSB every 1 - 2 years? If it's healthy leave it alone.

[Hella]

It would be more like every 4 years, and from what I have read most DSBs hit a saturation point in 4-6 years. I have read the posts here about the alge blooms when they hit that point. This way I can avoid that.

[Hella]

Back to the main question, anyone .... anyone

[Hella]

Last shot. Anyone?

[Sk8r]

The larger the fuge the merrier, imho. With that size fuge your biggest headache would be setup, with enough lighting, rock and sand to get it going. Once it's thick in there, you should be able to trade off huge bundles of cheato and keep multiple dragonets with no problem. I run a 20g fuge on a 54g tank and my solitary mandy is, if not fat, at least well-fed.

[WarrenAmy&Maddy]

how about using the 75 as a dedicated fuge

and if you really have the space and the ambition just connect both 125 to the central 75 fuge - use one as your main display and well swim in the other one if you feel the urge or use it in some other 'specialized' way

then use large rubbermaid container or your 20's as sump w/ return pump and skimmer


why not use something cheaper and even larger for a rdsb
then use your 20 gal for something else - frag QT etc etc or not at all... use 5gal bucket or some other larger plastic containers (like so many other people do) for the rdsb = no need for 2 or a back up - when time comes just dump out your old one and hook it back up.

i have a 50gal dedicated 'display' fuge
hooked up to my 125 - all part of a 210gal system... i keep some macro, gsp, xenia, LR/rubble, dsb etc etc all in there (xenia,gsp, macro = all nutrient exporters! and xenia/gsp pay me back at lfs)... even hospitalizing a green dragonet (from another reefers tank) while it fattens up in my fuge... there is a pin cushion urchin and a green brittle star in there also... nice 2d tank to do w/ what i please w/o interrupting my main display/corals... basically it looks like a xenia forest w/all kinds of rubble and 'stuff' down there - if you have ever scuba dived - well it looks much like THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN!... even thinking about dumping garbage in there to match the garbage sitting on the bottom of the ocean that is dumped from cruise ships ETC

[Funky_Fish14]

I dont think thats overkill.

I am about to setup a 52g tank... (48L x 18W x 15H)... My sump is a 50g tank thats about 48x17x17, or something. Dedicated sump. I also have an above tank refugium going in... built myself out of acrylic... This fuge is 71g (48x24x14 high). I also built a remote DSB filter that is 24" Long, 15 High, and 6" Wide, runway style, out of acrylic. The Remote DSB will just be running in/out of the sump... the sump will pump to the tank, and will also return some water to the refugium. The refugium will be returning into the tank. I am also going to be running my Deltec APF600 skimmer.

It sounds like alot, but... its not even close to the natural levels of filtration in the ocean... the system however will be extremely healthy, and well biologically filtered. I already have somewhere around 180lbs of live rock as well? 210lbs of sand/gravel, etc...

I cant see a large refugium having any drawbacks for a system, other than space. I would have gone larger if I could, actually. It only adds bilogical filtration, and more natural lifeforms, etc...

I say go for it. I dont know anyone else doing something as extreme as myself in terms of filtration for one tank, but yours sounds darn close, and I'd definetly give it a shot!

[bristle]

More evaporation, more heating, more lighting costs, more salt/ro filters/water costs for water changes, more glass to clean, more area to syphon, bigger skimmer for more water, more flow (hydro), etc...

The benefits have been stated, I'm pointing out some other things that go with larger water volumes.

[Hella]

Well my skimer is the Lifereef VS3-60 @ 5 feet tall with a little giant pump so im good there, and I have a few 18W CP lights and one 13W one if I needed it so im good in those areas. The only thing would be larger water changes, and really thats no big deal with my setup.

All the infe is great guys, keep it comming.

Hella

[toothman]

I personally have been keeping tropical fish for 40 yrs. There is always something new to learn.

There is also many different husbandry styles that will yield the same result. Most systems have there great moments and down moments.

With that said I have a amazingly complicated 500 gal system at home. At work I have a 90 gal tank with a 150 gal Rubbermaid sump in the basement, the tank looks amazing and is always clean. The filtration is 8 inches of hardware store white sand, like the kind you would see in a ash tray.( it they still exist) And a bag of the alum style phosphate beads. The lighting on the sump is a $20 two head 150 watt halide light. (not metal halide) The light is kept on 24/7. After 1 year it is filled with about half of chaeto. (not sure on spelling) The main tank has 250 watt metal halide 20 k and actinic supplement. The main tank has one single speed tunze.

This system is great and rivals my 500 gal tank with a bubble king skimmer, ca reactor, kalk, drip, 6 400 watt metal halide. Which eats about $250+ dollars a month in electric.

I think a large refuge is great.

[toothman]

Most interestingly did you note no skimmer. Seems crazy to me but all you have to do is take a look at the tank. Embarrassingly enough I also only fee the office tank flake food. The fish also look good, tangs, flame angel, clowns no anthius.

[cnaegler]

Bigger is better, IMO! I'm using a 75 gallon refugium and a 50 gallon sump on a 180.

[dwd5813]

if you used the 125 as a fuge for one of those 20's you would be closer to what nature has available. in short, i would answer your original question with a single word: no.

[dwd5813]

if you used the 125 as a fuge for one of those 20's you would be closer to what nature has available. in short, i would answer your original question with a single word: no.

[zergling]

EDIT: wrong thread. please delete

[bergzy]

a large refugium, while not necessary for success, is definitely a benefit if you have the space. increased water volume aids in parameter stability.

here is a pic of my 'modified' refugium on my 180g with a 100g sump. most of the times, people talk about their 100g sumps but in reality, they normally dont hold 100g unless one fills it to the top. but with this, then you dont have the sump being able to hold the excess water from the display when the main return pump is off for whatever reason. my total 'adjusted' volume estimate when i take live rock into account is about 250g for the display, sump and fuge.

the blue barrel is filled to the top with live rock. the white bucket is where i concentrate chaeto macro growth in one particular are of the refugium to maximize growth and contain the macro for easy harvest.

the light is a 65 w 6500 lights of america on for 18 hours a day. the bucket receives about 600gph (120x turnover) excess bleed off water from my pressure rated pump that drives the bermuda skimmer. the bucket input is via a 1/2" 90 degree elbow pointed at 45 degrees to get a rotational swirling action that spins the chaeto into a ball (which is the desired shape for chaeto) for maximium light exposure over the entire chaeto ball.

the bucket then drains back into the sump via a 1 1/2" pvc flex near the input of the return pump to pump any pods released by my refugium into the main display.

the live rock is for sponge and tunicate growth which, in theory, will help absorb stray silicates in the water. probably just a dream but it doesnt hurt to try. the bottom of the barrel has a ball valve to occasionally drain the bottom if it starts to gross up. it is also predator free so pods are allowed to grow and grow and grow!!!

barrel 'circulation' is achieved by having the white bucket drain deep to the bottom of the barrel with the pvc pipe going down near the bottom. additional circulation is with a coralife sl-38 airpump to pump air to the bottom and have the rising air bring deep water with it. this way, fluidized (reverse) flow is achieved. the air is great as well as the bubbles always create a random percolation which should decrease any dead spots.




video of spinning chaeto: