Refugiums - needed for FOWLR systems?

reef-fossil · #1 08/25/2006, 07:22 PM

Got a question I'm curious about - do most of you guys have refugiums with your FOWLR tanks?

I still have one from when my tank was a reef setup, but now I'm considering removing it. Not sure what it is, but it's not done nearly as well, probably from the reduction (none) of dosing supplements. I guess I could start back up, but if it's not needed or helpful, then it's one less thing to worry about. I could always just dump what's left of the macro algae into the sump although there's no sand....

Only other thing I can think would be in a refugium that would help in this setup would be pods, but again, not seeing any in mine now.

Comments? Just looking for a show of hands - how many / what percentage of people have them with FOWLR setups?

thanks!
-Chris

saltyESQ · #2 08/25/2006, 07:44 PM

I have a refuge in my 90g fowlr and I am currently setting up a 210g with a 30g fowlr. the cheato always grows great and keeps maintance down

clekchau · #3 08/25/2006, 11:17 PM

i asked this a few weeks ago and with the advice from some rf members easily set up a simple refugium out of a 20 gallon aquarium.

basically, some live sand and chaeto algae, fed thru one of my drilled returns, flowing to the refugium, back into the sump. easy to set up.

auSS/Tin · #4 08/26/2006, 08:48 AM

Reef-Fossil,

I hear you loud and clear. I have a 40 gallon fuge on my 200 display tank. Used to run it as a reef, but when we moved I decided that I wanted to be FOWLR, but I still set everything up as before. When it was reef, my macro grew like weeds. I was pulling out handfuls every week. Now that it is a FOWLR, the clump of macro that I threw in over a year ago(size of a baseball) has not grown at all. There is nothing in the fuge that is eating it either, it just will not grow. I have changed the bulbs on the fuge. I have wondered at times why do I have this all going on? I could eliminate a lot of it, just feed the skimmer and have a return pump send the water back to the tank.

Bill

NORTHBAY(707) · #5 08/26/2006, 09:10 AM

Was wonder if I should do one also, I'll wait around, and want is said.

Later.

reef-fossil · #6 08/26/2006, 05:15 PM

Bill,

Sounds like you know exactly what I'm talking about... I'm wondering if it's not the lack of suppliments, though from the sounds of it, some people are doing fine.

I think what I'll do is downsize it and add new sand, get some different macro algae and see what happens. Picked up a tub that's just shy of 18 gallons and in a few days I'll pick up some new sand. I'll give it a shot for a few months, see what happens. If it doesn't really grow, then it's getting removed. If it does - awesome, it stays. :-)

I'm worried if I stir up the old sand, since it's a very deep sand bed, there will be some nasty stuff released. Like you, there's nothing in there stirring up anything, so the sand it pretty much packed in tight. I might be able to suction off the top layer if it's loose, but again, is it worth it???

Figure I'll also pick up a brittle start or something that will stir up the sand and just try to remember to feed it weekly or so.

With the tub being smaller (not quite 1/2 the size of what's there now), I can move my sump more towards the middle and get some needed room on the other end for a bigger pump and probably take the next step and move the skimmer and it's pump external to the sump (my thinking is it will be maybe 1 degree cooler and here it's hotter more than cooler).

Anyone see any flaws in any of this?

thanks,
Chris

NORTHBAY(707) · #7 08/26/2006, 11:42 PM

I got a brittle star do to that, but it stays on the rock all the time maybe I actually got a serpent star this thing is sort of big. About the size on a 1/2 dollar coin little bit smaller and the legs are about 2-3.5" long.It take the carnivore cubes hole , even snatch a piece of salmon I was feeding My Eel today, and that was no small piece.

Later