Refugium Plans, need help with the details

[Nanook]

Hi, I am in the planning stages for using my 29g glass tank as a refugium for the 120. I have a couple of questions:

1) Optimal flow rate in gph for fuge?

2) 55w of PC or 110w of PC, nitrate reduction through macros in mind?

3) Drill bulkheads at surface for surface skimming or lower?

4) Usage of a heater necessary in the fuge?

5) What size holes would be optimal for return and feed?

Thanks for the input, not wanting to do this more than once:)


Nanook


BTW, I have read all threads related to refugiums, took several hours, so don't throw me back there:D :D

[sir reefalot]

1) I do roughly 6-8x turnover per hour on my 29. Sounds like a lot but looks like very little. Anthing that goes in there settles just fine to the DSB.

2) More the better but 55 would be fine.

3) Im for the surface skimming....

4) Nice to have redundancy but I don't use one. I have a 29 main with 29 beside tank fuge. I use a 150w ebo jager in the main, and it keeps them both at 82 degrees.

5) I use one 3/4" bulkhead(exaust) on refuge. It handles my turnover rate fine. Wouldn't go smaller though if anything bigger so I can do something else with it down the road.

Why drill a hole for intake? If anything have 2 exhaust for redundancy...
HTH

[Nanook]

Thanks Sir Reefalot!

Where do you plumb the intake to the fuge? I could use a Maxijet 900 with 220gph as the main fuge pump I suppose, it is going to pump up about 4" out of the Durso standpipe overflow and then downhill a little bit. This would give me about 7-8x/turnover rate. I have the 2x55w fixture and the 1x55 brightlite, I guess that will work either way. I am really looking forward to seeing this to completion. Any other takers are welcome!

Nanook:)

[sir reefalot]

I go up and over then inside... no drilling. Canopy should hide it from view. Only time I will drill a tank is to get water out not in....

[DRT]

I plumbed my refugia so that surface skim drains into the tank and then down to the sump. I drilled 2 bulkhead fittings 1.25", the first about 2" below the top, the other about 2" above the bottom. Water from the main tank flows into the bottom and the top is the return to the sump. You need to keep some distance from the edge to maintain structural integrety of the glass, I use a 90 degree elbow fitting to adjust the water level. Flow rate is what it is, more would be better but it would be a major PIA to replumb. I did have to add a small powerhead to keep some circulation going in the refugia otherwise there were dead spots.

One thing that struck me as odd was the refugia went through all the normal start up problems, diatom blooms, cyano slime etc. If I had the time I probably would have taken it down but after a couple of months things settled down and now the thing is teaming with life. The main tank seems move vibrant, corals open more etc but I still have patches of hair algea that just wont go away.

Hope this helps.

Dale

[sir reefalot]

I'm curious why you would want a power head in your refugium. Why wack em in the head?
I would consider a power head a predator...
:D

[Nanook]

Thanks Dale and Sir!!

That is a different method of draining into the refugium, I guess it is a low flow, depending on how fast you have the fuge draining to the sump? Did you guys drill your own holes with a special core bit, or have it done at a glass shop?? I appreciate the help here.

Nanook

[DRT]

My first inclination too, no powerhead, just a natural flow but didnt work out that way. I have a good growth of grape caulpera and it gets increadibly dense, there is zero water movement at the far end of the tank without a power head. I also felt that the system was oxygen starved as there was very little movement on the surface as well. This does not seem to have had an adverse affect on the life in the refugia, it is teaming with pods and hundreds of clown fry.

Brings up another point, anyone in MSP need any caulpera, send me an email and come pick some up, I harvest and flush weekly.

Dale