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View Full Version : How big does my fuge need to be?


gibson981
02/20/2009, 10:12 AM
I have a 90 gallon display. There is about 90 pound of live rock and about 120 pounds of live sand. The livestock is a yellow tang, yellow headed goby, false perc, 5 peppermint shrimp, a few dozen crabs (blue and red leg hermits), a few dozen snails (mostly nassarius, some bumble bee, some turbo), frogspawn, torch coral, 2 blue maxima clams, a couple of SPS frags, and some red sea xenia. Current sump is a 29 gallon glass tank with the fuge in the middle section. I would like to make the skimmer and return sections bigger, but that would mean making the fuge smaller. That is, unless I can have the fuge as a separate piece, raised up off the bottom of the rest of the sump. Possibly have it resting across the top of rest of the sump. The problem is that there is only about 9-10 inches clearance between the top of the 29 gallon and the top of the inside of the stand. I would need 2-3 inches of that for the light. So, how small of my fuge be, and still be effective for my system?

Jason Donohoe
02/20/2009, 12:11 PM
Any size fuge will help but limiting it's size will limit its effectiveness. I remember reeding one article (RK mag) that suggested 10% of DT volume. I also think it depends on what you are hoping for it do do. Mine is primarily to grow macroalgae for nutrient export and is aprox 8% of DT volume. My refugium is a separate tank that gravity flows into the return section. It's not over the sump though, it is off to the side but up on blocks.

http://i380.photobucket.com/albums/oo249/jasondonohoe/nov242008026.jpg

reefscape15
02/20/2009, 02:39 PM
Any size will help you out, but the bigger the better. Go as big as you have room and lighting for