Refugium Questions

[1Adam12]

Ok... so the refugium (fuge) is the largest part of the sump, right?

You need to have a sand or mud base, right?

You want the fuge to grow algae, right?

To grow algae, there needs to be light, right?

Does the light have to be special or just a regular incandescent?

Why do you want to grow algae?

Oh and maybe a few pounds of LR?

I'm sorry for this thread but the more I read about sumps without actually seeing a working model and talking to the keeper of the working model, the more questions I come up with.

Thanks in advance for the help....

Adam

[reefnetworth]

1: i use 6" of aragonite sand. more coverage for beneficial bacteria.
2: yes, you will benefit from algae, it absorbes/eats ammonia and nitrate. (chaetomorfia is the best and cheapest)
3: Lowes or Home Depot have clip-on lights suitable for (plants) growlights. use a 60 watt bulb or a flood light with higher wattage.
4: rubblerock/small pieces of liverock are best. www.premiumaquatics.com sells it by the pound. tell Jeremy, nano4brains refered you, he might give you a price cut.

John, :cool:

[reefnetworth]

almost forgot, some chose to place inhabitants such as crabs, copepods, starfish, snails in there also. check-out the "DIY" forum, for set-ups and designs.

John, :D

[1Adam12]

Thanks for the info reefnetworth (John).

Is the fuge a necessary thing for a 150G reef setup?

Why do you put creatures such as those you mentioned in the fuge? No one can see them there... since it's under the tank...

Adam

[reefnetworth]

they eat deteris and uneaten food mostly, and they keep the sand stirred-up/open. these things (deteris and uneaten food will cause the sinful nitrite, ammonia, and nitrate. all part of the nitrogen cycle but it helps keep it under control and in the desired parameters. nitrite, 0.0, ammonia, 0.0, nitrate under 10 ppm.

John, :D

[jerry11901]

I use this bulb : http://www.lightbulbsdirect.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1P381651&Category_Code=
and recommend it to you .

[reefnetworth]

that one will work fine. keep it about 8" above the sump water level, they put out alot of heat, and make it difficult to control temp. in your main/display tank.

John, :)

[reefnetworth]

double clicked. admin's, please delete this reply, sorry.

John, :)

[reefnetworth]

1Adam12, the reason for keeping them in the sump is because some critters will eat some corals and accidently knock-over or break them.

John, :p

[1Adam12]

Thanks for all the info. I'm just starving for information. Being new for me means I can't get enough knowledge. I really want this to be a success.

Thanks again...

Adam

[Shagsbeard]

I also disagree that your fuge should be your biggest volume in your sump. It should be if you have an auto-top off. If you have no auto-top off, your return area should be the larger volume.