Looking for the "ultimate" refugium

[Brenden]

I am setting up a new tank (144gal) and want some opinions on how you would do the ultimate fuge. What would you put in it? How much flow? What size compared to the display? I currently have a 500 gallon display with a 150 gal sump/fuge. The fuge has a sand bed and a little bit of LR rubble. Macros include several types of caulerpa on one side and chaeto on the other. Thanks

[clsanchez77]

To me, an ultimate fuge would be an entire display on its own. Something setup as a planted tank with herbivore inverts and fish. Deep sand bed, at least 6", live rock rubble, mated blennies, snails, conch and maybe some high light, shallow water zoanthids; no planktivores, carnivores or omnicoves to promote maximum pod life. Tank would be brightly lit, reverse lighting system for pH stabilizaion. High flows in the tank, so maybe streams or closed loop on one side next to each other pointed across the top to the other side. I would match the display tanks size, say a 144g for a 144g and try to get about 5x turnover per hour, so say 700gph. I would aim for 7,000 gph total, 50x turnover.

But then if I am dreaming, I would go with several 300g tied into one system, one as refug, one as a crypt, one as SPS...

Chris

[Pescados]

for me it would be building it myself out of acrylic. If you can't cut the acrylic, have a supplier do it for you. Design it yourself, using areas for refugium, skimmer, carbon, pod prodiction! and have fuge and pod prodiction chamber all in front for viewing, skimmer and pumps in back. Measure the premade filter pads from the store and have the return from the pod area return through it, hopefully filtering out your pods and keeping them in the cultivating area.
I would also have an area for a powerfilter running... pull it out and use it on the qt tank when you need a QT! This way you don't need to run a qt all the time.
probe, heater holders....

[JeffersonReef]

Some will tell you that the fuge needs "low flow".. this is debatable. My fuge didnt explode with life until I had over 300gph running through it. So I agree with clsanchez77. The DSB will be nice if the tank is big enough. A DSB in a smaller tank (under 50g) may run the risk of just becomig a detritus trap. I have a DSB in my 30g fuge, though, and its going well....so you can really go either way, but a DSB in your display is surely going to have a bigger and better impact on ur overall system. I have about 20-30lbs of live rock rubble, and chaeto, caulerpa and tang heaven growing like weeds. The fuge needs lots of light. One little "spiral ligh bulb" may not yeild the results you need. A floodlight works well. I have 2 flood lights running on mine, both 6500k.... Hope this helps!

PS - Im adding Xenia Elongata soon too... to help with nutrient export. :)

[dippin61]

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