Is a 7.5 gallon fuge big enough for a 140 gallon display

[YamahaF934]

Is a 7.6 gallon fuge big enough for a 140 gallon display. Or should I go with media reactors (GFO, carbon, bio-pellets). As of right now it is going to be a fish only with the plans to upgrade in a year or so.

In the sump I have room for a 10 x 18 x 8 inch fuge.

[cloak]

For the sole purpose of providing an area for the microfauna to reproduce, then yes. For nutrient control, no. JMO.

[worm5406]

Some books show that the sump should be at least 10% of your total water volume.

SO... at a minimum 14 gallons... But a 40 breeder tank would be so much better IMO for you. But it wont fit your demisions. Can you have a remote sump maybe?

[t4zalews]

For effective nutrient transport, refugiums will have to be VERY large. Like the same size of your tank. But as said, will work just fine for critters go populate, which in itself is a good thing

[Palting]

I like refugiums over reactors anyday. I have a 20 gallon tall for my 200 gallon system. 7.5 gallons for a 140 DT is too small. Easy enough to make a remote refugium, though, and have it sit beside your stand, if there is no room inside the stand.

[YamahaF934]

HMMM okay now you have me thinking of putting in a remote fuge. If its beside my tank what is the safest way to plumb it.

I personally love watching all the critters in the sump.

Anyone have any pictures of plumbing a remote sump. Above and to the right of the sump.

[YamahaF934]

Also does having a reverse photo period help with the tank parameters?

[Palting]

Originally Posted by YamahaF934

HMMM okay now you have me thinking of putting in a remote fuge. If its beside my tank what is the safest way to plumb it.

I personally love watching all the critters in the sump.

Anyone have any pictures of plumbing a remote sump. Above and to the right of the sump.

There are several ways to do it. Divert some of the drain to the refugium then drain it to the return section of the sump, or divert some of the return pump output to the refugium and either have it drain to the sump or to the DT, these are just two ways to do it. Here's a pic of mine, where I have separate pump sitting just downstream of the skimmer in the skimmer section pumping some of the sump water flow to the refugium, then the refugium drains to the return section. It's all inside the stand, but this could also be done outside the stand.

Originally Posted by YamahaF934

Also does having a reverse photo period help with the tank parameters?

Yes, for pH. Lights out in the DT decreases photosynthesis, accumulates CO2, dropping pH. If the lights are on in the 'fuge, photosynthesis continuous and helps aintain pH.

[Squidmotron]

I don't undertand where the magic number of 10% comes from.

Seems to me that a small refugium would still take nutrients out of the water. It would just take fewer.

Hence, it would cetainly help a little, right?

I would imagine there is no magic percentage. You just remove more with more plants & growing space.

[Palting]

Originally Posted by Squidmotron

I don't undertand where the magic number of 10% comes from.

Seems to me that a small refugium would still take nutrients out of the water. It would just take fewer.

Hence, it would cetainly help a little, right?

I would imagine there is no magic percentage. You just remove more with more plants & growing space.

To be honest, I can't remember where that magic number comes from. Yes, even the tiniest refugium will help a tiny amount. The question, though, as I understand it, is "How big a refugium do you need to handle the nitrate/phosphate load?". In addition to adequate flow, liverock and skimmer, a refugium volume minimum of 10% DT volume is what has been bandied about as the answer. Factual, true, or urban legend, I couldn't tell you. What I can tell you is that the system I have in my sig runs with 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate, and has done so for 3 years.

[Squidmotron]

Originally Posted by Palting

Factual, true, or urban legend, I couldn't tell you. What I can tell you is that the system I have in my sig runs with 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate, and has done so for 3 years.

So you don't use GFO or a deep sand bed or anything?

..

I have another question about your system, if you don't mind.

I believe I have an AquaticLife fixture that sounds very similar to yours (if not the same), and I've seen your photos. What do you run as your MH and T5 bulbs? Just curious.

[Palting]

Originally Posted by Squidmotron

So you don't use GFO or a deep sand bed or anything?

..

I have another question about your system, if you don't mind.

I believe I have an AquaticLife fixture that sounds very similar to yours (if not the same), and I've seen your photos. What do you run as your MH and T5 bulbs? Just curious.

I have a 2"-3" SSB. When both the tank and I were still new, with me not knowing any better, I thought I needed GFO. Phosphates were undetectable, but everyone was worrying about phosphates in their tanks, so I thought I should, too. LOL!! I still consider myself a noob today, but I was REALY a noob back then. I bought an MR1 reactor and some GFO. I soon realized how expensive GFO can be, so I took the reactor offline and decided to run it again if the phosphates ever came up. It never did, and the reactor is still sitting on a shelf. I may use it for biopellets if the nitrate ever goes up, or something . LOL!!!

I have the Marineland 24hr system. I run three 10K 150W MH, and eight true actinics T5's, along with six 1w LED moonlights. I tried 14K MH, and didn't like it.

[Saltydrip]

I have a 55g display and 20g fuge

[DopeCantWin]

Originally Posted by t4zalews

For effective nutrient transport, refugiums will have to be VERY large. Like the same size of your tank. But as said, will work just fine for critters go populate, which in itself is a good thing

That's absolutely not true. An 8 gallon Chaeto fuge is lowering my nitrates to around 2, and Phosphates as unreadable on a 90 with a ton of fish. It's more about how strong the light is.

[barjam]

Originally Posted by Palting

To be honest, I can't remember where that magic number comes from. Yes, even the tiniest refugium will help a tiny amount. The question, though, as I understand it, is "How big a refugium do you need to handle the nitrate/phosphate load?". In addition to adequate flow, liverock and skimmer, a refugium volume minimum of 10% DT volume is what has been bandied about as the answer. Factual, true, or urban legend, I couldn't tell you. What I can tell you is that the system I have in my sig runs with 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate, and has done so for 3 years.

Another variable would be lighting. A mh over 10 gallons would do far more than a 12 watt flourescent over a 50.