20H Refugium

[ggk1988]

A little background info. I have a 90RR FOWLR that I would like to put a refugium on. It is set up with a MegaFlow Wet/Dry. (Note: I do not want to argue whether or not this is effiecent.)

What I am thinking about doing is setting my 20H next to the Wet/Dry. I want to drill the side of the tank and just plumb a return line back into the wet/dry.

My questions are:

1. How much flow should run through the tank?

2. Is this tank big enough to have an effective DSB?

3. Should I plumb the feed line lower the return via a bulkhead? Same height? or just have it dump from the top?

4. Will any of this work? LOL

Thanks in advance

[SquidHC]

Refugiums seem to do better with slower water movement so this is something to consider. You could maby do like 200gph through it. One of my concerns about the return going into your wet/dry is that one of the reasons for a refugium other than dentrification is providing live food to your tank. If you run it through your wet/dry I don't think anything will make it. I wouldn't drill the tank being a 20g glass tank is going to have very thin glass thats very hard to drill. Just put a return pump in your refugium and plumb that to your wet/dry.

[Aquarist007]

Here is an example of my set up---its gravity fed---I have the mainflow t'd off to control the flow separately through the fug and sump

the flow through your sump should be 5-10 times the water column in gph and through your fug about 1/10 of the total water column

[Aquarist007]

sorry posted on me:

[Aquarist007]

that said----please don't turn a blind idea to the fact that if you are going to run this type of system the wet/dry is counterproductive in it----your better just to run carbon in it

[ggk1988]

Why is the wet/dry counterproductive?

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by ggk1988
Why is the wet/dry counterproductive?

you don't need it for filtration with the the refugium and or a skimmer
the media in it can actually become nitrate sponges and introduce them back into the tank

many reefers gut them and run carbon in them as with other canister filters

[ggk1988]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
Here is an example of my set up---its gravity fed---I have the mainflow t'd off to control the flow separately through the fug and sump

the flow through your sump should be 5-10 times the water column in gph and through your fug about 1/10 of the total water column

1/10 of 100 would be 10gph?

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by ggk1988
1/10 of 100 would be 10gph?

1/10 of the flow rate coming from you tank(what you circulation pump is outputting

mine is 2000gph so my flow rate is 200 gph through the fug

my fault sorry for the confusion

[ggk1988]

ok that makes much more sense. thanks.

Any thoughts on a DSB in a 20 ?

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by ggk1988
ok that makes much more sense. thanks.

Any thoughts on a DSB in a 20 ?

IMO---cause there is alot of debate on this--sand beds that are 3-5 inches seem to be what some experts on RC feel as desirable.
This allows depth for fish and inverts that like it and it doesn't cause problems in a couple of years with the build up of toxic gases in a 6-8 inch deep sand bed
Know this is just a summary of what I have read---I never have used an 8 inch sand bed before myself

I started out with 1/2 inch sand bed--after doing alot of discussing on RC I increased it last summer to five inches with no problems.
Besides if I clean the outer edge of the glass down deep it looks really neat and you can see nesarrius snails etc burrowing in it and bristle worms----kind of like those old ant farms you used to be able to get

[Aquarist007]

here is a thread I started last september---I think you would be interested in it----it also has links to other threads dealing with fuges , deep sand beds and growing mangroves

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1207565