What size Refugium

mbrady · 11/06/2009, 09:44 AM

I am considering setting up a refugium. My question is what size.
I have a 90 gallon tank with a mega flow #3 sump. In addition I have a protein skimmer running in the sump now. Therefore I do not have any room left in the sump for a Refugium set up.

The primary purpose of the refugium would be to reduce the nitrate level. I plan on having Chaetomorpha as my main alage.

Because of space limitation under my cabinet I have room for ony a 10 gallon Hexagon tank which would be 18 inches high.

Can I make this work? My LFS seems to think it is to small and will have litte effect.

Thanks for your advice

der_wille_zur_macht · 11/06/2009, 09:54 AM

As big as possible.

A 10g 'fuge on a 90g tank isn't huge by any means, but I wouldn't call it too small to have an effect. If you nail flow and light, the chaeto will grow rapidly in any size container - you'll just have to harvest a little more frequently, and your nutrient uptake rate will in general be a little slower.

sminker · 11/07/2009, 12:09 AM

ive got a 30 gallon fuge with chaeto running at 100GPH with a 2x24 currentUSA fixture on top of it. within 2 days it stole all the nutrients from my protein skimmer.

before i had it in the sump running at 350-400GPH and my skimmer was filling up every 4-7 days. needless to say i found the best results with lower flow.

A sea K · 11/07/2009, 04:29 AM

If I was in your situation and given such a small allowance for refugia I would set the 10 gal up as a RDSB instead of the fuge. IMO it is more efficient at nitrate reduction anyway.

rezaktp · 11/07/2009, 04:07 PM

as big as you can but i would say at least 10 gal.

Jhnamie · 11/07/2009, 04:16 PM

I have a 30L fuge on my 75 gal tank, I think you should go big if you can....Johnnie

Jim96SC2 · 11/07/2009, 04:37 PM

I have 15 on a 58, go big or go home.

Use a 50 breeder and baffle it out into a sump.

sminker · 11/07/2009, 05:47 PM

i just realized that my previous meant nothing to this thread lol.... i should learn to read better.

anyways 10 gallons is better than nothing. but the refuge can be outside the stand also. some people like to show them. put a powerhead in your sump that sends water to the fuge then it will be gravity fed back down.

thegrun · 11/07/2009, 06:56 PM

I have a small 2.5 gallon fuge on my nano 28 (slightly less than 10%) and it helped quite a bit. I had trouble keeping the nitrites under 5 PPM before the refugium, they are read zero all the time now. So yes, the 10 gallon refugium will help, obviously it would be better to go larger, but if it 10 gallons or nothing, I would add the 10 gallon fuge.

11/06/2009, 09:44 AM	#1
mbrady Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 96	What size Refugium I am considering setting up a refugium. My question is what size. I have a 90 gallon tank with a mega flow #3 sump. In addition I have a protein skimmer running in the sump now. Therefore I do not have any room left in the sump for a Refugium set up. The primary purpose of the refugium would be to reduce the nitrate level. I plan on having Chaetomorpha as my main alage. Because of space limitation under my cabinet I have room for ony a 10 gallon Hexagon tank which would be 18 inches high. Can I make this work? My LFS seems to think it is to small and will have litte effect. Thanks for your advice

11/06/2009, 09:54 AM	#2
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	As big as possible. A 10g 'fuge on a 90g tank isn't huge by any means, but I wouldn't call it too small to have an effect. If you nail flow and light, the chaeto will grow rapidly in any size container - you'll just have to harvest a little more frequently, and your nutrient uptake rate will in general be a little slower. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

11/07/2009, 04:29 AM	#4
A sea K Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Branford Fl Posts: 3,024	If I was in your situation and given such a small allowance for refugia I would set the 10 gal up as a RDSB instead of the fuge. IMO it is more efficient at nitrate reduction anyway. __________________ I am not a pro so excuse me if I'm wrong. Current Tank Info: 30gal Deep Blue rimless 9/10/2014, 80gal Deep Blue rimless 40gal sump/refugium 9/11/16 LPS reef, 2 x Kessil A160 with a single Maxspect Razor, RO Prime 150INT skimmer, Sicce 3 return pump, Vortech MP40 and MP10

11/07/2009, 04:07 PM	#5
rezaktp Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Gurnee, IL Posts: 1,407	as big as you can but i would say at least 10 gal. __________________ Happy Reefing! Current Tank Info: 180g. Reef w/8-80w t-5's, 70g. Rubbermaid basement sump w/10g. fuge, APEX, Reef Octopus SRO 2000 Skimmer, 1/3hp Aqualogic chiller, 57w Aqua Ultraviolet UV, BRS 2-part w/2-Drews Dosers, 4-MP40wES

11/07/2009, 12:09 AM	#3
sminker Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 612	ive got a 30 gallon fuge with chaeto running at 100GPH with a 2x24 currentUSA fixture on top of it. within 2 days it stole all the nutrients from my protein skimmer. before i had it in the sump running at 350-400GPH and my skimmer was filling up every 4-7 days. needless to say i found the best results with lower flow.

11/07/2009, 04:16 PM	#6
Jhnamie Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Fl. Posts: 21	I have a 30L fuge on my 75 gal tank, I think you should go big if you can....Johnnie

11/07/2009, 04:37 PM	#7
Jim96SC2 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 311	I have 15 on a 58, go big or go home. Use a 50 breeder and baffle it out into a sump.

11/07/2009, 05:47 PM	#8
sminker Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 612	i just realized that my previous meant nothing to this thread lol.... i should learn to read better. anyways 10 gallons is better than nothing. but the refuge can be outside the stand also. some people like to show them. put a powerhead in your sump that sends water to the fuge then it will be gravity fed back down.

11/07/2009, 06:56 PM	#9
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I have a small 2.5 gallon fuge on my nano 28 (slightly less than 10%) and it helped quite a bit. I had trouble keeping the nitrites under 5 PPM before the refugium, they are read zero all the time now. So yes, the 10 gallon refugium will help, obviously it would be better to go larger, but if it 10 gallons or nothing, I would add the 10 gallon fuge.