Any ideas on Wet and dry and/or Refugium?

tdheid · 10/16/2006, 11:16 PM

Hi
I have a 90 gallon salt water tank with a wet and dry filter. People have to ld me that a wet and dry filteris not the best for reef aquariums, which is what i want to convert my 90 gallon to, and i don't know if i should buy something different or modify my wet and dry filter?

I have also been told that a refugium is also a nessary filter, but i really would rather build one than buy one does anyone know how? And when I'm done what should I put in it? Macro-algae and/or chateo?

Thanks
Todd

dmilne85 · 10/17/2006, 01:14 AM

i would second the motion with the advice that wet dry filters are not the best for reef tanks mostly because after a while they can build up nitrates in your tank.

if it were me i would get rid of the wet dry and just keep a sump below your main tank with your protein skimmer (if you have one) and have a small refugium built into the sump9although larger the refugium the better).

there are a thousand different ways u can go about adding a refugium and it depends on what u want the refugium to do. some people want a refugium to serve to reduce nitrates/phosphates, and others might want it to feed there tank the bugs that will live in the fuge. i would try to do some research on this as much as possible before u go ahead and start building.

for me i just made my sump/ refugium by purchasing a 30 galon tank and then adding walls and baffels inside the 30 gallon tank to make the fuge area, the protein skimmer area, and the return pump area. like i said though this is not the only way to do it so read up on different mays to set up a refugium and see what works best for you.

10/16/2006, 11:16 PM	#1
tdheid Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Livermore Posts: 1	Any ideas on Wet and dry and/or Refugium? Hi I have a 90 gallon salt water tank with a wet and dry filter. People have to ld me that a wet and dry filteris not the best for reef aquariums, which is what i want to convert my 90 gallon to, and i don't know if i should buy something different or modify my wet and dry filter? I have also been told that a refugium is also a nessary filter, but i really would rather build one than buy one does anyone know how? And when I'm done what should I put in it? Macro-algae and/or chateo? Thanks Todd

10/17/2006, 01:14 AM	#2
dmilne85 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Arizona, now in Pittsburgh :0( Posts: 602	i would second the motion with the advice that wet dry filters are not the best for reef tanks mostly because after a while they can build up nitrates in your tank. if it were me i would get rid of the wet dry and just keep a sump below your main tank with your protein skimmer (if you have one) and have a small refugium built into the sump9although larger the refugium the better). there are a thousand different ways u can go about adding a refugium and it depends on what u want the refugium to do. some people want a refugium to serve to reduce nitrates/phosphates, and others might want it to feed there tank the bugs that will live in the fuge. i would try to do some research on this as much as possible before u go ahead and start building. for me i just made my sump/ refugium by purchasing a 30 galon tank and then adding walls and baffels inside the 30 gallon tank to make the fuge area, the protein skimmer area, and the return pump area. like i said though this is not the only way to do it so read up on different mays to set up a refugium and see what works best for you.