Adding A Refugium

[stefday]

Hi,

Thinking of adding a refugium to my current set up. As some of you know I have already asked loads of questions about this and thank you all for your help.

Thinking of a 18" long X 18" high X 15" wide one which will fit under the main tank. The main reasons are to aid the stability of the pH in the main tank and to supply live food. Looking at a live sand/rock set up and perhaps some caleurpa although will add a nitrate reactor soon.

What light set up would people choose? wattage/manufacturer etc.

Would you add anything else? Thinking of cuc etc

Currently have main tank lighting on from 11am to 9pm. Would you have sump on from 9pm to 11am?

Thanks again for any help.

Stef

 

[ben1987]

Hi,

Thinking of adding a refugium to my current set up. As some of you know I have already asked loads of questions about this and thank you all for your help.

Thinking of a 18" long X 18" high X 15" wide one which will fit under the main tank. The main reasons are to aid the stability of the pH in the main tank and to supply live food. Looking at a live sand/rock set up and perhaps some caleurpa although will add a nitrate reactor soon.
id go cheato, doesnt need to be lit 24/4 like caleurpa whcih can go sexual and wipe a tank if it isnt
What light set up would people choose? wattage/manufacturer etc.
cheato will grow under energy saving lightbulbs. If they are the correct kelvin and powerful enough. Or a couple of T5s

Would you add anything else? Thinking of cuc etc

id just have alage, maybe a bit of rock rubble and sand

Currently have main tank lighting on from 11am to 9pm. Would you have sump on from 9pm to 11am?

id consider cutting the tank cycle down actually. But yeah, light it the opposite to your main tank

Thanks again for any help.

Stef

 

[stefday]

Thanks.

What lighting cycle do people use?

 

[ben1987]

usually 8 hours main lights, quite often less.

 

[Morri]

What Ben has said is good but I would consider doing a 24 hour lit Miracle Mud and Caulpera refegium this is the path that I am going down in the next few weeks there are some very posotive results from this if you do a search for "Leng Sy ecosystem" in google and have a read it is very intresting to see the results they have had, I am still going to be running a skimmer but am changing to a smaller skimmer hopefully this weekend

As far as the lighting goes I would use a Wave Cosmos 20W freshwater (This colour will promote Algae growth)or Solaris also do an 18w version of the freshwater.

Some of the claims of MM in brief are 0 Nitrates and 0 phosphates + it also addss essential elements back in to the water.

I am heading down this path as I have been advised by someone who uses this system (Best Tank I have ever seen) and he swears by it but also uses a skimmer.

 

[ben1987]

yeah, that wpuld be good. so long as you light the algae 24/7 stef

 

[john.o]

How about a DSB with a 1inch covering of mineral mud its worked perfectly for me , it was recommended to me by a former TOTM winner after I had ran my 6inch DSB for 3 months with no results

PS Just a little tip on lighting your refuge I use S,A,D {Seasonal Affective Disorder} low energy light bulbs in my sump they are designed to replicate natural sun light so they burn at the correct Kelvin, and there cheap as chips off {flebay}
My Light cycle
Aquarays on @ 12.30 off at 13.35 {one all blue one blue and white}
150w 14k halide on@ 13.30 0ff at 20.30
Aquarays on @ 20.25 off @ 22.30
Very low blue moon,s {leds} on @ 22.25 off at 12.35
Sump light on 24/7

 

[Morri]

How about a DSB with a 1inch covering of mineral mud its worked perfectly for me , it was recommended to me by a former TOTM winner after I had ran my 6inch DSB for 3 months with no results

PS Just a little tip on lighting your refuge I use S,A,D {Seasonal Affective Disorder} low energy light bulbs in my sump they are designed to replicate natural sun light so they burn at the correct Kelvin, and there cheap as chips off {flebay}
My Light cycle
Aquarays on @ 12.30 off at 13.35 {one all blue one blue and white}
150w 14k halide on@ 13.30 0ff at 20.30
Aquarays on @ 20.25 off @ 22.30
Very low blue moon,s {leds} on @ 22.25 off at 12.35
Sump light on 24/7

DSBs take about 3 months before they start working afaik and you need quiet a big DSB to be effective apparently. I am taking mine out and just using MM I think need some room for the caulerpa to grow good tip on the bulb

Just need to sweet talk my LFS to nick a couple of bits of caulerpa I am sure I read you light it for 24 hours to stop it going Sexual (Strange term no idea why they use it)

 

[seffieuk]

going Sexual (Strange term no idea why they use it)

Well i suppose to reproduce it has to be sexual

Interesting piece in Advanced Aquarist

http/www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2002/chem.htm

By the way if your caulerpa does start to reproduce (it releases a green substance in the water), turn your skimmer up full and run carbon, pull out as much from the tank as you can

Seffie x

 

[ben1987]

How about a DSB with a 1inch covering of mineral mud its worked perfectly for me , it was recommended to me by a former TOTM winner after I had ran my 6inch DSB for 3 months with no results

PS Just a little tip on lighting your refuge I use S,A,D {Seasonal Affective Disorder} low energy light bulbs in my sump they are designed to replicate natural sun light so they burn at the correct Kelvin, and there cheap as chips off {flebay}
My Light cycle
Aquarays on @ 12.30 off at 13.35 {one all blue one blue and white}
150w 14k halide on@ 13.30 0ff at 20.30
Aquarays on @ 20.25 off @ 22.30
Very low blue moon,s {leds} on @ 22.25 off at 12.35
Sump light on 24/7

DSBs take about 3 months before they start working afaik and you need quiet a big DSB to be effective apparently. I am taking mine out and just using MM I think need some room for the caulerpa to grow good tip on the bulb

Just need to sweet talk my LFS to nick a couple of bits of caulerpa I am sure I read you light it for 24 hours to stop it going Sexual (Strange term no idea why they use it)

yeah its true, strange but true so cheato is good if you cant light 24/7

 

[stefday]

Thanks everyone.

The main reason for adding the refugium is to help with stabilising the pH.

I am about to add a nitrate reactor so this side of it is less important. Any suggests on how best to achieve this?

Like the idea of mm as well though.

 

[Morri]

I would skip the nitrate reactor stick the MM refeguim on for 6 weeks see what happens to your nitrates they claim it reduces Nitrates

 

[steelhealr]

I run my tank 12 hours on, 12 hours off. I run the refugium opposite the tank cycle to alternate photosyhtnesis with respiration. Not a big fan of caulerpa. Saw a few tanks nuked buy it. I've useing chaeto for almost 5 years and love the stuff. JMO.

SH

 

[stefday]

Hi,

I have had this light unit recommended for the refugium. Any thoughts or alternatives?

http/www.arcadia-uk.info/product.php?pid=46&mid=10&lan=en

If you had the light on 24/7 would this lead to a problem with nuisance algae or would the chaeto stop this? Can anyone recommend a reliable supplier of chaeto? Wife scarred of tank crashing if use caleurpa.

Was thinking of a very simple design with a pipe feeding the refugium one end and another pumping it out the other. Looking at live rock and sand and chaeto(or MM)in the middle. Would have the middle diveded off at each end with live rock rubble at the input end. How high would people recommend to have the dividers?

Thanks

 

[john.o]

I have tried all sorts of different lights and I have found these to be the best by a long shot , obviously T5 ECT would be better but you’re going to be looking at higher running costs

PLUG IN CLIP ON LIGHT LAMP/BULB HOLDER LAMPHOLDER WHITE

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/PLUG-IN-CLIP-ON-LIGHT-LAMP-BULB-HOLDER-LAMPHOLDER-WHITE_W0QQitemZ400113749106QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HomeGarden_Lighting_Lamps_Lighting_SM?hash=item5d28a34c72

BC DAYLIGHT SAD LOW ENERGY SAVING LAMP LIGHT BULB
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/30W-BC-DAYLIGHT-SAD-LOW-ENERGY-SAVING-LAMP-LIGHT-BULB_W0QQitemZ120551250990QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Light_Bulbs?hash=item1c116a1c2e