Refugium

[lightningstrike]

hi all,

will be setting up a 1ft x 1ft x 1ft refugium wif 6700k 11W PL for my tank. would like to know the following:

1. is the refugium size enuf for my tank?

2. what to put in the refugium........ my intention 5" sand & capurela

3. where to buy high nitrate/phosphate absorbing capurela? watercircle, reborn, CF?

4. any LS needed in the tank?

5. i m using a cannister filter, so does water from the tank goes into the cannister then to the refugium or vice versa?

pls advise. greatly appreciate!

pls spare me the advices of changing into a sump or overflow system. i hv heard it many times oredi....... not to be offensive, but if i could, i would hv oredi done so long ago.

[lightningstrike]

sorry, something to add. specifically what kind of macroalgaes should i get and where r they readily available in abundance?

[Tanzy]

How does water in the refugium get back to the tank?

[FuEl]

We won't know if your sump is big enough cause u never stated the size of your main tank.

Generally I would recommend ulva compared to caulerpa..caulerpa have tendencies to turn sexual and die off.

You can't use a canister to draw water into your sump...considering you will be activating 1 more pump to pump the water back up..you will end up with water overflow either in ur main tank or you sump. Just get a hole drilled in new tank or your existing 1..or get an I-box.

LS = lifestock? Of cause lifestock is needed..

[nicky30092002]

ulva? any pics?

[lightningstrike]

water from the tank will either be pumped down by an existing pump which is used to operate my juwel internal filter or will flow with gravity.

as for water getting back up to the main tank, i intend to use the cannister filter (water suction side) in the refugium.

[lightningstrike]

the flow goes in this way:

main tank

to

refugium

to

cannister

to

main tank

[lightningstrike]

fuel,

the size of my main tank and other impt parameters r stated in my signature below.

again.... i m not using a sump.

i am using only 1 pump, which is the cannister pump to draw water back up to the main tank. forget about what i was saying on the internal filter pump. i hv decidd to flow downwards wif gravity.

[lightningstrike]

what kinds of livestock to keep in the refugium? can i oso use sand that is newly bought for the refugium instead of live sand?

[jd_n]

the flow goes in this way:

main tank

to

refugium

to

cannister

to

main tank

So i assume water will go into refugium thru a existin pump in ur tank and a cannister tat will be used to draw water from refugium back to main tank. In the scenario tat ur pump in the main tank break dwn, there will be no water goin dwn to the refugium and at the same time water in the refugium will be drained dry by the cannister and flood ur main tank. 2nd scenario will be ur cannister break dwn and ur refugium will flood coz water will continuin being pump into ur refugium.

[FuEl]

Don't even think about using a canister to pump the water back up...

Canister works on your main tank to pump water back up because the water is pushed up against gravity via water that is flowing down...counter-current effect.

In a sump...water must be mostly pumped up without the aid of the downcurrent utilising only the motor power.

I have tried this using eheim professional canister...it works at a height of 1.2-1.4 meters (distance from sump to main tank) but the resultant outflow into the maintank is VERY VERY slow.

Not really productive..considering the extra load placed on the canister..it might just break down.

[strat]

Why don't use a pump to pump your water back to the main tank and discard the cannister?

IMHO, It is more efficent this way.

[weileong]

the flow goes in this way:

main tank

      to

refugium

    to

cannister

    to

main tank

Why don't you get something like the I~Ref.

So what happen will go like this.

the flow goes in this way:

main tank to canister

canister to refugium

refuigium to main tank via gravity.

No chance to flood your main tank in case of power failure.

If the I~Ref is too small and you still like to use your 1ftx1ftx1ft refigium then make sure the refigium water level is slightly higher than the main tank so it flows back via gravity.

[jd_n]

Regardless of pump or cannister when either one fail u.....get ur mop and pail ready!

[Chris]

Don't think it is possible to run a canister with a refugium. Like what Fuel said, using another external pump with a canister pump will cause flooding. The only way is to use your canister for mere mechanical filtration and not switch it on. Let the water flow through to a refugium and finally pump water back to main tank with an external pump.

[weileong]

can't the canister filter works like a pump? In the sense that it returns the water from the Refigium back to the main tank? Don't see the difference here.

As long as the water flows down via gravity and goes back up via pump/canister then no issue already. Provided the refigium has sufficient free spare left when power failure and water flows back via siphon effect. Time to install check valve or drill small hole above water surface at the end of the outlet of the canister filter's pipe.

[FuEl]

jd_n...when i off my pump my sump does'nt overflow...cause i limit the water level in the sump.

Anyway...with regards to using a canister with a pump....even if you manage to stabilise the flowrates to be approx. equal...over time...your canister has the tendency to clog up...slowing down the flow back into your main tank....your pump in the main tank will continue to pump water into ur sump at the same rate.

Sooner or later your house will be flooded with salt water...a very very sticky experience.

[FuEl]

I agree with weilong..if you let the water flow down by gravity then it should not be a problem..just make sure your canister has enough 'horsepower'...and clean it regularly to keep it at maximum efficiency.

[weileong]

If you insist in a pump + canister. What I can think of it getting a TUBBY to sense the water level at the sump? if overshot the set water level then your pump will stop running? No chance to flood in this case.

[jd_n]

jd_n...when i off my pump my sump does'nt overflow...cause i limit the water level in the sump. 

Anyway...with regards to using a canister with a pump....even if you manage to stabilise the flowrates to be approx. equal...over time...your canister has the tendency to clog up...slowing down the flow back into your main tank....your pump in the main tank will continue to pump water into ur sump at the same rate.

Sooner or later your house will be flooded with salt water...a very very sticky experience. 

yup...tats one gd way>by maintainin a low water level in sump or refugium but well............ there are always kiasu pple ard whom like to have "the more water the merrier" and when cockup "mop the floow lor"

[FuEl]

If you insist in a pump + canister. What I can think of it getting a TUBBY to sense the water level at the sump? if overshot the set water level then your pump will stop running? No chance to flood in this case.

People buy tubby to top up water...wah..u gave it another use...to regulate water flow....

[weileong]

Another application for TUBBY, now cookiemunster have to give me comission liao

Actually I think an I~Box/overflow will work better but maybe due to lack of space cannot install that?

[FuEl]

People buy tubby to top up water...wah..u gave it another use...to regulate water flow....

Custom make one lah..i think around $20 more..mine hangs on the side of my tank over the bracing..

[weileong]

your TUBBY hangs on the side of the tank?

[strat]

Another application for TUBBY, now cookiemunster have to give me comission liao

Actually I think an I~Box/overflow will work better but maybe due to lack of space cannot install that?

I will recommend the Ibox. Can install at the side of the tank if you got no space on the back of the tank.