Anyone use a big refugium?

[snowmansnow]

I remember years ago when I would go into a fish store and see those little hang on refugiums on tanks with some algae and a sand bed. Seriously... I can see how nutrient reduction can be accomplished with a fuge, but not with a fist sized clump of algae.

So, does anyone have a fuge that is of any size? 30gallons or more?
Is it crazy to consider setting up such a big fuge and growing the heck out of some rarely sexual nutrient sucking algae?
What would the down side be?

B

 

[bcavalli]

I have a 30g refugium with about 200 net gallons in the system. The new sump I am installing now has a 80g refugium and a 20g Chaeto chamber built into the 200g sump. I swear by them and can tell if nitrates or phosphates are increasing in my system by watching the macro growth.

 

[jbdreefs]

Based on my "research", you should either go big or do something else.

 

[seth the wine guy]

Happiest my tank had ever been was when I ran a 40g refugium on a 200g system. I aim to have about 30% of my next builds twv as refugium this year.

 

[russ-iv]

80 fuge.
on my 225 i tried chaeto and other macro algae. some lived, some died. chaeto always melted away.
this time around i am trying an unlit fuge with sponges, tunicates, squirts etc live.

so far it has worked better for me

 

[russ]

Russ-IV;1073556 wrote: 80 fuge.
on my 225 i tried chaeto and other macro algae. some lived, some died. chaeto always melted away.
this time around i am trying an unlit fuge with sponges, tunicates, squirts etc live.

so far it has worked better for me

hmmmm Interesting!!! I would like to know more. Will these help with nutrient export (PO4)?

I don't have a refugium, but I do have 450+/- of sump.

 

[russ-iv]

russ;1073558 wrote: hmmmm Interesting!!! I would like to know more. Will these help with nutrient export (PO4)?

I don't have a refugium, but I do have 450+/- of sump.

i dose phosphate and nitrate to keep corals alive...

 

[russ]

Russ-IV;1073584 wrote: i dose phosphate and nitrate to keep corals alive...

VERY INTERESTING!!! I am sending you a PM so I don't hijack this thread.

 

[enderg60]

JBDreefs;1073475 wrote: Based on my "research", you should either go big or do something else.

Thats the way I do things.

I have a 300g tank with a 200g tank I turned into a 150g fuge and 50g sump. I dont keep algea in mine since I have a scrubber, but the fuge holds around 400lbs of rock(not really sure but it fills a 100g rubbermaid to the rim). I also bypass then drain mine for uninterrupted water changes.

Before that I had a 58g with a 15g fuge full of rock.

So yeah, as big as you can fit is best.

 

[redstang]

Has anyone considered a PAX-Bellum ARID for nutrient removal? I like the premise behind it but not the cost!!! Not a replacement to a refugium, but meant to be used on conjunction with one.

 

[dawgface]

210 gallon DT with 120 gallon refugium.

I feed like crazy, works great.

 

[snowmansnow]

RedStang;1073670 wrote: Has anyone considered a PAX-Bellum ARID for nutrient removal? I like the premise behind it but not the cost!!! Not a replacement to a refugium, but meant to be used on conjunction with one.

I don't even know how to play one of those


So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[russ]

RedStang;1073670 wrote: Has anyone considered a PAX-Bellum ARID for nutrient removal? I like the premise behind it but not the cost!!! Not a replacement to a refugium, but meant to be used on conjunction with one.

I love the concept of this and I would use it in place of a fuge, why not. However, the cost is ridiculous. There cannot me more than $100 of materials and labor in building one of those. ok, lets say $200... No lets be stupid and say $500. that still does not justify the price of $1,500...

ABSOLUTELY STUPID PRICE

 

[russ]

EnderG60;1073597 wrote: So yeah, as big as you can fit is best.

I ran with this and have a HUGE sump 4' x 8' x 2'. I like the water volume, but my sump is too big. It is not too beg because of the water volume, but because a 4' deep sump is very difficult to service/clean. So I would say go as big as you want, but make sure it is easily serviceable. I would say the same thing if my sump was 2' deep with the same dimensions. you need to be able to easily service/clean it so it is not a 1/2 day project.

 

[redstang]

russ;1073891 wrote: I love the concept of this and I would use it in place of a fuge, why not. However, the cost is ridiculous. There cannot me more than $100 of materials and labor in building one of those. ok, lets say $200... No lets be stupid and say $500. that still does not justify the price of $1,500...

ABSOLUTELY STUPID PRICE

I was priced at $750-850 on ~350gal total water volume and whether I ran a skimmer or not. It's doable, but still expensive for the materials involved. Not a ton of reviews yet. If it actually does control phosphate and nitrate effectively though IMO it would be worth the money. A side note to the costs, look at acrylic sumps. Ton of money for a plastic box lol!

russ;1073892 wrote: I ran with this and have a HUGE sump 4' x 8' x 2'. I like the water volume, but my sump is too big. It is not too beg because of the water volume, but because a 4' deep sump is very difficult to service/clean. So I would say go as big as you want, but make sure it is easily serviceable. I would say the same thing if my sump was 2' deep with the same dimensions. you need to be able to easily service/clean it so it is not a 1/2 day project.

This is partly why I will be separating my fuge from my sump. 40 breeder sump for my 220 tank and all it'll hold will be the skimmer and return pump. Now sump? I'm trying to decide between a 65-150gal stock tank. My main concern is the sump and fuge will be in a garage. Granted, it's insulated. But even if it tops out at 85 for temp it will have a significant effect on overall system temp. Really want to keep temps below 80 on this system and preferably without a chiller.

I'm thinking I'll stick with my skimmer for now and the 65gal fuge. A year or so down the road if there are more reviews on these things and I start stocking heavier than it might make sense.

 

[seth the wine guy]

Jason, if you have the space and doing it in a garage already, maybe you consider something like http://www.plastic-mart.com/product/9973/arlington-infd110-30">this</a> for a fuge. Plumb it so it's fed from the bottom and put a bulkhead or uniseal where you want the water level at to drain back out near the top. I'm using a 230g version right now. Put valves at the bottom teeing it off so you do water changes that way. You drain it to the exact level you want. Gives you a precise quantity out/in. Draining from the bottom like that would also flush any detritus that settles down there.

The possibilities are endless with all the different vessels you can find.

 

[reefstinger]

I run a 75 gallon Fuge on my 160 tank. It works wonders. I even isolate the fuge when I make water changes. Not had any issues so far . been running 7 years now

 

[redstang]

Seth The Wine Guy;1074010 wrote: Jason, if you have the space and doing it in a garage already, maybe you consider something like http://www.plastic-mart.com/product/9973/arlington-infd110-30">this</a> for a fuge. Plumb it so it's fed from the bottom and put a bulkhead or uniseal where you want the water level at to drain back out near the top. I'm using a 230g version right now. Put valves at the bottom teeing it off so you do water changes that way. You drain it to the exact level you want. Gives you a precise quantity out/in. Draining from the bottom like that would also flush any detritus that settles down there.

The possibilities are endless with all the different vessels you can find.[/QUOTE]


My wife thanks you for helping spend more of our money lol! The 85gal looks like a good size. Gotta figure out the lighting too.

This actually looks perfect. I can use my DOS for actually dosing something instead of the AWC. This makes it an easy exercise in a garage.

Thanks!


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[russ]

DOS something!!!

For 10 years I have run a lie nutrient tank. 2 weeks ago I started dosing nitrates. I have a coral that was WHITE!! I said, that is a place for coralline to grow. I looked to see if Coraline was growing on it and to my SHOCK!!! It us orange again. I know this sounds crazy, but it is true.


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[atlorange]

Should have my PAX-Bellum N12 Nano Chaeto Reactor in 2-4 weeks. Will review it after I get it online.