Best Place For A Refuge...

[heath]

I want to build a refuge on my big tank and wondering what the best placement is..the sump is a 55g, 3 chamber.. 1st is drain (?), 2nd is the skimmer and the 3rd is the return pump...I will be making by taking egg crate and making a box for the cheato/calurpa...thanks for all of your suggestions...

 

[Sewerat]

Will the skimmer fit in first chamber?

The best fuge has a slow flow thru it, so ideally an area with out the whole flow of the sump thru it but that would mean setting it all up prior to building. If it were me I'd liked build in the skimmer chamber, just try to get a nylon sock or sponge over the intake of the skimmer pump so it can't suck up any bits of algae growth that will occur and could slow or even stop the skimmer pump


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[heath]

I can't move the skimmer, you forgot how big that bad boy is...I was thinking that the best place (?) maybe would be the first chamber, that is were I have the most room but, would the skimmer take out the nutrients and just be a waste of time...

 

[prism127]

I would say the best place is in the sump lol sorry Heath I couldnt resist.

I have my cheato/calurpa in the drain section this helps keep it tumbling

 

[AdInfinitum]

Best...tank on a stand beside DT so you can watch and enjoy all the strange life that will develop...next best...a separate tank above the sump under the stand...next best a dedicated section of the sump with a higher water level so it is isolated and overflows into the main sump. This can be done a simply as putting a safe plastic bucket into the sump that is taller. The off a small line from your return and valve it to control flow to the fuge, which can then overflow back into the sump preferably into an after skimmer section...

The fuge is there to process things that a skimmer can't so using return water is the best...

 

[Skim]

Hi heath, you find this interesting.

 

[heath]

thanks for the article..

 

[scubasteve]

Even tho they say a slower rate through the fuge I find the macro grows faster with a bit stronger flow and really as long as it's in your tank it's pulling nutrients and if it's growing faster it has to consume more as well so don't be worried so much about flow but more how to keep it away from skimmer and return pump intake it could cause some damage. You may want some mesh or something over the egg crate as chopped caulerpa rooting in a tank will take over fast.

 

[AdInfinitum]

Even tho they say a slower rate through the fuge I find the macro grows faster with a bit stronger flow and really as long as it's in your tank it's pulling nutrients and if it's growing faster it has to consume more as well so don't be worried so much about flow but more how to keep it away from skimmer and return pump intake it could cause some damage. You may want some mesh or something over the egg crate as chopped caulerpa rooting in a tank will take over fast.

The slow flow is just to produce the best environment to propagate pods and other microfauna. If all you're interested in is growing macros for nutrient export then more flow is fine...keep the chaeto tumbling and put it anywhere in won't get sucked up.....

 

[heath]

thanks everyone for the great advise, it is a real learning curve in this hobby.. I am hoping to section off a section in the return pump of the sump with egg crate and put it in there...I love what its done for the mixed tank....plus the fish love to eat it as well...win win for everyone..

 

[thehvacman]

You should plumb in a remote refuge. Its too easy for it to miss up your flow through your sump or even damage your skimer if algae gets jammed in it. Not to mention that algae will grow everywhere in your sump with the light that you will have to put over it. Sumps run better with no light, keep algae separate. Then you can have some mangroves as well. Good luck.