Aquasystem, converting a wet/dry to a refugium... Good in theory!   1/11/07
Hello,
<Hi Adrian, Mich with you today.>
First off I want to apologize for asking a second question so soon after my first but I thought of the idea after I had already asked.
<That's quite alright.>
I currently have a 75 gallon Tru-vu Aquasystem aquarium.
I am using 2 Rio 1100+'s for water flow in addition to the built in pump on the back (says 802 but no discernable brand)
about 70 lbs of liverock and around 50 lbs of livesand
4x65 watt compact fluorescent light
AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer
Fluval 304 filter (with only carbon and mechanical filtration)
2 urchins (one has purple spines, the other has black spines that are purple at the base)
4 small snails
1 Brittle Star
<Hopefully not a Green Brittle Star (Ophiarachna incrassata).  Cardinal fish are one of it's favorite snacks!  Please check on this.  Your cardinal could be in grave danger.>  
1 PJ Cardinal Fish
Ok, that said my question is as follows.  Would it be advisable to set up the built in wet/dry filter as a refugium?  
<Yes, I think this has possibilities.>
I have a 2x30 watt light fixture I can fit to shine down into the back (which is approximately 11-12 gallons)  and if possible I would like to have everything built in instead of a separate refugium (I live in a second floor apartment and already have two 55 gallon freshwater tanks, a 29 gallon freshwater, and the 75 gallon saltwater, afraid I won't be able to safely get any more water in here).
<Yikes! Lots of water weight there.  I think your thoughts are valid.>   
Thanks,
<Welcome!  -Mich>
Adrian

Disconnected Refugium....worthwhile?   1/3/07
Hey guys Happy New Year,
<Right back at you!>
One of my resolutions has been to improve the quality of life for the inhabitants of my reef tank and has led to the purchase of a DI and a new T5 lighting unit, but I have had another idea and wondered whether you thought it would be of benefit.
<Very nice resolution.  These changes will benefit your tank.>
I am thinking of setting up a remote refugium, but remote as in it is unconnected to the tank, due to the cost and space, however if I transfer a quantity of water between the two tanks daily would this be of some merit.
<Possibly.  Obviously connected would be better.  Part of the benefit of a refugium is the microfauna that gradually makes its way the main system. Although it is possible to do this manually it will be much more difficult to do.  I think this will be less efficient and more cumbersome, though it still may be beneficial.  Be curious to see the results.>  
Thank you for your time
<Welcome.  -Mich>
will

Using below tank sump for a refugium  1/2/07
Hi crew,
<Hello, (Lynn?) Graham with you tonight.>
I've been reading your site for some guidance regarding adding some functionality to my current below tank sump.
<Good Idea! So many folks ask the question before looking for the answers themselves. So many of the questions asked *can* be answered my reading the FAQ's and articles.>
Currently I have a 55 gallon tank with 50 lbs of live rock and fish and invertebrates. Below the tank, hidden from view from the cabinet doors, I have a 10 gallon glass tank I use merely as a sump. I put some additional live rock pieces in there and my EV 120 protein skimmer. Inside the sump I also have one mag drive pump that powers the protein skimmer and one mag drive pump that returns water from the sump back up into the tank.
My thoughts are to try to also use this sump as a refugium by just adding some macroalgae and lights to help combat my green hair nuisance algae ( I aggressively do water changes, use RO/DI SpectraPure 5 stage water, feed sparingly but the hair algae continues).
<Check these links out first: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugium.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algeatrcontfaqs.htm >
My thoughts are to do this as inexpensively as possible by adding a light above the sump and buying some live rock pieces containing macroalgae and placing them into the sump tank.
<That's one method, though the rock will take up space that the Macro would use...>
Will this suffice?
<I think you will benefit from some research on WWM. Check out the links, and the links they bring you to.>
If so, if I buy a light fixture, I've read you can get an inexpensive one from home depot, what specific bulbs and wattage do I need to grow macroalgae and how often do I leave the lights on?
<One useful Macroalgae of the family Caulerpaceae will do the job. They don't need intense light, and grow readily enough with medium to high-current flow over them. As far as lighting spectra and day-length, almost any aquarium light will do. Get a good 50/50 or a cheap daylight bulb and tailor your daylight hours to suit your bioload.>
Thanks for your help.
<You're welcome, and happy reading.>

Help! (please). Refugium set-up, just read   12/31/06
I have a 55 gal reef setup, with a HOT wet/dry  trickle filter and a  HOT Remora Protein skimmer. This system is just "okay", and I would like to  upgrade by using a 10 or 20 gal tank as a sump/refugium, and if possible,  eliminate the HOT wet/dry system along with the bio balls.
<A good move>
The main tank has  about 40 lbs of live rock, with what I think is a fairly light bio load......1  bi-color pseudo, 1 algae blenny, 1 black damsel, 1 small flame angel. I also  have a serpent star, some Nassarius snails, one mushroom, and 1 hermit. All  are doing very well at the moment, but any time I try to add anything else, I  start having problems, with nitrates, ph, etc. I'd like to improve  water quality and flow, so I can possibly add another type of coral and/or  another fish or two, and at the same time, reduce algae (especially hair  algae). I'm thinking of setting up the sump/refugium right next to the main  tank, and it would be on a standard aquarium stand, at just about the same  height/level as the main tank (I cannot set it up under the main tank).
<Can be situated next to it...>
My plan  is to section off the sump, with one compartment used for filter media, the  middle section perhaps for macro algae, and then a third section, from which the  water will flow back to the main tank. I am assuming I'll need two pumps, one  from the main tank to the sump, and vice versa?
<Uh, no... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugium.htm
and the linked files above re circulation/pumps...>
I consider myself fairly  intelligent, but I can't seem to fully comprehend the overflow system, to  prevent flooding (Maybe I'm really NOT very intelligent).
<Mmm, likely just has not become live to your consciousness... I think you'll understand completely by reading the FAQs files above>
If the tanks are  at or nearly at the same level, I guess I wouldn't have to be too concerned if  there is a power failure, but I am concerned as to what will happen if one pump  fails and the other doesn't. And what if the flow to and from the tanks is not  equal?
<Rely on gravity my friend... it will always "let you down">
Finally, how many gallons/hr should I be seeking to pump in/out?
<... posted>
  I've read so many articles, here and elsewhere, but maybe you can explain in  plain, simple "sumps and water flow for idiots" type of language.  Any  other suggestions you might have, for the main tank and/or the sump would also  be welcomed. You guys/ladies are great, and I appreciate the help.  Thanks!
<Read. Bob Fenner>

My Sump/Fuge design  12/23/06
Hello crew,
I am new to the marine aquarium lifestyle
<Heeeeeee!>
and your site as well. I borrowed a sump/fuge design from another site and had a local plastics company make me one from acrylic.
<Good>
They did a beautiful job on it, but as I look at it I am wondering if I misunderstood something. My question is will my sump/fuge work as is? To start with I have a 90 gallon AGA rr tank. My fuge is 36"longx15"widex16"tall.
<Good size>
The first chamber is 11"x15". This will be used for intake and hold an ASM G-2 protein skimmer. Then the 1st baffle of a bubble trap. That baffle is 12"tall. There is a 1" space and the second baffle of bubble trap which is 1" off the floor of sump and too is 12" tall. That is followed by a 1" space and the 3rd baffle of the bubble trap which is also 12" tall. The 2nd chamber which will be refugium is 11 1/2"x15". This is followed by a 12" tall baffle that has 1" deep vertical teeth cut across the top of the baffle. Finally, the 3rd chamber for return is 10"x 15". I think my baffles may be too tall?
<Mmm... not necessarily... there is/are trade-offs in having taller/shorter baffles... good to have the extra volume of water, but a need to have space for transit volume, should the pump/s go off... What you list is fine due to the overall size/volume of your sump, for the tank size mentioned>
If you agree, can I Dremel out the material at the proper height?
<Mmm, you could, but I would not modify this... At least "fill up, try out"... turning the pump/s off to see if there will be a chance of flooding>
Also, whether or not I need to make adjustments, what size pump should I use for return?
<Posted: http://wetwebmedia.com/refugpumpfaqs.htm
and the linked files...>
My overflow is rated for 600GPH.
<Mmm... do read re such Reef Ready tanks, through-put sizes, number, placement... Such tanks have been "improved" in recent years... but some are older... not quite "ready", stock: http://wetwebmedia.com/thrhullsizing.htm>
Thanks in advance for any assistance you may lend and keep up the great work. No doubt your efforts have helped the marine aquarium hobby/lifestyle improve to where it is today. Mike
<Glad to be of assistance. Bob Fenner>

Refugium Design/Pump Selection - 12/13/06
Hello,
<<Howdy>>
I am first of all very impressed with the quality of information on your web site.
<<Ah, thank you for this...is a collective effort>>
I have a 125g setup with some LR and crushed coral bed.  It's been up now for about 10 years with a wet/dry filter.
<<I see>>
The main problem with the tank is many scratches in the glass.
<<Not uncommon...especially for a tank this age>>
I am planning on a new 125g or 165g display tank and use the scratched 125 as a refugium in the basement below the display tank.
<<Sounds great>>
The display tank is built into a floor to ceiling wall open on three sides with only one of the short ends available for plumbing.
<<I have a similar floor to ceiling installation, but my display is only viewable from two sides>>
I want to have the new tank drilled to set up a couple of overflow boxes to drain to the refugium below.
<<A fine idea...but you may want to have one drain go to the skimmer/skimmer chamber>>
Any recommendation on hole-size and the type of return pump that can handle about a 10 foot rise to the display tank.
<<Mmm, yes...nominal 1.5" bulkheads, with 2" bulkheads being better.  As for pumps, the larger Iwaki pumps or the GRI-520 should serve well...if you want to go with a submersible pump I've found the large Mag-Drive pumps to be good performers, even though it will take a larger-rated pump to move the same amount of water as the previously mentioned external pumps>>
I am going to have a DSB in the display and refugium.
<<Ok>>
The layout for the refugium will have the tank water enter into an area adjacent the return sump box; each box would be about 12" x 9".  I would have a protein skimmer in the 1st box and divert the water thru a Y as needed to the return box to adjust the flow over the DSB.  The remaining water would flow thru some baffles and over the DSB.  I would like to split the tank the long way down the center so the water would flow over the bed and make a 180 degree turn to head back to the return box and be pumped back up to the display tank.  I would be creating a channel approximately 9" wide x 10 feet long x a depth I haven't determined yet.
<<Mmm, you can do this...but I don't see an advantage to this over installing the DSB the width of the tank and placing the return chamber at the far end.  Any gain in "contact time" you think this will provide is negated by the reduced volume of the bed...in my opinion>>
This is a project that I have plenty of time for and would greatly appreciate your comments.
Thank You
Dennis
<<Your basic concept is fine...feel free to write back and bounce thoughts/ideas off me if you wish.  Be chatting, Eric Russell>>

Re: Too much MH lighting? Actually Refug. des.   11/26/07
Again, thank you for sticking with me. fast responses, etc.
<No worries>
I will definitely visit my LFS where lights were purchased re: bulbs, etc. I'm considering
a refugium about 24" x 12" x 16". I could run pipes over the top to the main tank. Question. Other than the basic plumbing issues, which I won't bore you with, could you break this down....
<Ok, I'll try>
Sand bed? Miracle Mud type, live very fine sand? Lights? compact fluorescent? how much watts?
Pump power? any good ones? Plant life? Chaetomorpha? or others
Any other "critters" need be in there?
Any "seeding" of copepods, or other organisms?
<My suggestion would be the Miracle Mud product as the sandbed, as it provides a great deal of trace elements and health to the tank. Compact fluorescents are fine, even basic ones from Home Depot will do the trick. Chaetomorpha is a popular choice, and quite possibly the simplest macroalgae for this purpose. For seeding the 'fuge, I would recommend some well established live rock, a few pounds of it, in the 'fuge as well. This will provide the starting kick of biota for your refugium. Hope this helps you! -JustinN>
Thanks again,
George

Re: Too much MH lighting? Actually Refug. des.    11/27/06
Absolutely does help me! I'm going to do some research and try and setup the refugium. By all accounts, it seems to have only positives. I'll email you down the road a bit once it's set-up and working. I may have some questions along the way, but you're advice has been a great help already. Take care, Justin.
George
<Excellent! Very glad to hear I helped out! Do keep me posted, I have no doubts you will be very happy with the results on your tank! Any questions along the line, don't hesitate to ask!  Good luck! -JustinN>

Re: Follow up question re: refugium for JasonN    11/28/06
Dear Justin,
<Hey again, George!>
I am about to order parts for building refugium per our last communique, etc. My questions, if you would be so kind...
<No problems, as always>
Due to tight "closet space", I plan on using an in sump (inside refugium) like a 300 gph - 500 gph Magdrive. This would be the intake from the main reef tank, then, a gravity fed return down to my sump, which would then utilize the main pump to return to tank.
<Could work, but may be difficult to control in-flow into the sump this way>
My other option, and easier to build, is to have intake from main sump, and then back into sump again.
<If your flow to the sump allows for this diversion of flow, this would be my choice>
Small compact fluorescent 18W for lights.
<I might go for a slightly higher wattage compact fluorescent, perhaps in the 40-60 watt range>
Do any of these options (pardon the pun), hold water?
Thanks very much.
George
<Admittedly, I'm no expert in plumbing, simply because I've not done much of it. The basic concept, regardless of how you plumb the refugium, is to make sure the transient water level in a shut-down doesn't overwhelm the sump. Hope this helps you! -JustinN>

Re: Follow up question re: refugium for JasonN    11/28/06
Justin,
<George<
Again, thanks for ultra fast response!
<Just a matter of lucky timing, I guess>
Ok, I just need to figure out a fail-safe for shut down. I have an in floor drain near the main sump. Perhaps an overflow drilled near top of sump, allowing any shut-down overflow to drain out.
<This would be a good plan, IMO>
I wanted to make sure the 'biology' concept worked...from sump to refugium and back to sump. Since return from main tank runs through 2 100 micron socks, will copepods, etc. circulate to populate main tank?
<Do you mean the return flow into the sump, or the return into the tank? I imagine that a filter sock would likely limit the microfauna to some extent, how much I can't precisely say.>
Finally, can you recommend a source of "live" copepods or others that could be used to "seed: refugium, or is this a waste of time?
<Mmm, not a waste of time, but not completely essential if you seed the refugium with live rock. Alas, I don't know any sources off the top of my head, sorry. Perhaps a Google search or WWM search for such will turn up results?>
Thanks again. I'm really close to putting this together!
<Excellent, do keep me posted!>
George
<Take care! -JustinN>

Re: Follow up question re: refugium for JasonN    11/28/06
Great! I did find some sources online.
Finally, regarding the light. Would a single 40W light do the trick?
<IMO, it would likely be enough. That's the nice thing with compact fluorescents though, a new fixture is always cheap and available!>
George
<Good luck, George! -JustinN>

Refugium plumbing
I have a 50 gal reef tank with a 10 gal. sump below.  All of my filtration happens at the sump.   Water is pumped from the sump into the main tank with a 650 gph pump.  Anyway, I want to add a refugium, to supply my mandarin with copepods as well as add algae for nitrate filtration and to feed my hippo tang,
<Needs more room than this>
etc.  I want to maintain the sump as is, if possible, so I would like to use the closet behind the aquarium and create a gravity fed refugium.  My biggest problem is, I live in Florida and have a lot of power outages.
<Yikes>
  Right now, if the power goes out, my sump fills up to about 2 inches below the top.
<Good... much better than above...>
When it goes back on, everything automatically restarts and goes back to the way it was prior to the outage.  I don't want to impact the overflow amount of water the sump takes on when the power goes out.
<You are wise to have this consideration here, now>
My thought is to pump directly from the main tank into the refugium, and drill an overflow in the refugium, about 1" below the top level, that would be of sufficient size to balance the refugium water at that level at all times to that level.  That way, if the power goes out, or if either pump fails, it would not drain below that point and impact the water levels of the sump or main tank.
<Yes, a workable plan>
Would this be a recommended way to go about doing this, or do you have another inexpensive suggestion.  I really would appreciate your advice, prior to tackling this project.  Thank you very much.
Michelle
<The only item I'd like to add, is to test for where the water now will "settle" in the sump given a power outage, and mark the level on the sump at the "powered on" position to remind you never to fill the tank/s beyond this. Bob Fenner>

Sump/refugium   11/24/06
Hello,
<Hi there>
            I have a question regarding a sump/refugium.  I have researched the site but haven't found any information on exactly what I would like to do.  I currently have a 55g with 55lbs of LR.  I have a 2.5in sand bed and I am slowly adding to it to increase the depth to acceptable DSB levels.  I have 2 Seio M620's and 2 MaxiJet 600's for powerheads, a Remora Pro, 1 blue damsel, 2 percula clowns.  I have decided to add a sump/refugium before adding more livestock but they both have to be upstream.  Here is my question.  I purchased a 29g tank and I was originally thinking that I would divide the tank in half.  I would put a 6" DSB, LR, and Chaetomorpha in the left half of the tank drawing water from the main tank through a mini jet 404. (I have tested this and I can get almost the full range it says on the box. I don't have to pump up more than 8 in.)  This would gravity feed through a 1" bulkhead back to the tank.  The other half would be the sump where I would store the Remora Pro, heaters, activated carbon at times, and a Magnum HOT at times, with baffles to reduce micro-bubbles.  I was thinking of a sock filter or something to catch larger stuff from entering the chamber.
<Best to situate/place this on/over a fitting inside the first chamber line on the inside... fed by the pump/powerhead>
I would also use a pump to draw from the display tank and a gravity feed back through a 1" bulkhead.
<?... as a totally separate process I take it... a "return manifold" to use the parlance. NOT in association with this upstream refugium>
I have read that a 1" bulkhead is realistically good for 200gph.  I will figure out what size pump to buy for that but here is my question.  Would it be better to design the sump/refugium like I explained above so that the fuge and sump are fed separately at different flow rates or would it be better to incorporate the fuge into the sump using 1 pump and 1 gravity feed back to the display?
<This latter... one pump... not two here>
Your site is incredible and filled with an unbelievable amount of good information.  There would be many aquarists who would have given up if it wasn't for your website and the time your crew has spent in answering questions.
Thank You
Paul Kelly
<A pleasure to serve, help you in your successes. Bob Fenner>

Re: sump/refugium   11/25/06
Hi Bob,
Thank You for your quick response.  I think I understand what you are saying.  You are correct in thinking that these would be 2 completely separate processes that would be housed in 1 tank with a glass divider in the middle.  The fuge would have a pump and a gravity drain and the sump would have the same but the water from one would not mix with the other.  I just want to clarify that you think I should make the whole tank a sump with a refugium housed inside?
<Mmm, yes>
If only having 1 pump and 1 return is the best way then I can look through the site in regards to the best way to figure this out.  I know there is a lot of info on that.  Again thank you
Paul  
<Oh yes. Welcome. BobF>

Upstream refugium  11/22/06
> Hello,
<Hi Michael! Tim answering your question today after a very long holiday from answering questions to take time to sit university exams and find a proper job... but enough about me!>
> I have a 75 gallon with live rock that I am slowly converting into a semi reef.
<Very exciting!>
The tank is built into a finished basement wall so hiding equipment is a luxury.  I use an Aqua-C Remora Pro
<No personal experience with this, but an excellent skimmer I am told.>
to skim and an Eheim 2227 wet/dry for mechanical filtration.
<Eheim wet/dry filters don't do much in the form of mechanical filtration; they are more of a biological filter - hence the wet/dry mechanism which increase the rate at which ammonia and nitrites are converted to nitrates.>
I have read recently that wet/dry filters are not good for reefs for the nitrate and phosphate they leach.
<There is much debate about the validity of this argument. They do not leach anything per se - rather, they are so efficient at what they do that any "gunk" (for lack of a better word) that gets caught in the media will be converted to nitrates much more rapidly than without such a filter. As such, if you clean the media very frequently, a wet/dry filter only has positive consequences in terms of converting the dangerous ammonia and nitrites in your aquarium into much safer nitrates. They can not produce more nitrates than you introduce into the system by way of excess feeding or overstocking.>
I have since removed the substrate and my nitrate levels are reducing, currently at 20ppm, but phosphate levels are constant at 1ppm.  I do frequent water changes with RO water that has tested at zero for both these levels.
<Could be indicative of over feeding or over stocking>
I have been battling hair algae for a few months and have decided to build an above display tank refugium.  The display tank is not drilled so I wanted to design a fool proof refugium that will not leak from a siphon in the event of a power outage.  I want to know your opinion on my design and what type of pump I should  use, acrylic thickness, etc.
<Unfortunately cannot help you with that. The same rule applies as with any other type of refugium - the bigger the better! As such, the size will depend on how much space you have and this will then determine the thickness of glass or acrylic required. Do have a read through the general information on refugiums on the WWM site; I am sure there are a number of references to over tank refugiums and much other information that you may find helpful. In terms of the siphon effect, do bear in mind that the siphon effect may still occur, however in the reverse sense whereby the water from your refugium all flows into your main tank, so ensure that you have adequate free volume to accommodate the water from your refugium. Any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. And with regard to what type of pump to use, again this will depend on the size and desired flow rate but have a look at Eheim or Aquamedic Oceanrunner pumps that are both excellent investments.>
I appreciate your time.
<Always a pleasure! Tim>
> Thank you,
> Michael

Sump/Refugium Combo - 11/14/06
Sorry for the inconvenience but I forgot to attach the image in the last email I sent you.
<<Hmm, don't know who picked up the original query>>
The attachment is here.
<<A very nice/workable setup, though I feel the filter material between the baffles is not needed/necessary, and only contributes to added maintenance (needs to be cleaned daily)>>
Again, sorry for the inconvenience.
<<No worries>>
Christopher D. McCulloch
<<Regards, Eric Russell>>

Refugium question  - 11/13/06
Hello Bob.  Great Site!  It helped me with my success rate for 2.5 years with a 180g main tank and 35g refugium.  Unfortunately, I have to start over after a house fire.  I am down sizing to a 120g main and 50g refugium that I have not started putting together.
<Okay>
My first refugium was simple with no extra baffles.  I used a CPR overflow
<Better by far to have/use two>
that skimmed into a first chamber that housed a protein skimmer.  Water would flow over into my center/main refugium (sang, rock, and algae).  Then, the water would flow into the final/third chamber to be pumped back into the main system.  I like your sketch on http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugium.htm
because the baffles would allow me to use carbon/filter media without a canister filter.  What are the other advantages to baffles on both ends of the refugium?
<Mmm, let's see... I'd list promoting overall flow (discounting laminar issues), allowing for coalescence of "tiny bubbles" (Blowin' in the sun... am out in HI currently... but not with Don Ho specifically), allowing for constant level functions, gear like many foam fractionators, contactors prefer... Being able (if you want/elect to, insert filter media blocks, bags... in the filter flow path...>
Thanks,
Benjamin J Kearns
<Can you think of other benefits. Bob Fenner>