Thalasstronaut
Community Member
Hello all,
I plan to start a build thread but I first have some specific questions related to display refugiums.
My plan is to have a 90 gallon display tank (Seapora RR), a 40 breeder sump, and a 50-55 gallon display refugium.
My questions are:
1. I see that generally DRs are plumbed off of a T coming from the sump. So water drains from both the DT and the DR into the sump, runs through the filtration and skimming and is then fed back out. Is there a reason this is more common than having a definite cycle of water through the three tanks? For example, water drains out of the DT into the sump, is pumped into the DR and then drains back into the DT. The only “hiccup” would be that the DR would have to be set higher, which isn’t an issue for me personally as I intend to have the DT set below average height compared to most stands. Is either option better or worse from a waste management and filtration standpoint?
2. I plan to have the DR sit atop the sump in one corner of our living room and the DT to be on the other side, basically flanking our TV/entertainment center. Is the lopsided nature of this likely to cause problems? IE I have a pump pumping to a T that has a short run back to the DR and a long run to the DT. What’s the wisdom on how far away a DT and DR can be assuming they are both fed off of the same pump.
3. I would like to have a mantis shrimp, ideally a peacock in my DR. My plan was to use a Fluval Plant 3.0 (already on hand from previous tanks). I figured the algae would really thrive under a red skewing plant light but please enlighten me if I’m wrong. Where I’m confused is I see contradictory information in that you’d obviously want good quality light on a fuge but I have seen people caution against any extra lights over a mantis tank. But I’ve also read that mantis shrimp make good refugium residents. What’s the actual wisdom here?
4. Likewise, I’m considering either a 55 gallon RR tank from Seapora for the DR or a 50 gallon lowboy tank from Zoomed, which I would have to drill obviously. Aesthetically I can anticipate the difference quite well, but in the interest of having a healthy tank, is there a considerable benefit to the lowboy because of the shallower height and greater depth? IE more surface area of the algaes exposed to the light, which would also be greater intensity. I imagine a mantis would enjoy the bigger footprint of the lowboy as well. Cost wise it’d be close enough for me to not really consider the expense, so which would you go with given the option? Much easier to make a 55 look nice on display but I’m open to suggestions. If there’s another tank that can be plumbed for an overflow please feel free to suggest I’m not married to either one of these.
I plan to start a build thread but I first have some specific questions related to display refugiums.
My plan is to have a 90 gallon display tank (Seapora RR), a 40 breeder sump, and a 50-55 gallon display refugium.
My questions are:
1. I see that generally DRs are plumbed off of a T coming from the sump. So water drains from both the DT and the DR into the sump, runs through the filtration and skimming and is then fed back out. Is there a reason this is more common than having a definite cycle of water through the three tanks? For example, water drains out of the DT into the sump, is pumped into the DR and then drains back into the DT. The only “hiccup” would be that the DR would have to be set higher, which isn’t an issue for me personally as I intend to have the DT set below average height compared to most stands. Is either option better or worse from a waste management and filtration standpoint?
2. I plan to have the DR sit atop the sump in one corner of our living room and the DT to be on the other side, basically flanking our TV/entertainment center. Is the lopsided nature of this likely to cause problems? IE I have a pump pumping to a T that has a short run back to the DR and a long run to the DT. What’s the wisdom on how far away a DT and DR can be assuming they are both fed off of the same pump.
3. I would like to have a mantis shrimp, ideally a peacock in my DR. My plan was to use a Fluval Plant 3.0 (already on hand from previous tanks). I figured the algae would really thrive under a red skewing plant light but please enlighten me if I’m wrong. Where I’m confused is I see contradictory information in that you’d obviously want good quality light on a fuge but I have seen people caution against any extra lights over a mantis tank. But I’ve also read that mantis shrimp make good refugium residents. What’s the actual wisdom here?
4. Likewise, I’m considering either a 55 gallon RR tank from Seapora for the DR or a 50 gallon lowboy tank from Zoomed, which I would have to drill obviously. Aesthetically I can anticipate the difference quite well, but in the interest of having a healthy tank, is there a considerable benefit to the lowboy because of the shallower height and greater depth? IE more surface area of the algaes exposed to the light, which would also be greater intensity. I imagine a mantis would enjoy the bigger footprint of the lowboy as well. Cost wise it’d be close enough for me to not really consider the expense, so which would you go with given the option? Much easier to make a 55 look nice on display but I’m open to suggestions. If there’s another tank that can be plumbed for an overflow please feel free to suggest I’m not married to either one of these.
