Refugium Creation

[FountainMatt]

Hello! My sump does not have a dedicated fuge area and my middle section is already pretty ful with my reactor, pump for UV, and skimmer. I have been wanting to make the switch to sockless, so I was wondering if I could cut out the sock holder and turn that area into a fuge? Biggest problem I see, is the bottom open to suck water from baffle to middle section, so I could not run any sand, but I could put a few pieces of rock and some chaeto or other and a sponge to block any chaeto from going to the mid section and getting sucked in the skimmer.

Thoughts?

 

[Snoopy 67]

99% of refugiums are too small to do much.
You would be better off with an algae turf scrubber or a stand-alone lighted unit.

 

[yury88]

99% of refugiums are too small to do much.
You would be better off with an algae turf scrubber or a stand-alone lighted unit.

Not agree, more likely these 99% have very poor light and not enough flow.

Mine refugium is not bigger than topic started going to make. And I'm dumping 200g+ Chaeto every week

 

[yury88]

I have no problem with the idea of a small fuge.

Important details:

1) You need really good light, better with a 660nm LED.

Something like a 50-watt LED light.
Its can be cheap Chinese lig fixture, but mare sure to reassemble it with thermal paste and put some extra heatsink on it. Its a lot of good lights on market, but mostly they are suffering from poor cooling

2) You need to cover the hole in the bottom from sucking to the second section.

It can be something like a mesh or sponge.

It's because some small pieces of Chaetomorpha can be sucked by Skimmer, which will reduce its performance.

3) Use the controller or smart plug to control the refugium light cycle. Chaeto can grow 24/7, but it can be too efficient, so with a controller, you can adjust it.

 

[FountainMatt]

I have no problem with the idea of a small fuge.

Important details:

1) You need really good light, better with a 660nm LED.

Something like a 50-watt LED light.
Its can be cheap Chinese lig fixture, but mare sure to reassemble it with thermal paste and put some extra heatsink on it. Its a lot of good lights on market, but mostly they are suffering from poor cooling

2) You need to cover the hole in the bottom from sucking to the second section.

It can be something like a mesh or sponge.

It's because some small pieces of Chaetomorpha can be sucked by Skimmer, which will reduce its performance.

3) Use the controller or smart plug to control the refugium light cycle. Chaeto can grow 24/7, but it can be too efficient, so with a controller, you can adjust it.

Thank you for all the info! The light I have is the Neptune GRO Refugium light. I don't have a neptune controller, so I bought the adapter to plug right into outlet. Was going to get a timer and have it run a 12 hour schedule opposite my display lights. Is 12 hours a good number to go with?

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/gro-refugium-light-w-tank-mount-neptune-systems/

Also, does everyone think I should cut out the sock holder, or leave the glass part in place in case I ever want to go back to socks? I can stick the chaeto through the hole openings. Will I have any issue with it filtering out the light? It is a waterbox sump (and DT) if it matters.

Thanks again everyone for the input.

 

[twentyleagues]

Thank you for all the info! The light I have is the Neptune GRO Refugium light. I don't have a neptune controller, so I bought the adapter to plug right into outlet. Was going to get a timer and have it run a 12 hour schedule opposite my display lights. Is 12 hours a good number to go with?

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/gro-refugium-light-w-tank-mount-neptune-systems/

Also, does everyone think I should cut out the sock holder, or leave the glass part in place in case I ever want to go back to socks? I can stick the chaeto through the hole openings. Will I have any issue with it filtering out the light? It is a waterbox sump (and DT) if it matters.

Thanks again everyone for the input.

12 hrs is a good start watch your growth and available nutrients. More than likely you'll end up reducing your time to 8hrs if the light is enough. I would remove the sock holder it will grow algae on it blocking light.

 

[FountainMatt]

What type of coral is that growing on the top right of your tank? Is it a type of Sinularia?

 

[dangles]

I’d suggest trying Pom Pom gracilaria. I’ve had both that and chaeto and I definitely prefer gracilaria. It’s less expensive, and much fewer small pieces break loose. I’ve had good success with mine. Grows like a weed. Tangs and fox faces love it. And it’s much less tightly packed, so it’s easier to keep clean.

And, this is personal preference… I think it’s nicer to look at

 

[yury88]

What type of coral is that growing on the top right of your tank? Is it a type of Sinularia?

Acroporas
And you definitely needs to cut of the glass for refugium.
And you can glue the glass back any time, just lower water level in SUMP for 2 hour to give silicone glue time to cure.
And maybe you even can just replace it with roller fleece filter...