Hi everyone just wondering about cycles for a new display refugium I'm planning on plumbing into my 8 mo. Old display tank. I have a 55 gallon with about 90 lbs of live rock with 2 clowns 1 damsel and 1 3 in. Koran angel. My refugium I'm gonna be adding is gonna have about 4 inches of dead sand with a cup or two of my crushed coral substrate. I was wondering if I am gonna have to cycle the refugium or if it will be OK if I just plumb it right in to the DT. If it has to cycle I can let it sit for a month not an issue.. I'm gonna put about half the live rock in the refuge as well. So let me know what you guys have experienced with plumbing a new refuge to an already cycled tank. Look forward to hearing from ya.
new 29 gallon display refuge for a 55 gallon DT
- Thread starter vwrock
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blk822822
It's only money, RIGHT?
Any time I have gone to a larger tank, even with all live rock and sand I always have had a small mini cycle. I just went from a 34 gal tank to a hundred gallon with live sand and rock and some new sand and it's going through a mini cycle. Just my experiance though.
Thank you. That's what I thought but I wasn't sure ill have to put a ball valve in the fuge feed pipe and just circulate the water in the isolated tank.... will this work or does it have to have water turn over to cycle?
blk822822
It's only money, RIGHT?
Well you need water flow in the refuge while it cycles. Like a small power head, don't let the water just sit stagenant. I would just hook it up and let it go throught the cycle so the beneficial bacteria in the display get to the sump and the waste to make it cycle. Get some macros from people on here to put in it and the cycle shouldn't be to bad or long. Maybe a couple weeks. And getting macros from other people will give you a diversity of bacteria and such , also Pods. If you ever get out this way I can give you some chateo, long blade calurpa and some mexicana.
Thanks again.. I wasn't going to let it sit stagnent ... I was going to put a circ. Pump in it... but I was going to gravity feed the five by way of a t-fitting in the gravity drain to the sump.... and I only have the return going to the display only.... so water flow would be DT to the fuge to the sump and back to the DT.... now I'm gonna throw a T fitting in the drain and have a seperate return from the five to the sump... and sump to DT.... so if i have the circulation pump in the fife and the ball valve shutting off the supply to the fuge... will this work? Thank you so much
pandora32
Well-known member
I dont know if this would work or not, but add half the sand and half the water and run it through the 55 display. Then after a month or whatever, add the other half of the sand and your liverock and top it off with the rest of your water. Dont know if itll work like it seems to in my head or not. If it was just me, id just add it to the display and go through the little cycle. But thats just me.
blk822822
It's only money, RIGHT?
No cycle should be pretty easy on them. Like I said my tank is doing a cycle and everything ( corals ,anemones, shrimp, snails, crabs, and fish) are doing great . Already have mad coriline growing on the tank.
Alright just don't wanna lose my Koran angel he's awesome and love him like my dogs.... but the display refugium for corals and a few macros would be awesome plus I need some thing to help with my nitrates so dsb and macros would be a huge help...
blk822822
It's only money, RIGHT?
Just watch DSB ,dont mix it up or you will release bad stuff to your tank. I just have ribble rock and macros in my refuge. DSB can be tricky. And regular water changes can take care of nitrates, and other stuff. I also run carbon and phos gaurd in a reactor and change it out regulary. Have never had any problems. Dont over think your tank, I used to test all the time and dose stuff and had problems. I kinda just let it go natural and watch the corals and stuff and know whats going on. But others will say I'm stupid for oing that, but my tanks have always been healthy and growth rates are high. So maybe wait for others to chime in on this befor you fallow my example.
And I am one hundred percent stable for the last 4 months at 0 ppm ammonia 0 ppm nitrite 40 ppm nitrates and stays steady between 40 and 50 ppm. 8.3 Ph... like I said other than nitrates my tank is awesome... and no matter what I do I got em... which is why I'm trying to add a sump and fuge... i don't add any chemicals and my Koran does not do well with carbon was running it and he started getting hlle so took carbon out after research and it went away.... so I'm stumped and after lots of research decided I can benefit from a fuge and it will be fun to watch since it'll be on display and adding a sump for more water volume...
blk822822
It's only money, RIGHT?
Then go for it. I'd like to have a display refuge but don't have the room. Just watch the DSB, don't stir it or mess with it and you'll be ok. JMO. I'd have some rubble rock though it gives the pods places to breed and hide. And like I said I have some macros I can give you to help start you out, they are rooted , and grow quick.
Here's my design... for plumbing and all.... my questions would be what do u all think... and should i put the supply from the fuge T back into the main supply? Will my design work? And do i need the baffle in the sump for the air bubbles? Would rather not put that in the if not needed... let me know what u think thanks guys!
Sorry pics won't load if you can help me let me know in private message and i will send them to you in an email. keeps saying the file is too big.... i have saved in all the different formats and its not letting me post it so... let me know and ill send it to ya in an email.
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kpiotrowski
Kevin
just fyi I have a 50g display fuge on my 120p tank that is a highly effective nutrient transpot. no need for the dsb. just sayin.
