new refugium

[bkenn77]

I'm just getting started in saltwater. I have a 50 gal. 'handmedown' glass tank. I have a 10 gal. trikle filter that I want to turn into a refugium. What items do I add to the refugium other than plants? What type of lighting, daylight? I currently have a cpr backpack skimmer that seems to be working fine but am thinking of adding one to the refugium. I heard the euro skimmer was good. Any thoughts? Trying to keep the costs down. How would I plumb the skimmer? I'm thinking from the refugium pump to the skimmer to the tank, does that sound right? Thanks for the help. From, new saltwater junkie!(Brian)

 

[Krish]

Welcome to RF Brian! Well, lets see...Do you have a photo of your trickle filter? The reason I ask, is when I converted mine, I had to add in a baffle/partition so that the trickle chamber filled up so as to submerge whatever I planned to keep in there. You will need lighting, but what type, depends on what you plan to keep in there. Something like chaeto would probably need a totally different type bulb as opposed to if you are keeping LR. You said you had a CPR backpack...Do you plan on still running it along with another skimmer like the euroreef, or will you just take out the CPR and replace it? If you are adding a Euroreef, you definately won't need the CPR. Euroreefs are one of the best skimmers on the market now, but with only a 10 gal sump, I doubt very seriously you will be able to use one in your sump because of their size and also because they can't be used externally. If cost is an issue and you can find some way to work in that skimmer, then I'd go for an ASM skimmer. They are basically the same design as the Euroreef, just cheaper, but work from my understanding just as good. A few people here use ASM's and swear by them. As for how it all should be setup...It's usually done where the water enters the sump/refugium, water is skimmed in first chamber and then flows over through whichever chambers follow and then back to the tank via a return pump. That is the most common setup, but people have done it differently. I hope I helped you some. A photo of your sump would help a lot if you have any. If you have any more questions just ask away! Hope you enjoy it here

 

[bkenn77]

Hi Krish, thanks for the feedback. I don't have a pict (wife is out of town with the camera). There is a baffle in mine. I gave it a test run, seem to work fine. Dimensions 23x16x9. Sixteen inches tall but tapers down at the baffle. I have 50 lbs. of LR so I'm planning on keeping plants in it. What type of light would work for plants? What's chaeto and where can I get it? A reliable source suggested spaghetti algae. Is the ASM skimmer also a sump unit? Does the skimmer have to have it's own pump? Thanks again, Brian.

 

[Krish]

Hi Krish, thanks for the feedback. I don't have a pict (wife is out of town with the camera). There is a baffle in mine. I gave it a test run, seem to work fine. Dimensions 23x16x9. Sixteen inches tall but tapers down at the baffle.

Bummer! Tell her hurry back with that camera!(LOL)

so I'm planning on keeping plants in it. What type of light would work for plants? What's chaeto and where can I get it? A reliable source suggested spaghetti algae

Chaeto I think is one of the more popular algae people use these days. Infact, one member here Luke (Liveforphysics) only uses chaeto and no skimmer at all. Here is a link where he shows his chaeto and also speaks about what bulb he uses to get it to grow well http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13853&page=6
Also, Marc (at Melevsreef) has a write up as well about chaeto and which bulb is good to use. You can see that here http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html

Is the ASM skimmer also a sump unit? Does the skimmer have to have it's own pump? Thanks again, Brian.

Here is a link to the ASM skimmers. You can see how it is setup with the pump and yes, it is an internal skimmer.http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...en=PROD&Product_Code=ASM-G1&Category_Code=ASM
That's why I opted for a different one because at the time, I didn't have any space for an internal skimmer. The skimmer I ended up with was an AquaC EV-120 which can be used either internally or externally. Here is a photo of how I have mine setup. Well, here my whole setup. Hopefully it will give you a few ideas

 

[bkenn77]

Very helpful! Thanks for helping me put it all together (in my head). The pictures are lots if help. I'm starting to have a clue what I'm looking at when I see system setups like yours. It would be helpful to give a story line to go with the picture so newbs like myself can better understand the system. For eg... The water is siphoned from the tank through the skimmer (water off the top), through a 1inch tube into the sumps first chamber. From the 1st chamber I am pulling water with a pump to the water skimmer. In the 2nd chamber I have my plant life etc.. with a light etc...... I know it's probably a pain in the butt to do it that way but it would be extremely helpful to understand how a system works and what all of the components are and how they all work together. You have already been sooo helpful the dim light above my head is starting to get brighter Thx, Brian.

 

[Krish]

Glad I've helped you some Here is a thread I started a while back that may give you some ideas. As you can see from the first picture, things have changed a lot on my sump setup. Infact, I don't even think I've updated the thread with my latest picture since adding on the new chamber, and adding in my closed loop! Aw well...This should give you tons of ideas

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10264

 

[bkenn77]

Thanks krish! It did give me a lot of ideas. It looks like a plumbers dream under there (0r nightmare). I have mine hooked up and running now. I put plants and some live rock in my refugium. I guess I'll keep running the cpr skimmer for now. I will have to get an external skimmer one of these days when I have enough money. I've decided that there is a lot of trial and error in the saltwater hobby. I love it! Later, Brian.

 

[moortim]

I noticed you are from Spokane bkenn77, what LFS's do you have near you? Are you familiar with Aquatic Dreams (on Pines in Spokane Valley)? Kevin Pockell is the owner and the man to see about all of this (you will see him as kevinpo around here). The best part is he has many different setups that you can look at. Plus you really need to check out his 450gallon display tank.
Here is a link to the stores website:
http://www.aquaticdreams.biz/main.asp
Also what kind of bio load do you have (how many fish, corals, ect.). If you are starting out light (recommended) then you will be fine with the cpr skimmer. That will give you time to do more research and learn about what nice one you want. Just remember that time is your friend.

Tim

 

[Krish]

Thanks krish! It did give me a lot of ideas. It looks like a plumbers dream under there (0r nightmare). I have mine hooked up and running now. I put plants and some live rock in my refugium. I guess I'll keep running the cpr skimmer for now. I will have to get an external skimmer one of these days when I have enough money. I've decided that there is a lot of trial and error in the saltwater hobby. I love it! Later, Brian.

LOL...Sounds great! Is your wife back yet with that camera? If not, I hope she didn't bail on ya! Kidding...Post some photos when she gets back

 

[bkenn77]

No krish she's not back yet. I don't thinked bailed on me though Not after 23 years, well maybe I'll have to figure out how to attach picts. Moortim, I have been to Kevin's store and discussed the refugium with him. Wow what a selection of sps corals. I have a light bio load, rabbit-tang-angle and 2 damsels. I guess I'll stick with the cpr skimmer for now. I've also set up a 30 gallon (pulled it out of the shed and dusted it off). I'm not sure what I'm going to put in it. Just having a blast! Any thoughts for the 30 gal? Thx Brian.

 

[bkenn77]

Well the wife is back from NYC, so I have the camera now.Lets see if I can figure out how to post some picts

 

[Krish]

Well the wife is back from NYC, so I have the camera now.Lets see if I can figure out how to post some picts

Sounds great! I personally use www.imageshack.us for my photos and it pretty much walks you through it. If you have any problems just pm me and I'll help you figure it out

 

[bkenn77]

picts. of refugiumView attachment 11958

View attachment 11959

View attachment 11960

 

[Krish]

Hey man...That's pretty darn cool! Is that with the extra baffles in or how it is set up originally?

 

[bkenn77]

Originally the left side had about 4 levels of filter including bio balls. I just have the one screen below the spaghetti algae. I talked to Kevin at the LFS, he said it takes about 3 weeks for the benefits to start being noticable. I've been battling ick for a couple of months now, trying to get a handle on just what the heck I'm supposed to doing (water quality and such). I have some soft corals (mushrooms, polyps, stars etc) and 50 lbs. of LR so that limits what I can do to get rid of the ick. I tried raising some pulsing xiena and it just melted in my tank (just like the bubble anenome a couple of months ago). I brought some water in to the LFS and the Alk. was double what it should have been. Kevin said do a 20% water change and stop adding LR accelrant. What should I be testing for in my water? Salinity, calcium, PH, nitrites, nitrates, alkalinity. Anything else I need to be testing on regular basis or occassionally? I'm keeping fish and soft corals.