Refugium or settling tank.. Opinions wanted.

[MikeC]

Hi guys and girls your opinions views or experiences are appreciated.
I have a 120 DT with a 40gal sump that has a part of it as a refugium.
See pic bellow.

Sps dominent tank
1. 0 nitrates
2. It is lite on revers osmosis.
3. I have low flow in the fuge.
4. I have about 2-3 inches of gravel with some rubble rock.
5. I also run GFO & Carbon in reacter
6. I do weekly 30 gal water change.

I originally wanted to grow chato for nutrient export my problem is
I can not grow chato:
My question is can I not grow chato because chato needs dirtier water
(more nitrates) to grow? If so am I keeping dirty water to feed the chato?

Would it not make more sence to remove the refugium totally and make some sort of seteling tank and just siphon out the poo.

 

[thirty5]

I think that a fuge has more than one thing... You can always put animals in there that you need to get out of your DT, and yes you need to have stuff for the chaeto to feed on. But this does not mean that you will never be able to grow it. I would leave as is.

What is a seteling tank??

Also the other thing that really pops out at me with that pic. Is that you said that you have have a 120 gal display. It does not appear that your sump will be able to handle the overflow when power goes out?

 

[MikeC]

Sorry meant to say settling tank.
trust me it does not over flow tank has been up for 11 months

Not sure I want to keep a nutrient rich section in the sump on the off chance I might need it to put a fish I don't want in it?

 

[thirty5]

Sorry meant to say settling tank.
trust me it does not over flow tank has been up for 11 months

Not sure I want to keep a nutrient rich section in the sump on the off chance I might need it to put a fish I don't want in it?

Lol OK now...
What is a settling tank???

 

[MikeC]

Lol OK now...
What is a settling tank???

a tank built for settling out detritus, you know the stuff that settles in the bottom of refugiums like poo and stuff that raises nitrates.

 

[thirty5]

a tank built for settling out detritus, you know the stuff that settles in the bottom of refugiums like poo and stuff that raises nitrates.

Or just use filter socks. I don't get anything that settles in my sump or fuge

 

[jackson6745]

No skimmer?

 

[MikeC]

No skimmer?

Yes I have a asm g3 that I clean and empt once a week.
Skimmer is in a seperate tank to the left

 

[MikeC]

Settling tank update

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7XARisrLtk&sns=em

 

[Adamc1303]

I think the reason your fuge isn't growing chaeto is because your feeding it with double skimmed water that has also went through a settling tank. The water is basically protein free. It also seems like the mag pump may be producing too high of a flow. IMO that doesn't mean the system isn't filtering well and I am sure you can tell by looking at your display tank, it's just not a fuge setup that grows macro algea and harvests pods.

 

[MikeC]

Adams this is a new setup as far as the settling tank and updated return pump.
I also has the refugeum set up as low flow regulated with a ball valve.

 

[JOHANNA]

Is that an led over the fugue. I think you can't grow cheato because of your light. You can grow cheato anywhere with a fluorescent flood light from Home Depot. That led is very concentrated, very bright, and most likely not close to a spectrum that will grow cheato. I have found a light with a yellow hue grows cheato the best.

 

[MikeC]

Thanks Johanna I will have to try that the only thing is my buddy grows chato like crazy with this bulb ? I have even tried a plant grow buld with not so great results?

 

[Adamc1303]

Don't sweat it, if the tanks doing well who cares if the chaeto isn't growing. Your doing something right.