Any thoughts on a Fuge/Reef tank plumbed into my fowlr.?

[JLAudio]

Im thinking about getting a small 20 gallon or so fuge/reef next to my fowlr. I could have the 20 rr and have it drain into the main sump, and a small pump returning the water to the fuge/reef.

By fuge reef Im thinkng about having some attractive plants such as maiden hair and others along with hardy corals (so I can get the best of the fish and some coral).

I plan on having my fowlr heavily stocked but have a powerful skimmer (das ex 2) and I plan to main tain a 20 water change every other week

Is this possible?

 

[Killerdrgn]

If you plumb the tank in the way you described you may get some detrius trapping problems.

 

[JLAudio]

what about the plumbing would cause detritus buid up?

 

[fritz]

Sounds like a good idea to me. Depending on the size of your fowlr you may even want to go bigger. I would expect explosive growth from the macro algae. Xenia would also be a good choice for the fuge/reef.

 

[Killerdrgn]

what about the plumbing would cause detritus buid up?

It's getting water straight from the main tank unfiltered. So any little bit of, lets say, food that gets sucked in will run by the algae and have the possiblity of getting stuck in it.

As opposed to having it at the end of a sump/skimmer line where the chances of detrius has been greatly reduced.

 

[JLAudio]

Excellent point killer. The water first passes through a filter sock w/ some polypad and carbon, then it would be exposed to the pump which would bring water the sump fuge, hopefully this would help a little

fritz, I definitly want a good amount of xenia in there, and what are other forms of attractive macroalgae?

 

[NYreefNoob]

yes you can do it the way you explained JL. planning on making my remote dsb tank 10g that also has lr and cheato in it as a tank. and get a pair of gobies since my other tank is bb. if you have a large enough return pump you can get a ball valve to dial both returns in. and let drain from other tank drain into a separate filter sock

 

[fritz]

Cheatomorpha is my fave as it won't leach or produce any chemicals.

 

[JLAudio]

yea but chaeto isnt that asthetically pleasing. I was contimplating keeping some chaeto in a breeder box, in my regular sump and maiden hair or some of those plant things for the reef/fuge, along with shrooms, xenia, polyps etc.