I have many years experiance with these type of setups, heres some of what I have learned.
First lets define refugium because I thnk it is something differant to many people. My defination isthat it's a separate area (tank) that shares the common water on the main display system. It's purpose is to supply the main system with naturally occouring micro & macro organisims that the main system uses up thru predation. Basically it feeds the main system live food to the fish and corals and other filter feeders.Because of this, what I believe to be a refugium must gravity feed the display tank other wise the benificial living organisims will mostly die because they have been pumped thru a water pump, kind of like going thru a blender. I include live sand, macro algaes, live rock rubble and lighting in the 55 to 65K range. THis lighting seems to support the algaes better than deep water "reef" type lighting.
As per nutrient removal, the refugium type of systems do ok but that is not what thier primary function it. THe systems I do include a large sump that has a "marsh" like area in it for additional macro algaes and mangroves. THis type of set up really dose a great job at using up nutrients in the water. I again use full spectrum lighting, typically VHO or metal halide. I run the lighting system about oppisite of the main display tanks lighting so there is allwayt photosyenthsis going on. THis helps with ph fluctations from exsessive co2 when plants and algaes respire after the lights go off.
In my photo gallery there is a picture of a mangrove mud sump I put on one of my systems at the shop. It is a 125 (72x18" foot print) that has a chamber for the water inlet and for bio media if I need it, the center section has glass partitions siliconed in place to retain the live sand and mud in place and then a small chamber at the other end for my protein skimmer and water pump pick up. I have abour 30 mangroves in it right now but will decrease thier numbers as they grow. I also have marine sponges, feather dusters, a few species of calerpa, shaving brush, hemalida (catus) algae and corraline of course. My lighting system is a Ice Cap model 660 VHO ballast with 4 110 watt each flourscent light bulbs. I am using 3 URI aquasun S lamps and one 50/50 (URI is Ultra Violet Resorce) I, as many people in this hobby, have fourn URI to be the best flourscent lamp available. I am unaware of a better lamp.
These little HOB so called "refugiums" are interesting to play with but are simply to small to have any signifigant benifit to the aquarium. My sumps are typically the same size as the the aquarium or a least close to it. My refugiums are typically half the size of the dislay tank and are set up to be a surge tank as well. THis helps with random current in the main aquarium but also helps with removal of shrimp larvae or mysis (copapods) I have even keep sail fin mollies in my refugiums, one male and several females prodive lots of fry to feed to the display tank.
I'm sure that there is to be learned about this type of filtration but what I have been doing so far is much better than the old biological filtration method. Better water quality long term and pretty cool to play with too.
Joel
First lets define refugium because I thnk it is something differant to many people. My defination isthat it's a separate area (tank) that shares the common water on the main display system. It's purpose is to supply the main system with naturally occouring micro & macro organisims that the main system uses up thru predation. Basically it feeds the main system live food to the fish and corals and other filter feeders.Because of this, what I believe to be a refugium must gravity feed the display tank other wise the benificial living organisims will mostly die because they have been pumped thru a water pump, kind of like going thru a blender. I include live sand, macro algaes, live rock rubble and lighting in the 55 to 65K range. THis lighting seems to support the algaes better than deep water "reef" type lighting.
As per nutrient removal, the refugium type of systems do ok but that is not what thier primary function it. THe systems I do include a large sump that has a "marsh" like area in it for additional macro algaes and mangroves. THis type of set up really dose a great job at using up nutrients in the water. I again use full spectrum lighting, typically VHO or metal halide. I run the lighting system about oppisite of the main display tanks lighting so there is allwayt photosyenthsis going on. THis helps with ph fluctations from exsessive co2 when plants and algaes respire after the lights go off.
In my photo gallery there is a picture of a mangrove mud sump I put on one of my systems at the shop. It is a 125 (72x18" foot print) that has a chamber for the water inlet and for bio media if I need it, the center section has glass partitions siliconed in place to retain the live sand and mud in place and then a small chamber at the other end for my protein skimmer and water pump pick up. I have abour 30 mangroves in it right now but will decrease thier numbers as they grow. I also have marine sponges, feather dusters, a few species of calerpa, shaving brush, hemalida (catus) algae and corraline of course. My lighting system is a Ice Cap model 660 VHO ballast with 4 110 watt each flourscent light bulbs. I am using 3 URI aquasun S lamps and one 50/50 (URI is Ultra Violet Resorce) I, as many people in this hobby, have fourn URI to be the best flourscent lamp available. I am unaware of a better lamp.
These little HOB so called "refugiums" are interesting to play with but are simply to small to have any signifigant benifit to the aquarium. My sumps are typically the same size as the the aquarium or a least close to it. My refugiums are typically half the size of the dislay tank and are set up to be a surge tank as well. THis helps with random current in the main aquarium but also helps with removal of shrimp larvae or mysis (copapods) I have even keep sail fin mollies in my refugiums, one male and several females prodive lots of fry to feed to the display tank.
I'm sure that there is to be learned about this type of filtration but what I have been doing so far is much better than the old biological filtration method. Better water quality long term and pretty cool to play with too.
Joel
