New Fug---> Help...........

Hi,

So i am building a refugium for my 55 gallon reef tank that is almost done cycling for extra filteration along with a food source and to help maintain nitrates. Space is the problem so i can only fit a 10 gallon tank on the floor. I have a 10 gallon wet/dry fillter with some live rock and bio balls, in sump protein skimmer etc.......

I have a few Question about this

How should i add the refugium to the tank once it is constructed if the tank is done cycling?

Also what size sand bed should be used?

As far as lightin goes how many watts and what k?

Thank you Adam

 

Not really understanding this, the fuge should be part of the sump or some people have them hang on the back of the tank... Do you mean you will be using two 10 gallon tanks? one a sump and the other a fuge? meaning you will connect the two together which will also be connected to your display? or just one 10 gallon with baffles to make sections inside the 10 gallon?

for sand bed, if you want deep sand bed, id use at least 5".

I use those cheap clip on lamps from HD ($7-8) and a 65W fluorescent bulb (~$9-10), color temp 6700k daylight bulb. i use two on my fuge so 130W total. 30 gallon sump ~ 10gal fuge

 

why are you cycling a fuge?

 

Yea im going to use two 10 gallons 1 as a sump that came with the tank which really is a wet/dry and the other as a fug with baffles sorry for the confusing description

Thank you

 

What do you mean by cycling a fuge im not............lol

I'm saying how do i introduce a new fuge into a cycled tank?

.......

 

oops...i read it as if your fuge was almost cycled, not your 55g!! sorry!!

what you could do is...on the pipe coming down to the wet/dry, add a T so you have one going to the wet/dry and then one to the fuge...that is if you have room!!! good luck!

 

Would it be bad to just have 2 overflow boxes with es one going to set/dry 1 going to fug? I have an extra 1 lying around in good condition?


Thanx ermano

 

There isnt anything bad about that except for another part to fail and possibly flood. Just make sure to slow the flow down going into the fuge. I assume you will be either syphoning or overflowing the fuge back into the regular sump?

 

well you could do that, but then you would need to have two return pumps pushing back both the fuge and the wet/dry...thus adding unwanted heat to the tank.

another idea could be scrap the wet/dry as well as the fuge...buy a 20g long and turn that into a fuge/sump combo!!

good luck

 

Thanx for the ideas i dont have room for a 20 gallon it would b great if i did.