New Reefer With A Refugium Question

So I'm new to saltwater tanks.. I have a 75g DT with a 30g-long sump/refuge. My question is how big of a refugium do I need? I see plenty of people with 29/30 gallon sump/refugiums on 75 gallon tanks and made my sump based off the others I've seen and my refugium part holds about 9 gallons.. BUT earlier today the guy at my LFS said that I need a fuge at least 1/3 of my display tank to be effective is this true?

Heres a pic of it... The intake is on the left return pump in the middle and the fuge is off to the right and I'm gonna tee off the overflow with a valve to slow it down a bit to get better absorption time, from what I read this way is "better".... please let me know your comments/opinions and don't knock my crappy caulk job

 

Don't tee off your overflow.
You want your overflow as large as possible, even if you're not using it to nearly it's full potential.
Tee off your RETURN and put a ball valve on the line to your fuge. Don't worry about all that hype of the fuge getting the "dirtiest" water. Water from the return section will be fine.
Or if you DO want the dirtiest water possible, buy a little tiny pump and drop it in the intake (skimmer) side and just run a small line to the fuge section. Then you can have the "dirtiest" water possible.

I really like the design with the return in the center. I think it's the ideal way to set a sump up if you want a fuge section.

That will be ok for a fuge. A large enough ball of cheato and a strong enough light (running opposite you display schedule) will help the nutrient removal cause.

 

I though you should run your fuge light on 24/0 I've done my share of "GROWING" in the past and during the vegetative state I kept them on 24/0... what is the purpose of having it on opposite the DT lights

 

Having a reverse lighting schedule in the fuge assist in maintaining a stable pH.

 

+1.
I initially had my fuge teed off one of my overflow pipes and had it going to my fuge.
My sump is set up the same way yours is with the return in the middle.
I started having overflow issues. It was a number of things but I think it was part of the issue. When I started trying to fix the issue one of the things I did was run my fuge off my manifold that was run by my main pump.
I don't think that there has been a difference in the growth of my cheato or less aglea in my fuge due to the switch from straight tank water to filtered tank water. It grows the same.
I just know that my fuge is a swamp and my overflow is working correctly.

Another thing to add to FB post.
Gutter guard works great in keeping the cheato and all the other bits of algae in your sump and keeps it from traveling to your return. It can be found at Home Depot for a couple bucks.

 

thx guys!

 

+1 on this. I have a small pump in my return section that feeds my fuge. My sump is set up like yours and I think it works well.

Regarding size...

I don't know if there's a rule of thumb or not, but I have a 40B for a 150 gallon. I think your 30 should work fine on a 75 gallon. I have a great pod population and my chaeto seems to be doing well with nutirent control. Mt fuge has chaeto and bubble algae in it and my DT is "algae free". Just get a 2,700K (Soft White) CFL to grow your chaeto as it likes more red in the spectrum.

 

Agreed, no strict rule on size. IMO any fuge is better than none, obviously if you have the space then make it larger. Your setup there looks great and I think the fuge will definitely add a healthy balance to your system!

 

Are you gowing to use Chaeto, calupera, ?

I recommend Chaeto.
YOu know, I've heard that alot- run the chaeto light 24/7.

My display lights are on about 10.5 total.

My chaeto basket in my sump is on a timer 12/12- basically opposite, obviously not to the minute however.

I use 2 aluminum reflectors, and 2 x 100Wquivalent CFL bulbs, plubbed into a dial type timer- all this from the bib box store- a Menards. very inexspensive.

I give away, trade, and give huge bags of it for credit to my favorite lfs,
So, IMEO- a 12/12 light cycle works awesome on the chaeto!

I'm also not sure where your lfs gets the mumber of 1/3 the DT?
Maybe so, I haven't read that multi-center large sample #, research paper though!

Your sump looks great!

Welcome to 3REEF!

 

Ok, so I will be teeing off my return and NOT my drain, as most of you stated.... I will be growing cheato in my fuge as I heard nothing but good things about it, on a 12/12 opposing cycle.... As for a second macro algae, as I see alot of people running more than one in there fuge what do you all recommend? Also miracle mud as a sub-straight, or?

Thanks for all the support and great comments on my sump! I will post a pic of the hood I made and the 6 bulb T5HO light I got from home depot mounted inside