Refugium Recommendations
 

I have a 100G Refugium that I'll be setting up in the next couple weeks and I'm looking for some recommendations on what sort of things are going to be the most beneficial to grow. For starters, the tank is Divided in the center so there will be two totally separate areas but they will be equally fed with about 300GPH. I know chaeto Is probably a must but what other things including substrate would you use if you could do it all over again? Thanks :)

i use mangroves on ones side of mine.

i dose about 10 different types of pods, my sump is a circus of activity.

both a mandarin and scooter too fat to move lol

i gave up on macro too messy for little results in large tanks unless your growing huge amounts , i love mangroves as well :)

I know mangroves are nice but I heard they're actually not very good nutrient exporters unless you have TONS of them.

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Anyone else?

There's Red Algae:

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...wgoTH95_ko9hWg

And Halimede:

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...Dv_v9PdSEqoZ0e

I'd stay away from things that can easily go sexual on you though, like Caulerpa.

http://www.reefcorner.com/images/GrapeCaulerpa.jpg

I also used to house cleaner shrimp in my 'fuge because they spawned like bunnies which is great for feeding the tank.

What are your expectations or goals for the Refugium?

Thanks Kien.

Reefgoat: I plan on having a fairly high bioload so I wanna hit it from every angle for nutrient export including a large refugium. Secondary would be for pods but that's pretty much a natural biproduct of any refugium.

I love caulerpa personally, you do run the risk of it going sexual but I've never had it happen and have ran it for nearly 2 yrs. just have to prune it back every other month

What about substrate? Sugar sand or Miracle Mud or one in each 50G section?

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I've read that if you run the lights 24/7 they actually won't even go sexual, which is a bonus.

I don't like Caulerpa because of the risk. I would personally go half tumbling cheato, and half dsb/mud with mangroves. Maybe some red/purple macro.

Halemida is ok, but it sucks up calcium.

Can I grow pods in my sump? I just have a skimmer in the main section and a uv in the final section where the return pump is. I'd like to eventually get mandarins so that I why I am asking.

No, not really. You need a dedicated section for a fuge. Do you have another section in the sump? Can't do one in either a skimmer section or a return section. However, if you have live rock in your sump, that will host some pods and such, but a fuge is best for sure.

The idea is that there will be nothing in there to kill, or eat the pod colonies. No crabs, no fish, minimal pumps etc.. Snails to clean the glass, and something to turn the dsb (if you have one) like a star or a cucumber. And some macro for nutrient export.

Here is a good site with lots of pictures of different fuge setups.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ides/index.php

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I suppose I could put them underneath the filter sock section before the baffles and the heater. Or I have a couple feet section of space for my skimmer. Maybe I could divide that in half.

I heard that the staple food for sand sifting starfish is pods. Is that wrong?

Thanks!

Will pods make it through filter socks?

Not unless they're really really small :)

but they will totally go up and over the filter sock when it fills up and start to overflow :-)

..well, okay, not all of them will. Some of them will cling onto the filter sock and you'll end up washing them out of the sock when you rinse it. You'll then make a desperate attempt to save the poor little guy by throwing him back into the display tank only to have him instantly gobbled up by your fish.. doh!

True story :cry: