Refugium Section Design Help

[TheKleinReef]

I'm a complete noob when it comes to macro algaes... so if you guys had a chamber like this in your sump:

http://s147.photobucket.com/user/roger_090/media/IMG_2841.jpg.html'>

 

what would you do/buy to make it a nice display fuge?

 

major questions:

should i keep the CF lights or use the radion from the 29g?

should i add a koralia 425 for some flow?

 

thanks for any help.

-roger

[Subsea]

Roger,

Not sure you want to turn a utilitarian refuge into a display tank, but here goes. Get rid of the protein skimmer, Not only is it ugly but it removes what the macro needs to grow and thrive. I use horticulture fixtures with 6500 kelvin lighting. In utilitarian refuges, normally only one species of macro is used to promote nutrient export. Because, I have no pumps in my display tank, I use high flow rates thru the refugium. Many suggest low flow rates thru the refugium. I see little difference.

With respect to a "nice display refuge"' I am not sure what nice means to you. For it to look nice, it would have to be not crowded. This would compromise nutrient export function. Have you considered macros in your display tank? What fish live in your display tank? In my opinion, a macro tank is the way to go.

Patrick

[TheKleinReef]

Roger,

Not sure you want to turn a utilitarian refuge into a display tank, but here goes. Get rid of the protein skimmer, Not only is it ugly but it removes what the macro needs to grow and thrive. I use horticulture fixtures with 6500 kelvin lighting. In utilitarian refuges, normally only one species of macro is used to promote nutrient export. Because, I have no pumps in my display tank, I use high flow rates thru the refugium. Many suggest low flow rates thru the refugium. I see little difference.

With respect to a "nice display refuge"' I am not sure what nice means to you. For it to look nice, it would have to be not crowded. This would compromise nutrient export function. Have you considered macros in your display tank? What fish live in your display tank? In my opinion, a macro tank is the way to go.

Patrick

 

 

not exactly what i mean. haha i mean i need help designing the fuge section in my sump. like metrokats:

 

the display is going to be SPS dominate, but i want to dedicate the fuge to an assortment of macro algaes. i'm just not sure what lighting/flow modifications i'll need. but i did just switch the CF to my old radion gen1:

 

so i could literally do anything with lighting

[Subsea]

Because LED are very narrow spectrum, it would not necessarily be the best refugium light. Contrary to popular belief, CFL at 6500 kelvin have plenty of the blue spectrum to grow anything.

Patrick

[krackerjacksna]

A radion as a fuge light is a little over kill... (Or ballin') check out live-plants.com