What is the difference between a sump and a refugium?
Sumps are primarily used for the storage of items of system equipment and can allow hobbyists to customize their filtration setup. Refugia are a little more versatile and can be utilized for improving biological filtration, breeding live foods, growing plants, and more.
What is a refugium in a sump?
With a sump based refugium, the refugium is a second tank which you place below your real tank. This “work” tank is usually kept under wraps and handles your water pump action for reef tanks as well as manages extra filtration.
Where should a refugium be in the sump?
Now it’s this second chamber where you’re going to want to install your refugium. Now the back holes in your sump ensure a gentle water flow through the refugium.
What is the best sump for a reef tank?
The Aquarium Sump Candidates
| Picture | Name | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Editor’s Choice! | Trigger Systems Triton Sumps | Click For Best Price |
| Best Value | Trigger Systems Crystal Sumps | Click For Best Price |
| Budget Option | Fiji Cube Refugium Sump Baffle Kit | Buy On Amazon |
| IceCap Reef Sumps | Click For Best PriceBuy On Amazon |
Can you use a refugium with fresh water?
When used in connection with aquarium keeping, a refugium is essentially a separate sump that’s connected to your main tank and shares the same water supply. Although refugia are most commonly used with tropical saltwater aquariums, you can also use them with cold water, fresh water, and brackish setups.
Are refugiums worth it?
Having a refugium is definitely worth it. It really helps the pod population in the tank and macro algae is great for nutrient export.
What are the benefits of a refugium?
A refugium is basically a biological filtration method which will reduce nitrate and phosphate in your aquarium water as well as provide natural food sources for your aquarium inhabitants.
Should I put sand in my refugium?
Depending on what you want to grow in the refugium. Certain macro or marine plants can be partial bury in the sand. If you don’t planned on have those, then no need for sand.
What algae is in a refugium?
When it comes to algae, I recommend Chaeto or Chaetomorpha. This is the standard algae for refugiums, which is for a reason; it is easy to care for, grows fast, and is very effective. You can choose a different kind, but for a beginner, Chaeto is the way to go.
Can a sump be too big?
Community Member. You can not go wrong with a bigger sump. However if it was a sump smaller then recommend size, you would have a problem with your sump overfilling in the event of a power failure.
Is a sump necessary for a saltwater tank?
As it pertains to saltwater aquariums, sumps are one of the best options for filtration but they are not absolutely necessary.
Should refugium be before or after skimmer?
In most common saltwater aquarium setups the protein skimmer will come first before the refugium. In many saltwater aquarium sumps, the largest chamber is the second chamber and a protein skimmers though varied in size will only fit in the second chamber before the refugium.
What kind of light do I need for a refugium?
Refugium Lighting
Having the right type of light for your refugium is probably the number one tip for a successful refugium. Refugium lighting is mostly red, magenta, and blue light spectrums.
What should I have in my refugium?
Best items to put in a refugium:
- Macroalgae such as sea lettuce or chaeto.
- Live rock rubble or manufactured biological media.
- Microfauna such as copepods and amphipods.
- A powerful refugium light with a means of automatically controlling its on/off cycle.
When would you use a refugium?
Keeping a saltwater refugium allows macroalgae to grow without fish eating it or the macroalgae overrunning your main reef tank. Another use for a saltwater refugium is to provide a place for copepods and other isopods to live and multiply.
How many hours of light do you need for Chaeto?
Chaeto needs at least 8 hours of darkness so run the reactor\’s LEDs for no more than 16 hours. Run a reverse daylight cycle to keep the system water pH stable 24/7. Acclimate Chaeto to the intense LEDs by slowly ramping up the light cycle over a week. Start with AS LITTLE AS 4 hours.
How long should I run my refugium lights?
Planted refugia seem to “work” just fine as long as they receive at least ten or twelve hours of intense light per day. Still, some aquarists run their lights 24 hours/day without any apparent ill effect.
How far away from the house should a sump pump drain?
The discharge point should be at least 10 feet away from your foundation, but 20 feet is better. Otherwise, the water will reabsorb into the soil, and your pump will need to remove it again. A constant flow of water damages your foundation, contributes to erosion, and quickly wears out your sump pump.
Why would a house need 2 sump pumps?
If your basement floods, what type of damage will that do to you? So, one reasonable solution to this potential problem is to have 2 sump pumps instead of 1 in the same sump pit basin. A second sump pump can help reduce the potential threat of 1 dying or not being big enough to handle that big rainstorm.
Can fish live in sump?
Bye. Fish will not live long in the sump. The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. No one is born with intellect and age guarantees wisdom to no one.
How often should you do a water change in a saltwater tank?
every 1-2 weeks
As a general guideline, a monthly 25% water change is recommended. However, smaller, more frequent water changes (15-20% every 1-2 weeks) are preferable for heavily stocked aquariums or aquariums with large fish.
Should I put snails in my refugium?
To Snail or Not to Snail
Once in the main tank, snails can either function to remove algae or as fish food. But if using the refugium to cycle, filter and maintain balance in a main saltwater tank, algae and plant-eating organisms, such as snails, should be limited.
How many hours of light does a refugium need?
The light schedule is essentially how you will negotiate how much nutrients the refugium removes. Longer light schedules up to 18 hours can be used for maximum nutrient removal while short light schedules down to 6 hours can be employed for minimal removal.
Do saltwater tanks need a refugium?
The purpose of the saltwater refugium substrate is to provide as much surface area possible for beneficial bacteria to grow. Reducing the nitrates in the aquarium. Additionally, this substrate provides an environment for the copepods and amphepods to thrive.
How fast does Chaeto remove nitrates?
As far as how much nitrate and phosphate drops, it’s hard to say. Without knowing what’s being put in. If you’re adding food and its increasing nitrate by 2ppm a day and your chaeto is able to remove 2.5 to 3ppm per day it’s going to take a while to notice a difference.