First time setting up refugium. Any and all advice welcome!

[RockyroadReef]

I am setting up a refugium in my sump. This is my first time so I don't know much other than what I watched on some YouTube videos. So any advice will be appreciated!
I have a 75 gallon tank, ~30 gallon sump. Tank is established, I have lots of coral and fish in there. If any more information is needed lmk.
Thanks for your help

 

[Pistondog]

I have live rock in my refugium and a bed of chaeto on top. Lots of Pods, snails, crabs, get a strong horticulture led for growth.
Good luck, let us know your plans.

 

[KrisReef]

Maybe a picture of the sump area where the fuge is going to be established.
Water flow in/through the fuge?
Lighting you have, or our considering,
Reason for setting up the fuge? Nutrient removal, pod area????

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Sounds like you’re planning on using a refugium as a means of nutrient control.

check this out, hopefully it helps: Refugium setup

 

[RockyroadReef]

Maybe a picture of the sump area where the fuge is going to be established.
Water flow in/through the fuge?
Lighting you have, or our considering,
Reason for setting up the fuge? Nutrient removal, pod area????

Planning on using it for both. I haven't had a major nutriet problem YET but I'm adding a few more fish so I'm worried the increase of bioload will cause problems. And DEFINITELY for the pods. I have a mandarin goby and his diet is getting expensive

 

[JPM San Diego]

I have chaetomorpha in my sump. Initially it would not grow as I had no fish and very little in the way of NO3 or Phosphate in my water. I added three herbivores; two tangs and a fox face. Chaetomorpha took off and drove my phosphorus to ZERO. (Phosphorus test kit is 1000x more sensitive than phosphate and it was still zero!) I had to back off on the lights to slow the chaetomorpha down. Great problem to have.
Do install some form of baffles to keep the light from illuminating the other parts of your sump or algae will grow all over.

 

[RockyroadReef]

I'm planning on getting a new light as the one I have doesn't fit. What is good a budget friendly fuge light? Here is where I plan on having the refugium, in the middle chamber.

 

[PBnJOnWheat]

I am setting up a refugium in my sump. This is my first time so I don't know much other than what I watched on some YouTube videos. So any advice will be appreciated!
I have a 75 gallon tank, ~30 gallon sump. Tank is established, I have lots of coral and fish in there. If any more information is needed lmk.
Thanks for your help

If you attempt for chaeto it might not grow the first couple times, for me that was what happened and it was very frustrating but with some alterations in lighting intensity, a little low, and nutrient control I was able to tune the refugium in. Still working on it now with algae in the DT.

 

[RockyroadReef]

Do I need to have a lot of flow in the refugium? I've seen in some videos online of people having a circling ball of chaeto. Do you need that movement or as long as you clean out as harvesting it will be fine?

 

[RockyroadReef]

If you attempt for chaeto it might not grow the first couple times, for me that was what happened and it was very frustrating but with some alterations in lighting intensity, a little low, and nutrient control I was able to tune the refugium in. Still working on it now with algae in the DT.

Is there a certain color spectrum needed for chaeto growth? I've seen some videos show bright pink lights.

 

[PBnJOnWheat]

Is there a certain color spectrum needed for chaeto growth? I've seen some videos show bright pink lights.

I have a kessil fuge light of some sort which worked some but it wasn’t enough so I bought some cheap plant grow light LED off Amazon. Needless to say some people are using those to grow other specialty...plants... LOL anyhow my point being go with a red-pink spectrum and it should work. Not sure the specifics but it is algae can’t be too difficult lol!!!

 

[Morbo]

I have a bio-brick, some rubble rock, and POM POM macro algae in my sump refugium section. Also have a little homemade POD Hotel.

I've got a small powerhead in there for some additional movement (really small powerhead).

The two clownfish that live down there (bullies) seem to like it.

My sump is a 40B, 20% on the right is in intake side with filter sock and skimmer. Middle 50-60% is the refugium area, and the left most 20% is the return chamber.

Water from the right goes over one glass baffle. From the refugium section it goes under a glass baffle, through some foam padding, over another baffle, and under the last one into the return chamber. This is a bubble trap.

Pictures in my build thread.

 

[Reefjnky]

My advice is get a good light for saltwater. I used the nonwaterproof plant grow lights with a socket from home depot and the bulb corroded. I went to a waterproof bulb and the socket corroded.Stay away from the cheap waterpoof white lights on amazon they dont work. The ones that worked really well for me have a pinkish color and are a designed grow light. I'm waiting on a chaetomax for my 32g biocube because both cheap waterproof lights had the wrong light wavelength.