Ok need some help with refugium

slayerhellfire · Jan 21, 2016

Hey everyone so I wanted to get some input on my new project. What I have now is a 75 mixed reef but mostly LPS and SPS now, getting into mostly SPS, 34 gallon sump with hold prob about 15 20 gallons of water flex tubing for dual drains. Inside my sump I have a reef octopus skimmer, GFO reactor, 2 heaters, return. My goal is to plumb a 14 gallon biocube which a friend has which will sit next to my 75 on a small cabinet. My first question is, is this a good idea making a designated refugium, How can this be done should I drill the back of the cube?? Any suggestions and help would be good. I feel like it would only benefit my tank not to mention wouldn't cost much he's asking 60 bucks for the cube which comes with lights. I don't think I will need a heater since I have 2 in my sump. My biggest question is how to plum this as simple as possible. Thanks!

saltyfilmfolks · Jan 21, 2016

I believe its most simply done the same way as a display to a sump.
Driller or hob overflow in tank/fuge and pump in the sump.

bobman · Jan 21, 2016

Personally I would not go that route as the only way I could see it done correctly would be plump overflow from display into the cube then drill the cube and have it over flow to the sump. Problem with this is most refugiums culture pods and the like you will want for the tank but they are being thrown to your skimmer and getting skimmed out (not that it dont happen to some extent no matter how you hook it up).

Or on second thought since you have duel overflows you could actually run 1 overflow to the sump and the other to the fuge and then to the return pump bypassing the skimmer. That would work pretty well. But in this case you would almost have to drill the cube as a I doubt you would get enough flow to effectively run a hob overflow. I would think it would fill the u tube with bubble and lose siphon pretty quickly.

slayerhellfire · Jan 21, 2016

hmmm this seem more complicated than I wanted it too be..

redfishbluefish · Jan 21, 2016

If you have convention bottom drains on the DT, I think it's tough. BUT, if you have an overflow that goes through the back glass, I think it might be possible. If this is the case, leave one drain as is. Take the other drain and run it over to the cube. You might have to build this stand a little lower than the 75 stand. Now put an overflow on the cube (I like Glass-Holes) that will handle this volume and run that drain to your sump. Does that make sense?

slayerhellfire · Jan 21, 2016

it dose, prob more work than I wanted to put into it, I might just get a nice grow light and grow some cheato in the sump. I have a nextreef in sump refugium so maybe I will go that rout. Whats the best light to grow cheato that dose not create a lot of heat or energy LED of some sort par bulb??

redfishbluefish · Jan 21, 2016

People have had great success with compact fluorescent or LED spotlight bulbs right from HD or Lowes, and using an inexpensive clip-on fixture. What's important with either bulb choice is that you want something in the range of 5000 to 6500 kelvin.