Refugium Advice

[TMC]

I just added Ulva to my sump and very quickly realized that my current set up would not work out so well as it is only a two compartment sump so I built a bigger one with a refugium compartment first here are pictures of what I have

This is my current setup


This is what I made

My plan is to have the refugium on the left with the overflow and sock in it the middle will have the skimmer intake and return along with the heaters and the right will have the return pump and skimmer body. In the refugium section I am planning on growing the Ulva and am unsure about a couple things, should I keep the ceramic things and rock in there or ditch em? is placing my heaters in the middle compartment the best placement or should I put them in with the return pump? I know I had a couple more questions but gotta head to work so I can keep paying for all this. Any suggestions/advice please

 

[TMC]

Another thing, I was thinking about a couple hermits and some snails to help with keeping the nuisance algea down would they also eat the Ulva

 

[TMC]

Doing the water test now have some pretty cold nights but shouldn't be long enough to freeze so far so good. I don't know how this whole "bump" thing works but would appreciate any advice/suggestions
/experience

 

[dvgyfresh]

Not sure what you need advice on , all looks good macro will grow with water and nutrients lol I have super simple sump , I didn’t add any hermits or snails but somehow tronchus snails babies end up there , I wouldn’t add anything just let nature do it’s thing

 

[TMC]

T

Not sure what you need advice on , all looks good macro will grow with water and nutrients lol I have super simple sump , I didn’t add any hermits or snails but somehow tronchus snails babies end up there , I wouldn’t add anything just let nature do it’s thing

Thank you,
That kind of advice exactly lol I've only been in the hobby for four months and have had to learn a whole lot real fast and much of it not very pleasant so I am trying to cut down on the unpleasant learning experiences.
What light are you using?

 

[dmsc2fs]

If you put the return pump in the same chamber s the Ulva you will probably have Ulva in your DT. If it starts growing well it grows fast and thin and breaks up easily. It will get eaten by your pump and sent everywhere.

 

[dvgyfresh]

T

Thank you,
That kind of advice exactly lol I've only been in the hobby for four months and have had to learn a whole lot real fast and much of it not very pleasant so I am trying to cut down on the unpleasant learning experiences.
What light are you using?

It’s the UFO grow light off amazon , grows algae sooo well lol

 

[TMC]

It’s the UFO grow light off amazon , grows algae sooo well lol

Which one there's a bunch lol

 

[TMC]

If you put the return pump in the same chamber s the Ulva you will probably have Ulva in your DT. If it starts growing well it grows fast and thin and breaks up easily. It will get eaten by your pump and sent everywhere.

My plan is for the return to be in the very last compartment from fuge but are you saying if the Ulva gets pureed it will grow like crazy

 

[Spare time]

It is easier to have a the refugium after the skimmer if possible to prevept algae from clogging up the skimmer intake.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Which one there's a bunch lol

It’s super efficient , I throw out a large freezer bag full weekly or sell / give away

 

[TMC]

Today's the day hope it goes smoothly.
I decided to go with the Growstar UFO the mounting system isn't very well suited for a cabinet so made a few adjustments to it that I think will work well.
I attached two ends of each cable under the the mounts on the light and then zip-ted them together tight to make a loop and super glued the tie to keep it from sliding up.

 

[Dburr1014]

I just added Ulva to my sump and very quickly realized that my current set up would not work out so well as it is only a two compartment sump so I built a bigger one with a refugium compartment first here are pictures of what I have

This is my current setup


This is what I made

My plan is to have the refugium on the left with the overflow and sock in it the middle will have the skimmer intake and return along with the heaters and the right will have the return pump and skimmer body. In the refugium section I am planning on growing the Ulva and am unsure about a couple things, should I keep the ceramic things and rock in there or ditch em? is placing my heaters in the middle compartment the best placement or should I put them in with the return pump? I know I had a couple more questions but gotta head to work so I can keep paying for all this. Any suggestions/advice please

Heaters in the pump section and the thermocouple in the sock section.

 

[TMC]

T

Heaters in the pump section and the thermocouple in the sock section.

Thank you I was debating on heaters in return or skimmer that helps with my decision, I currently have my thermocouple in DT have also considered moving it to sump to get rid of a wire

 

[Dburr1014]

T

Thank you I was debating on heaters in return or skimmer that helps with my decision, I currently have my thermocouple in DT have also considered moving it to sump to get rid of a wire

If the thermocouple is in the sock section it is as far away from the heaters as can be (pump section) so your temp should be equal throughout the system.

 

[TMC]

I feel so naked LOL

I think while I have everything out except the ATO reservoir I'm going to cut a couple hole for fans

 

[minus9]

If you can squeeze the heater(s) in the middle section, that would be best. The last thing you want is your return running dry and your heaters exploding on you. I've also put them in the fuge without issue, but that's a personal preference. If you're dead set on ulva, then create a barrier so any loose bits don't make it to the return, otherwise your display will be full in no time. Pods, bristle worms, spaghetti worms, mini brittles, etc....are all you need in the fuge area. If you want an actual refugium, then a tray of mud, sand and some rubble will help create a nice area for micro fauna to thrive. The thermostat/probe should be one chamber removed from the heaters and if there's a space in the display that you can hide it, even better.

 

[TMC]

9 hrs later and I think it went well pretty happy with it for now might make some adjustments after it runs for a bit.

I did go ahead and put my heaters in the return to see how it runs and left the probe in the display it hides pretty good behind the overflow and I've had good success with my temps ranging between 78.2 and 78.9 consistently. I do have room in the middle for the heaters if there's too much fluctuation.

The fuge section has a sponge filter between it and the middle section which fills from the bottom my thought was for the flow to come in from top fill middle from bottom the fill return from top so it doesn't just flow straight across there is also a sheet of black polyethylene between fuge and middle to help with light spillage but that thing is bright, the clamp will go away next week when a thicker piece of poly comes in. At the top of the fuge baffle there are a series of holes 1/2 inch above normal water level in case the filter gets clogged it can still flow.
This is what I thought I had for new growth.

This is what I really had lol this stuff grows crazy fast even with a crap light it has grown more than 4 times original in 2 weeks if it did manage to get into the display I don't think it would be too much of an issue my Magnificent LOVES it.

 

[minus9]

I would move your heaters to that middle chamber, no reason to cram all of that stuff in the last chamber, plus, it will never run dry.

 

[Spare time]

Heaters in the pump section and the thermocouple in the sock section.

Heaters in the pump section is a very bad idea. They need to be in an area that has no possibility of the water level dropping too low.