refugium

Snapazonie · Sep 13, 2020

Hello new to the saltwater game and new tank builder..i was wondering the truth on size of refugium for a 46 gallon rimless tank.

ichthyogeek · Sep 13, 2020

For what purpose? Why do you want a refugium?

Snapazonie · Sep 13, 2020

ichthyogeek said:
For what purpose? Why do you want a refugium?

building a saltwater tank as i said..been reading and watching videos for months..my conclusion is that my tank would benefit from one..whats your thoughts?

PicassoClown04 · Sep 13, 2020

You absolutely don’t need a fuge to run a reef tank. That said, what kind of tank are you looking to have? Sps, softy, anemones, LPS, FOWLR? If you’re looking for a copepod factory, you don’t need a very large one at all. A hang on the back or 5g should suffice. If you’re looking at one for the purpose of nutrient export and algae control, I’d go with a 10-20g one.

Snapazonie · Sep 13, 2020

footgal said:
You absolutely don’t need a fuge to run a reef tank. That said, what kind of tank are you looking to have? Sps, softy, anemones, LPS, FOWLR? If you’re looking for a copepod factory, you don’t need a very large one at all. A hang on the back or 5g should suffice. If you’re looking at one for the purpose of nutrient export and algae control, I’d go with a 10-20g one.

great answer imo..my first thought on this build was peacock manthis shrimp tank..but now its to big and have to much money in it for so..would like to have a nice saltwater scene maybe some corals and beautiful moving live attractions..your thoughts would be appreciated

PicassoClown04 · Sep 13, 2020

Snapazonie said:
great answer imo..my first thought on this build was peacock manthis shrimp tank..but now its to big and have to much money in it for so..would like to have a nice saltwater scene maybe some corals and beautiful moving live attractions..your thoughts would be appreciated

I’ve only got a 20 gallon tank but I’ve shoved a lot of stuff into it. Have 2 other tanks as well but they’re not nearly this nice yet. No fuge, just a skimmer and ATO. Had a fuge earlier but decided that I didn’t really need it since the DT was so small and I wasn’t putting a mandarin in here. Didn’t pay over $100 for anything in here, I can ID if you like something specific.

Snapazonie · Sep 13, 2020

footgal said:
I’ve only got a 20 gallon tank but I’ve shoved a lot of stuff into it. Have 2 other tanks as well but they’re not nearly this nice yet. No fuge, just a skimmer and ATO. Had a fuge earlier but decided that I didn’t really need it since the DT was so small and I wasn’t putting a mandarin in here. Didn’t pay over $100 for anything in here, I can ID if you like something specific.

ohh nice tank..first question is whats an ato?and second..whats DT mean..im sorry im new.

Acros · Sep 13, 2020

footgal said:
I’ve only got a 20 gallon tank but I’ve shoved a lot of stuff into it. Have 2 other tanks as well but they’re not nearly this nice yet. No fuge, just a skimmer and ATO. Had a fuge earlier but decided that I didn’t really need it since the DT was so small and I wasn’t putting a mandarin in here. Didn’t pay over $100 for anything in here, I can ID if you like something specific.

How long did it take for all the frags to grow to that size? Were they all 1” frags? Beautiful tank.

PicassoClown04 · Sep 13, 2020

Snapazonie said:
ohh nice tank..first question is whats an ato?and second..whats DT mean..im sorry im new.

DT is display tank. ATO is an auto top off, it just replaces the water that evaporates throughout the day.

PicassoClown04 · Sep 13, 2020

jamesdomini4 said:
How long did it take for all the frags to grow to that size? Were they all 1” frags? Beautiful tank.

You can check out the build thread but most were 1”-2” frags for the SPS. The zoas all started at 1-4 polyps (except the large orange and white colony) and pretty much everything else started at 1-2 heads. Tank got wet in February 2020

.

Snapazonie · Sep 13, 2020

footgal said:
DT is display tank. ATO is an auto top off, it just replaces the water that evaporates throughout the day.

is an ato a must have?

Snapazonie · Sep 13, 2020

Snapazonie said:
is an ato a must have?

doest a sump help the dt water line?

PicassoClown04 · Sep 13, 2020

Snapazonie said:
is an ato a must have?

Not absolutely, but it does make your life a lot easier. My 45 gallon evaporates about 5 gallons a week (no lid). Provides a lot of peace of mind if you ever need to go away for some reason. I’m away most weekends so it’s a must have for me. You don’t 100% need it but I seriously recommend one, if you buy used they are fairly cheap (mine was $30)

PicassoClown04 · Sep 13, 2020

Snapazonie said:
doest a sump help the dt water line?

No sump in my tanks, they’re AIO (all in one) the stand is empty except for a power strip and a bag of fish food

ichthyogeek · Sep 13, 2020

Snapazonie said:
doest a sump help the dt water line?

Sumps do help with the DT water line. The water level changes in the sump, but not the DT when you have the two plumbed together.

It sounds like you're really wanting a softie/LPS tank, since those have the most movement (SPS in general tend to be sticks. Lots of sticks. But at least they're colorful). Do you need a refugium? Nah. Would it potentially be helpful? Yeah. I originally asked because sometimes people are like "I want X" without really knowing why, or without knowing that they actually want Y. Extra copepods? Definitely. Fish heavy tank that needs help controlling nitrates and phosphates (like SPS dominated tanks)? Also useful. The general well-maintained tank FOWLR? Not necessarily.

Snapazonie · Sep 13, 2020

footgal said:
Not absolutely, but it does make your life a lot easier. My 45 gallon evaporates about 5 gallons a week (no lid). Provides a lot of peace of mind if you ever need to go away for some reason. I’m away most weekends so it’s a must have for me. You don’t 100% need it but I seriously recommend one, if you buy used they are fairly cheap (mine was $30)

so if im thinking correctly I will need a close water supply to have a ATO?

PicassoClown04 · Sep 13, 2020

Snapazonie said:
so if im thinking correctly I will need a close water supply to have a ATO?

Nope, my mixing station is in the garage and my tank is upstairs. I just refill the ATO every week and that’s it

Snapazonie · Sep 13, 2020

ichthyogeek said:
Sumps do help with the DT water line. The water level changes in the sump, but not the DT when you have the two plumbed together.

It sounds like you're really wanting a softie/LPS tank, since those have the most movement (SPS in general tend to be sticks. Lots of sticks. But at least they're colorful). Do you need a refugium? Nah. Would it potentially be helpful? Yeah. I originally asked because sometimes people are like "I want X" without really knowing why, or without knowing that they actually want Y. Extra copepods? Definitely. Fish heavy tank that needs help controlling nitrates and phosphates (like SPS dominated tanks)? Also useful. The general well-maintained tank FOWLR? Not necessarily.

SPS?