Refugium

[reefkeeper55]

Thinking about turning one of my old 75 gallon tanks into a fuge...already have everything needed except for a few feet of pvc...I have 2 - 75 gal empty tanks one of which is drilled....I have a 150 MH that is not being used, several different mag drive pumps of which I think the biggest is a Mag 5. Looking at some setups on you tube it looks somewhat easy to do I will just have to pump the water from the fuge back to the sump in the DT. Was wondering which of the two tanks would be easier to use...if I use the drilled tank I could just use a 30 gal underneath but if I use the undrilled one I have a Rena XP3 that I could also use....any thoughts? Would this not be very benefical in reducing nitrates? Thanks

 

[ErinCahir]

Do you have a sump set up already?

 

[reefkeeper55]

only the one under my DT - the wet/dry that seems to be a nitrate factory...

 

[ErinCahir]

Before I set up my sump/refugium I also had a wet/dry. Do you have bioballs?

 

[reefkeeper55]

no, tookk thos e out a couple of years ago..did have sm pieces of live rock in there but when I got the chaeto from Biff I took the rock out, added it to my DT and put a sock in where the chaeto is now ....sock gort really dirty in one day so maybe it would help...which of my two 75's do you think would be the best to use? I just happened to stumble across a set up that looked pretty cool...it is on you tube...just type in - big mantis shrimp in marine refugium - I think his fuge is 50 gal

 

[reefkeeper55]

sorry sbout the misspelled words but am still at work and trying to hurry before my patient arrives!!

 

[ErinCahir]

Don't worry about it!
I've seen that video! Love it!

I think the undrilled tank would be better. I don't think the drilled would help at all seeing as you're moving the water from bottom to top instead of top to bottom. There's some pictures of mine in my build thread... https://www.livingreefs.com/erins-150-a-t28813p3.html

 

[reefkeeper55]

Don't have room under my 150 for the 75 of course, so was thinking about setting it back up on the other end of my living room that way it would still be on the same side as my DT...could I still leave my wet dry in place and just pump from that to the 75 fuge? then I could pump the water back from the fuge to the DT...lot of moving water, huh?

 

[ErinCahir]

I would say the wet dry is unnecessary... But I get what you're saying.

If it was me, I would just go from the fuge to the DT. Do you have a skimmer set up already?

 

[reefkeeper55]

My 150 has 2 skimmers for now- a hang on the back Aqua C Remora Pro that I was using until I got the new Aqua C EV 240 that has a mag drive 1800 pump.....was going to take the hang on off so I could put my canopy back on but just trying to wait until I'm sure the new one is working at it's best...someone today at mu LFS mentioned trying a nitrate reactor to get rid of the dreaded nitrates....

 

[Bifferwine]

Nitrate reactors are expensive and 99.99% of the time they are not necessary. I would try all other options first before you resort to a nitrate reactor. To me, it sounds like your LFS is trying to make some easy money off of you.