Freshwater Refugium

[xjman18]

Alright so I'll try to keep this short. I have a 210 gallon freshwater tank that I am completely redesigning. I am building a new stand and canopy and redoing everything. I really want to put a refugium on the tank using a 65 gallon measuring 48x18x17. The way my I'm building my stand the refugium is going to be visible as a secondary display tank that I plan on keeping plants in as well as possibly a few dwarf Indian puffers and some hillstream loaches. I like being different and thinking outside of the box when it comes to stuff like this so that's why I'm doing it. My questions are in regards to my refugium. I am new to this. When I place a heater in the refugium is it supposed to be large enough to heat the primary tank or just the refugium? Also I've heard that when you lose power you risk the main tank overflowing the refugium. Is this corrected by putting a check valve in and if so does it need to be in both the intake and return or just one or the other. Lastly i plan on having a CO2 system so should i have diffusers in both main and refugium or just one or the other? Sorry this is so long just really eager to get this project off the ground.

 

[Steveo McNello]

You need enough heat to heat the entire system.

Your refugium should be large enough to hold all of the water from the lowest point of the overflow to the top of the tank.

And of you have a refugium, you most likely have an overflow, which will off gas most of your co2 id imagine. Canisters work much better with little to no surface agitation for plants with co2.


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[xjman18]

I have a fluvial fx5 on the tank right now that I plan on running in conjuction with the refugium. It's mainly emergency backup but I guess if I ran the CO2 in line with that it would work right?

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[duanes]

I use refugiums on my freshwater tanks, if you run heaters in the main tank, a smaller one in the refugium is fine. I don't have a heater in mine at all, because I breed small shrimp in it, and they prefer it cooler. I run separate pump lines to the refugiums from the sumps, so if power goes out they don't overflow, and also put them in, or near windows to allow sunlight to add extra light for emergent plants and algae, which feed the shrimp, and help control nitrates. They are also great places for fry.

 

[Steveo McNello]

Inline co2 on the fluval isnt going to matter if your overflow is crashing water 24/7.


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[burbon44s]

Do you have an overflow on the main tank?
In your refugium, are you going to have different compartments for filter pads, like a sump?

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[xjman18]

I'm planning on building my own overflow and yes the refugium will have filter media in it in the sump.

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[burbon44s]

This is my refugium and I run co2.
If u have filter compartments and co2 works well.
And if u have an overflow, you won't have to worry about over filling during power outages

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[badassissimo]

Nice

 

[Jc1119]

No heater, but I drill siphon breaks and run swing checks. My refugium only changes about an inch from on to off on this system. Plumbed Beananimal external box.

iPhone phone pic...


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