how big of a refugium do i need for a 20 gallon?

Question

i want to make a refugium and if anyone has any tips on how to do this it would be great
thanks

Answer 1

Nothing says you have to have ANY refugium on ANY marine tank, so the size is entirely up to you (and the space, equipment, and money you have available). They are nice because it gives you an area where you can cultivate macroalgae to remove some nutrients, raise copepods or inverts, or isolate injured or bully fish. If nothing else, it increases the overall water volume so dilutes the wastes better.

You can do anything from converting an old hang-on filter: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/hagenrefugart.htm

to as creative as making a DIY refugium that's larger than the tank itself: http://www.rockethead.net/diy_refugium.htm

There are premade refugia you can buy (or even find one used on aquabid or ebay), but if you make your own, you get the size and features you want. There are more plans and ideas out there - all you need to do is Google DIY refugium.

Answer 2

Anthony Calfo recommends that a refugium be at least 20% of your tank volume, but a 2 gallon tank would be hard plumb. I would suggest using another 20 gallon tank underneath your display, because it gives you ample room to add equipment (return pump, skimmer, heater, etc.) and still have a substantial fuge. The larger water volume will help keep your parameters more stable as well.

I built my own using a standard glass tank, some glass baffles cut by a local glass store, and aquarium silicone. You can create 3 sections in your sump - a skimmer section, a refugium section, and a return section. Each section will be divided by 2 baffles. Make the skimmer section just large enough to house your skimmer, and then divide the remaining space in your sump evenly between the refugium section and the return section. Have the water flow from an overflow box in your display to the skimmer section. The water will then pass through the refugium, and finally to the return section which connects back to your display. You can check out www.melevsreef.com for some good sump ideas. His Model F sump is another good basic design. I hope that helps point you in the right direction.

Cheers

Answer 3

A 5 or 10 gallon would be fine. The bigger the better of course.

The way i set mine up was to put it above the display tank I pump water up into the Refugium and then let it drain back into the display. I set up a tolet float valve to control the circulation and cause a wave action. But you can do an open drain setup but they can be loud. I ran a seperate over flow pipe on mine which meant I could plug the one on the tolet valve which keeps the drain from sucking air. You can use a plastic tub of any size.

The possibilities are endless so if you would post where you will be putting the refugium then the answer can be more catered to your needs.

PK

Answer 4

10 Gallon Refugium