A couple of planning questions for 75g reef

[trilinearmipmap]

1. I want a sump with as much space for refugium as possible. An in-sump skimmer must take up a lot of sump room, I have seen some skimmers that are in-sump but can be plumbed to run out of the sump freeing up sump space (considering a Euro-Reef skimmer). Is there any downside to having the skimmer plumbed outside of the sump?

2. I may want to run FOWLR for 6 to 12 months before going reef. I will have 3 x 40W fluorescent fixtures available (two come with tank, one I have lying around). Is this enough to get decent coralline growth in a FOWLR?

3. For eliminating air bubbles in the sump from the skimmer, is there another option besides baffle walls? I have read about people running the skimmer output through a micron filter bag, does this make sense?

[BCOrchidGuy]

Good questions and I think most of the answers you get will be personal opinion rather than biblical standards.. meaning.. nothing is written in stone.

First off, if you go fowlr, why do you want a refugium, and if you do want to keep a refugium having it in the sump isn't the best place for it. Thats just my opinion. A refugium should be above the tank so the outflow can bring pods etc... back to the tank with out the sheering action of a pump killing a large number of them. The only down side to having the skimmer out side the sump is the potential for leaks... thats all I can think of anyway.

3 Fluorescents will do well for coraline algae especially if you have at least 1 that is actinic... in my opinion coraline algae grows best under actinic and lower light rather than under intense light.

For eliminating air bubbles in your tank, you can try to control the amount of air going into your skimmer OR you can run your skimmer out flow through some carbon...The idea of a micron bag is interesting.. you would need to clean it often I would imagine or replace it.

[Quinn]

dez has no baffles... his overflow is straight down into the stand and therefore minimal bubbles. i think he has some bioballs in there to help though.

[trilinearmipmap]

Thanks for the advice.

I want a refugium for growing macroalgae to lower my nitrates, the FOWLR is just a temporary plan so I can get the hang of things before going reef. I agree an above-tank refugium overflowing into the tanks is better from the point of view of pods but I want a setup that can all fit into my stand.

[Skimmerking]

Who says you can't have a DSB with FOWLR. So when it comes time to go reef you have the filteration already there.

[Quinn]

post on DSB's in FO tanks over on RC... http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=172651

[BCOrchidGuy]

I don't agree with the fish store, UNLESS he was planning on buying something that digs alot... and deep. DSB in a fish only tank would be awesome, although the fish can tolerate nitrates like that, it doesn't mean they will thrive like that.

[Quinn]

agreed. i say you either use DSB's in reefs and FO, or in neither. there's no reason to use a DSB in one and not the other. also, i feel that buying a burrowing fish and not having some type of substrate is just cruel.

[Troy F]

I have the occasional live 'pod and or worm in my skimmer cup and that has gone through an impeller and a becket. I wouldn't worry too much about the pump killing stuff on the way back to the tank. I have a friend who had a small fish go through his Mag24 without harm.

I had one 40W fluorescent over a 55gal tub and it was the most corraline encrusted rock I've seen. Most of it bleached under MH but it looked good at first.

I have a skimmer plumbed externally from the sump and other than the space it requires, there's no real downside.

I think with the baffles it really depends on how much flow and the skimmer return will be a big concern as well. With a little over a thousand gallons going through my sump + the skimmer return I know I couldn't do it without baffles.