small refugium area

[Eddy Haskel]

i have a 50 gallon with a 5 gallon sump divided into three equal sections. Each section is 12"x61/2". i want to start a refugium but i don't know the way to go. Should i put in a inch or two of cc or fine sand? or just some rock rubble. i plan i lighting only the refugium section and grow some caulerpa. maybe grape.

[DJ88]

Eddy,

How deep with the area you want to make into a refugium be?

If it is depp enough I'd go about 4" of a nice sand bed. Not CC. I am setting mine up shortly and will be putting a deep sand bed in that will be about 4-6" deep in one of the two refugiums.

[Eddy Haskel]

i was afraid to put in 4" because it would cause a new tank cycle with that brown algae and all that.
i was thnking of going with rock rubble like a grungy stuff about two inches and then try some grape in there with maybe one of those small flouresent screw in 20 watts equals much more things.

[Bob I]

Dr. Ron does not think it is a good idea to put a sandbed in the refugium, because sandbeds require feeding. In addition Grape Caulerpa does not require any substrate. Mine is just in a clump in the refugium, and it grows fast enough that I have had to give lots away. And BTW it is FLUORESCENT, not flourecent. :D Someday all the dyslexic folks on these boards will learn to spell. tongue.gif

[Aquattro]

Originally posted by Bob Ipema:
""In addition Grape Caulerpa does not require any substrate. ""
:D Someday all the dyslexic folks on these boards will learn to spell. tongue.gif <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">And then they'll learn to put commas after "In addition"

[Bob I]

Sorry about the missing comma. I usually stick commas in whether needed or not. I missed this one, proving I am not perfect either. :eek:

[ 02 May 2002, 07:53: Message edited by: Bob Ipema ]

[DJ88]

Bob,

I'll be putting a DSB and feeding my fuge. that is for sure. I am planning on having more than just grape caulerpa and with the sale on at J&L I am planning on adding some Miracle Mud into the fuge top layer to improve the growth of macros in there as well as in my sump rather than in the main tank.

My 02. :D

[Achilles]

Please keep in mind that with the addition of something like Miracle Mud and Mineral Mud, all of the trace elements enter your water column. We have to be careful not to assume that just because we put it in our refugium that it stays in the refugium.

This is where the slow flow through our refugiums comes in. We want to MAXIMIZE the TIME the Caulerpa has to extract nutrients from the water that is passing by it.

Just my .02

Jeff