I was just thinking what's the optimal amount of turnover or current that you should have running through your refugium? How do you guys do it powerheads? I have mine on a seperate line from the sump so it doesn't get much current just some from a powerhead going in to keep the water circulated. Just curious.

Henry

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Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall down an open manhole and die.
-Mel Brooks

When I piped my overflows I installed 2 tee's with 1" ball valves, This way I can open up a ball valve and run it right from the overflows into the refugium....I have read that less is best, somewhere around 100-200 GPH sounds good to me.

The data and posts i have read suggest that less then 4 turn overs per hour of your refuge water content is a good idea... So if your refuge is say a 10 gal tank, then a flow rate of 40 gal/hr or less is best..this allows time for the nutrients to be absorbed and keeps the flow low so that the critters can move about... I use a small Rio 90 with a valve that is turned down...

The literature I have read says that the turnover on a refugium should bo 1/hr. That is 10 gal/hr. for a 10 gal/ tank. I have mine set at 1/hr, and my rearing tanks are set at 4/hr.

Originally posted by golfish:
When I piped my overflows I installed 2 tee's with 1" ball valves, This way I can open up a ball valve and run it right from the overflows into the refugium....I have read that less is best, somewhere around 100-200 GPH sounds good to me.

Exactly what I did in the 200 gal. I will do the same as soon as I can in the 75 gal.
I see more benefits in overflowing both the refugiums instead of using the siphon return.
Some benefits I noticed:

-water level in refugium is steady, no matter how much you increse the flow (since it overflows)
-you can shut it down (if needed?) by simply closing the valve
-since it overflows, the water surface doesnt get a film of any kind (bacterial, dust, algae) because of the slow circulation

But to do that on the 75 gal will require me to break up the refugium/algae tank to have it drilled on the side for the overflow. I did it on the refugium in the 200 gal because I was starting it from scratch.
I will update it with pics on my webpage as soon as I have the time for it.

Joaco



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My webpage Updated 28th February 2001

Ninong or Spasse....any ideas here?

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Todd A Phillips

My 120gallon Reef Tank