New Refuge setup questions

[Dive_Master]

I am setting up a a refugium, hopefully to further reduce nitrates. I am planning to add many different species of algae.

What are the best species to house in this 24" x 12" x 4" refugium?

Do I need to add any special trace elements to keep the algae flourishing?

Also, I would like to add small clown, cleaner or possibly fire shrimp together with a cucumber. Is this a good combination to keep the refugium look like a tank? It will hang off the side of my display tank.

Also, what about lighting. Do I need a power compact over the refugium? Does it have to be a smart lamp?

Thanks for the help.

[Ninong]

Check out SPASSE's website for some helpful info on his macroalgae in his really large refugium. http://www.homestead.com/spasse/Old180Gallon.html

Anyway, I would like to address a couple of your points. First, do not put a Clownfish in a tank that is only 4"W x 24"L, it will be stressed. Secondly, do not put a cucumber in a sandbed area that small, it will starve to death.

One of the reasons people usually set up refugia is to provide a refuge for the all the micro critters (amphipods, copepods, etc.) that are a good food source for their main tank. If you put anything in the refugium that eats any of those guys, then it's no longer a refugium (refuge). You may be limited in what you could put in there anyway because of the narrow 4" width.

Your lighting doesn't have to be a power compact, but that would certainly be more than enough if that's what you would like to use. You could use either 6700K, 8800K, 10,000K or a smartlite--take your pick. Or you could use a T8 NO fluorescent of the appropriate size. You will get faster growth of the macroalgae with the stronger lighting provided by the PC.

You don't want to add anything for the macroalgae. The whole point of this exercise is for the macroalgae to subtract something from the main system, mainly excess nutrients like nitrates, etc. What you do want to add is light so that the macroalgae can just photosynthesize until their heart's content.

Good luck,

Ninong