Refugium discussion

Hi,
I have a 125 gal. with a 50 gal. fuge/sump. I have 6" of of sand (sugar),the top 1" being live sand from the ocean.I did not add any live stock for 8 mos. I also have 6" of sand in my DT. This sand is a little more course than my fuge with the top layer (1")being live sand from the ocean. Different grades of sand produce different species of fauna. The waiting period of 8 mos. gave my fauna time to reproduce and become stable before adding corals and fish. My fuge has chaeto and live rock rubble (2"/3"in size) in a corner near the return. I don't use a skimmer but I do use Granulated carbon.My flow is approx. 800 gph from my overflow, some of which is piped to a 10 gal. aquarium sitting above the fuge with some sand and rock rubble and overflows close to the return pump. This tank has 12 peppermint shrimp in it and their babies (some almost every night) come to the little nite light over the overflow down to the return pump to the DT where I have a mated pair of Mandarins that are nice and fat.Copepods,amphipods,mysids galore, and for the 8 mos,I fed my system phyto and liquid filter feeders food and still do but not as often.In my fuge I have two serpent stars,two Cuc's,lots of bristle worms (also in DT),Cerith and Nassarius snails.

 

Well done

Well done by giving your refugium time to grow it will reward you as you have seen

 

Thanks 414-242. I've had this system set up since 1995 and have never had a problem. I feel my success is due to the many books I read and all the research I did before I ever put water in my tank. Altho there are some changes I could make.( ex.electronic ballast, LED lighting and etc.)

 

I wanted to bump this thread after reading it all awesome info. I think the peppermint shrimp is interesting I have never heard that.

 

Keeping It Simple.

Throw a little calerpa in your top tank overflow and harvest 50% as needed.
Keep two very small nylon bags of bio pellets laying passively in the sump and you will have the marine world by the snail shells.