refugium size ?

Hello all just looking for more info on a few things as refugium so go.

my tank is. 60 gal with a 25-30 gal sump size.

I'm trying to find out min refug size currently mine is 5.71 gallons 22" long x 5" wide x 12 tall

I can move baffle over 2" but will take from return section currently my return is 8 gallons if I move baffle I will have 7 gallons on both return and refug

also what works best to put on floor of refug getting mixed answers

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That looks nice. Custom unit?

I have a 72 gallon which i am setting up and am going to be using a 5 gallon refugium. I would go with a 10 but I don't have room under my stand.

 

Like above I am limited to the size of my sump by the dimensions of my cabinet but in my opinion I always try and get away with the biggest sized sump I can. In the past I have experienced more than once a chamber too small to fit an upgraded piece of equipment, usually a skimmer

So think about what equipment/ chaeto etc is going in and base it around that

 

Personally the way I run my tank I would leave it with small refugium...but...
It's nearly impossible to answer the question because everyone runs their tank in a different way. If you're a person that really relies on the refugium for nutrient control you would need one much larger. My guess is with your space you are going to just have it there as a means to possibly absorb some bad things like heavy metals and other unknown things.
I like what alfie said above about space for new equipment. If you don't have room for pump, heaters and future things like a bio pellet reactor I would maybe even go with no refugium.. but like I said that's me and the way I would run it.

Another option you could look at some of the newer sump designs that have baffles lengthwise. It could make the space you have more efficient.

 

I put a 30 gallon refugium for my 90 gal display for nutrient export and it worked like a charm. I just recently switched to biopellets again using ecobak due to me wanting all the equipment in the sump incase of a leak from them. I've read also some people saying that you need a fuge as large as the tank you have for it to work effectively. I don't know how that would work with some guys that have massive systems, but I believe that with proper maintenance and feedings you can reach a fairly low nutrient system. My tank was always unreadable nitrates and .04-.06ppm phosphates with the fuge and skimmer. No GFO or phosguard.

 

yeah I built it.

 

equipment was already planned thanks

 

I did thanks and also designed if a upgrade size of anything is put in.

 

I dont really understand the point of the question you asked then regarding the size....

Anyway, any sump needs to be able to absorb the water that will flow from the display in the event of a loss of power, if its too small you will end up with a wet floor

 

Some people use a sb in the refugium but its not needed if you are growing chaeto.Also the exact gallonage of the refug. really is not something to worry about as long as there is enough room for the algaes you intend to grow.