My Refugium (pictures!)

just a bulb

 

GE 80894 - 26 Watt - R40 CFL - 90 W Equal - 2700K Warm White - Min. Start Temp. 5 Deg. F - 82 CRI - 50 Lumens per Watt - 15 Month Warranty | 1000Bulbs.com

 

It doesn't have to be that particular bulb. Basically you want a CFL flood light with less than 6000k color spectrum. They don't have to be over powered at all.

 

Ok sounds awesome! i think I am going to get it tomorrow. What I have now is just not enough.

 

LOL I was using a 150 watt hqi over my fuge until I found out that was overkill...LOL You live and learn. No doubt your stuff is going to rock.

 

also should my PVC pipes be 1" or 3/4" or something else?

 

Thank You. Ive had many failures in the past but I am really trying to do everything right this time around.

 

If you don't have a power head in your sump like you most likely do in your DT, and you're not shoving 30x your tank volume with your return pump, then putting live rock in your sump is just adding to your nitrate problem. I was having a "build up" problem in my fuge so I finally realized that I needed some hermits down below to help break down the chunks. I wouldn't go hail mary and put a full CUC in there, but if your gonna have rocks, you need something to help clean em'. .... . This is gonna come as a shock, as it did me when I heard it, and like me you're going to deny it. You are going to have to get rid of your Bio Wheel. You're exactly right in stating that it is a nitrate factory. That's what it is designed to be. In a fresh water environment that is what you want. In a salt water one, it's the opposite. You need anaerobic bacteria, and a biowheel as it spins mixes the water with air, and what spawns on the paddle is aerobic bacteria, which are perfect for breaking everything into nitrates. Hence, the nitrate problem you are seeing. Ditch the wheel.

 

Pipes for what?

 

I ditched the wheels yesterday but thank you for enforcing satisfaction in my decision lol I was weary about it. My LFS taught me how to make an over flow from my refugium to my sump. I am going to make 3 of them. I will post pictures when I make them but is their a generally used PVC pipe for an overflow or is it personal preference?