Refugium for Discus

[a012210]

I do mainly saltwater but want to get back into discus. In case you're not familiar with what a refugium is, it's basically a "sump" underneath your tank that contains macro algae, and you may put bio material like live rock. The water drains into the refugium and is pumped back to the tank. The algae absorbs a lot of the nutrients out of the water, cuts down on algae in your main tank and keeps the main tank very healthy.

I thought it might be a good idea to keep the bare bottom tank but have a fresh water refugium underneath with good lighting and plants.

Any thoughts?

Allen

[brewmaster15]

Hi Allen,
Welcome to SimplyDiscus.com! Your Idea is worth giving a try, but generally most Discus Hobbyists that keep a bare tank depend on water changes to remove the wastes like Nitrates... thats not to say that a refugium would not be of a benefit... it could be of great help in water purity..just be sure not to rely on it in lieu of water changes... especially if you are growing out young fish being fed alot and often. Keep us posted if you go that route..


Some of us use a semi-refugium idea.. Hanging plants like pothos and philodendrons can soak up some of the wastes..others use a bare tank with potted plants...so all variations on the same theme.

Hth,
al

[Fishworm]

dont know if it's ben tried in freshwater, but I dont see why it wouldnt work. you could fill it with some very fast growing plants like elodea (if they will survive the higher temps).

I have an old 55 gallon tank connected to my 75 gallon reef that is devided into a sump and a refugium.

[brewmaster15]

If its just for water purification....look into water Sprite...it grows like a weed, sucks up Nitrates and is very forgiving..

hth,
al

[a012210]

fishmaster and brewmaster15...great stuff!

Thank you both for the replies....

[a012210]

Could anyone recommend a plant that requires no or very little lighting?

Allen

[Liaquat Sain]

Could anyone recommend a plant that requires no or very little lighting?

Allen

Now that plant doesn't exist!
If it's an aquarium variety.

Use water sprite, it doesn't need expensive lighting.
Or if you can tolerate it, Lemna spp. "duckweed" [it may be illegal, check your regional laws]
As plants grows , they soften normally hard water .

Cryptocorynes can grow in relatively low light.
BUT growth is of NO biologial filtration value, as Cryptocoryne spp are notoriously slow...IF they don't succumb to "melt" first.

[Harriett]

I'll take the liberty of speaking for Larry [Polar Bear] since he has been haunting other places besides SD the last year or so, but here is what he has, with a large refugium set up.
In his living room is a 125g discus tank. It is plumbed so that directly below it, in the basement, there are double 55 gal drums piped together on a high stand that then is plumbed into a big tank below that is a heavily planted lit refugium, plumbed to a wet/dry besidie it, and back up to the tank upstairs--it gives him a total water count of near 300 gallons. Clean up by python of tank bottom only and water changes are in the basement. It is one healthy tank system! Very impressive. The refugium works very well.
Best regards
Harriett