Question about Refugiums

[navydiscus]

Ok so i know i have already posted a thread or two on this, and the last one was on hyacinth/floating plants. Well still not sure about the type, but i know i would like to use floating plants for my fuge. I was thinking about using a coral flat style tank for a fuge to maximize the surface area for the plants, but still have enough room for pump, heater, bioballs, and filter sock. Speaking of the filter sock I thought about putting the filtersock/ intake to the refugium horizontally at the bottom of the take and have the piping have a 90 degree gradual bend intake pipe to cut down on the noise of the sump. dimensions for this thing are 48Lx24Wx12T. Is that too short for a fuge if i used floating plants? I think its a cool idea and would give me some more room to set up the lighting for it underneath the stand. This is for a 185 gal tank. I also plan on having a fluval FX5 canister filter, and 2 sponge filters. Probably overkill for filtration, but i was reading the thread about using a Y gate valve on the FX5 return for water changes and i thought that idea was awesome. Also if i don't have enough room for the bioballs in the fuge i could throw in plenty in the FX5. Please critique the ideas. I'm up for any suggestions/ hearing your experiences. Last thing, is a spray bar the best type of return for a bare bottom tank? I'm probably gonna throw in a sword or two in pots and tie some anubius to some driftwood in the main tank. Try to keep it "simple" but efficient and still look good.

[DerekFF]

The only problem with running a filter sock is how quickly they clog and just start overflowing. Within 2 weeks 75% of incoming water to the sock will be back flowing right out the top. Other than that your dimensions are good for the sump. On a 4ft long sump like that you could use about 2-3ft for hyacinth growing and the last foot or so for pump/heater/bio balls. If the hyacinths do well though the bio balls will almost be worthless. Those hyas will suck way more nutrients than anything else could do. Another good plant is water lettuce. Grows as fast, It's non invasive and can be sold to a LFS come spring time for pond season. It don't think it flowers like hyacinths do though. As for the return water spray bars in my opinion are the only way to go on large tanks. They allow for good water distribution over a larger area than just a directional return


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[ashtricks]

I would keep two filter socks at hand. And change every couple of days. The dirty sock can simply be rinsed in aquarium water. Most of the bigger particulate waste would be removed by the prefilter. So my guess is you would not have a clogged sock as often.

[DerekFF]

Socks don't just "wash out" once they start getting clogged its over. Big waste of money IMO.


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[DiscusLoverJeff]

Derek,

I was told if you soak the socks in bleach over night, they are as good as new? I am building my own refugium/sump as was thinking of adding the socks as the flow poors over the live rock bed. I do understand though about the clogging as that can be a pain in the butt to monitor and maintain.

Is there a better way to handle the larger debris?

[Lenin]

I use 3 socks, I replace every 4 days, i wash them with bleach in the machine and they're good to go.

Had those 3 for 8 months now, I think they can last for two years.

[DerekFF]

I have heard of machine washing them. That may be about the only way to semi get them unclogged. Obviously the smaller the micro the faster it will clog. There's some poo/junk that just won't come out, machine wash or not. But that may be one way of extending their life.


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[a volar]

I'm using filter socks and will not change them for anything, there are different micron sizes, I'm using one short 50 microns in my 160 gal bare bottom discus tank and I replace them about every week, they never overflow, you don’t have to wait till they overflow.... I keep a long 100 microns in a sump where one 200 gal and two 40 gal tanks share, community fish tanks mostly angels and I replace them about every 4 days.
Now, dirty filter sock are placed in a 5 gal bucket with water and about 2-3 cups of bleach, I leave them there for days until I have about 8 or 10 socks, then washing them in the washing machine, water and bleach only.

[DerekFF]

A lot of time and money you have all spent on these socks. Changing every 4 days. $6-8 per sock times 8-10 socks plus the cost of running a load of laundry.


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[a volar]

A lot of time and money you have all spent on these socks.


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Not at all, you'll spend more time cleaning a sponge and a canister filter for sure, money? every sock cost about $5.00 and last forever

[DerekFF]

Not at all, you'll spend more time cleaning a sponge and a canister filter for sure, money? every sock cost about $5.00 and last forever

Sponge filters take 10 seconds to squish clean, no one even mentioned canisters as that's no at all relative to what were talking about. And the cost of running a load of laundry adds up too for every time these need to be cleaned. I just don't like having to replace filter media every 4 days.


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[a volar]

Sponge filters take 10 seconds to squish clean, no one even mentioned canisters as that's no at all relative to what were talking about. And the cost of running a load of laundry adds up too for every time these need to be cleaned. I just don't like having to replace filter media every 4 days.


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OP mention canisters, please re-read............... everything else, it's all about preferences......

[navydiscus]

So why not put a sponge filter in the overflow piping where it enters the fuge, and make that peice of piping able to be twisted off for ease of cleaning of the sponge filter. I mentioned using an FX5 canister for the main source of flow through the tank, and for water changes because i know the slower the flow through a fuge the better the plants are able to soak up the good stuff. So the flow through the fuge may not be adequate for a 185 gallon tank. Opinions?

[DerekFF]

Flow for plants absorbing nutrients isn't really relevant. They'll get nutrients wether it's fast or slow. A medium flow so that your plants aren't being pushed into the far side of the sump is your goal there. Slow flow if for bacterial denitrification. I wouldn't put a sponge filter IN the pipe but I saw a thread here somewhere and there were sponge filters used below the pipe dump somehow.


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