I have a 45g main tank with 2-3 inches of fine sand in it. I am going to add a second tank under it on an overflow. The second tank is a 20g converted fw tank. It has a 18" NO light in the hood. I am thinking of using two cut down 2liter soda bottles to house the overflow line and return pump in either corner. In the bulk of the tank I am thinking of putting 4" of crushed coral and live rock to grow pods. I also am considering growing Chato(sp) in there. Question: Do you think that 12 hours of that light level is enough to gro the Macro? Will the substrate become a nitrate factory? I am thinking that I will not be able to vaccume the crushed coral as I would be sucking out the pods in the process. Is this the wrong approach?
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Fuge substrate
- Thread starter tonyjared
- Start date
I say skip the crushed coral.
In my fuges I liked a live rock rubble barebottom (golf ball sized pieces) with cheatomorpha.
I opted for a high flow refugium in order to prevent a lot of things from settling on the bottom. I never understood the reasons for a low flow fuge and no one has been able to give me a good reason why a slow, nearly stagnant refugium is "better".
In my lower flow fuges with all the "mud" substrates my cheato would darken and become brittle. Growth was pathetic.
As soon as I cranked up the flow things took off.
On my 65g I had 900gph through my 20g refugium. I was pruning cheato more often than I was cleaning the glass in the display tank.
On my 15g I had 600gph through a 12g refugium. Same thing.
SO...my opinion...cheato lit 12-18 hours/day on a reverse light cycle, barebottom with LR rubble for pods n such and fast flow.
In my fuges I liked a live rock rubble barebottom (golf ball sized pieces) with cheatomorpha.
I opted for a high flow refugium in order to prevent a lot of things from settling on the bottom. I never understood the reasons for a low flow fuge and no one has been able to give me a good reason why a slow, nearly stagnant refugium is "better".
In my lower flow fuges with all the "mud" substrates my cheato would darken and become brittle. Growth was pathetic.
As soon as I cranked up the flow things took off.
On my 65g I had 900gph through my 20g refugium. I was pruning cheato more often than I was cleaning the glass in the display tank.
On my 15g I had 600gph through a 12g refugium. Same thing.
SO...my opinion...cheato lit 12-18 hours/day on a reverse light cycle, barebottom with LR rubble for pods n such and fast flow.
