Equip & Sump Refugium UNS R120 Shallow

[wildlywander]

I am in the planning stages for a reef tank upgrade.

Current tank - UNS 60A (20 gallons) - just running with a filter sock and a makeshift refugium in the center filtration compartment.

It has been up and running about 16 months now. 2 clowns, tailspot blenny, yellow watchman, mated pistol shrimp pair, peppermint shrimp, cleaner shrimp. Various soft corals and a couple LPS. The clowns were about 1/2" when I got them and they have chunked up so it is time to give them more space! Also want to add a dragonet or mandarin as a future fish with the upgrade. So I want to be able to sustain a good cocopod population.

At this time I will not be adding a skimmer to the new tank. I want to make the sump a refugium. I am not familiar with sumps and have just started researching. The UNS sump has 4 compartments I believe. I will be keeping the filter sock compartment but probably not all 3. So it can allow cocopods to freely move about the system. Is that a thing? Or should I run all 3 socks? Also, would you use the compartment made for the skimmer as the refugium area along with the refugium compartment? Or just run it in the refugium compartment? The skimmer area looks to be over twice as much space.

I am planning a lagoon type mixed reef. I have macroalgaes in the display and a mangrove currently that would be moving over. I run an AI Prime 16HD on the current tank and have 3 for the new build. Also have a Neptune Systems COR 20 as my return pump for new build. Thinking 2x 200 w titanium heaters. UNS has an ATO system for the reef system so would be using that. Anything you would suggest??

Thanks for your time and help!!!

 

[Rocks reef]

I'd run one sock. If you aren't going to use a skimmer, I'd use the largest compartment for the refugium.

 

[wildlywander]

I'd run one sock. If you aren't going to use a skimmer, I'd use the largest compartment for the refugium.

Awesome! Thanks for the reply : )

 

[Sharbuckles Reef]

Awesome choice of tank. I’m curious, why exactly don’t you want to run a skimmer?

 

[UNS_Brandon]

Here's the overhead shot of the R120 sump. The skimmer chamber would make a really nice mangrove refugium. Remove the lid and mount a light. The "regular" refugium could serve as a Chaeto chamber or simply house filtration media for pods. I would still run all of the socks.

 

[Seregus]

My little suggestion is to add slots to house two heaters in the main drain and spare drain sections.
Would be space saving and also logical to have heaters always submerged and with maximum flow rate.

 

[Seregus]

Also for socks - instead of socks put a Roller mat filter from Red Sea - it will clear your water and safe time, the best mechanical filter you could have