Protein skimmer on or off?

[Arom0024]

Should I run the protein skimmer during cycling?

 

[jenreefer]

Not necessary. Make sure you test it though and see that it is operational and ready to go.

 

[Diesel]

^^^^^+1 ^^^^^

 

[Arom0024]

Sounds good thanks. What about the refugium should I have that up and going with the DSB and cycle same time

 

[Diesel]

Sounds good thanks. What about the refugium should I have that up and going with the DSB and cycle same time

YES ASAP please.

 

[jenreefer]

^^^^^^+1^^^^^^^^ I had refugium up on day one.

 

[Arom0024]

Ok cool sounds good what you use as substrate? I was just going to use live sand like I'm using for the main tank

 

[jenreefer]

my fuge is bare bottom, rock rubble and four types of macro in section 2. It depends on what you want to do with your fuge. What are your goals?

 

[Arom0024]

I would like to get one of those dragon fish and grow the food in there sorry I'm still learning

 

[jenreefer]

Then work on getting some macro algae going and you will start your pod population going. You can order some pods online at Algae Barn or other places and get it kick started. You do not need sand for pods. Just a nice Macro garden for them to reproduce in without predation.. Wait at least 12 months before adding a dragonet. It takes a long time for a mature pod population to become established. If you try to go too fast, these little guys will starve, which is very sad.

Jen

 

[Arom0024]

So what is the sand bed for I would like it to help with filtration

 

[Arom0024]

So what is the sand bed for exactly I would also like the fuge to help with filtration

 

[Arom0024]

This is my setup still in progress and getting all the info I can

 

[jenreefer]

Sand will not help with filtration, rock will. Sand helps with denitrification as a place for bacteria to grow. Deep sand beds used to be in vogue, but have been replaced with other ways to grow bacteria. There is a lot of reading that can be done on this subject and many differing opinions. Most these days try to avoid deep sand beds due to too much room for trapping detritus and chances of releasing bad stuff into the water if disturbed.
soooo, start reading and finding out how best to achieve what you want to achieve. Live rock, dead rock, marine pure, bacteria in a bottle, all have merit and should be considered.

Nice setup. You can make that a really great reef in time.
good luck

Jen

 

[Arom0024]

I hope so thankyou for your help. In your opinion what substrate should I use for a fuge then?

 

[jenreefer]

What do you want your fuge to do? If it is for filtration, removal of nitrates and phosphates and a place for pods to grow, put in some small pieces of live rock and macro algae with an appropriate grow light. Of course, you will want your protein skimmer in the first chamber where your water is flowing to. then the refugium, then the chamber for water to be returned to the main tank. This gives you options. Do not try to grow maco without a proper grow light, which can be purchased at home depot for under $10.

 

[Arom0024]

That is exactly what I am looking for. So what is the substrate for then?

 

[mcarroll]

I would like to get one of those dragon fish and grow the food in there sorry I'm still learning

It's a fish tank if you have fish in it. It's a coral tank if you have corals in it. A refugium is a "refuge" from all these hungry mouths.

 

[Diesel]

That is exactly what I am looking for. So what is the substrate for then?

Sand bed or a DSB is for bacterial purpose and other small weird critters that help you to refuge.

 

[Brew12]

That is exactly what I am looking for. So what is the substrate for then?

The sand bed is mostly there for you to look at. Many people have beautiful tanks with no substrate at all.
Some species of fish and inverts will also need sand, so if you want one of those you will need the correct type of substrate to match its needs.