This might be a no-brainer question to few or most, I am just having a hard time understanding the interaction of these two.
I have a 75G DT with 20L sump, the sump is basically set up with a filter sock, water passes through the length of the sump (recently added chaeto to this section, sump has no baffles) and meets the return pump (has filter sponge) at the end of the sump. The tank has very little bio-load and I do a 10G WC every week with no dosing, tank parameters have been stable, I have very few LPS with mostly softies so I have been lucky with my nutrients so far.
But, like everyone else, wanted to add more fish, possibly will get into SPS as well, so got chaeto and setup refugium so I have pods for mandarin that I plan on adding in the future and chaeto to combat nitrate and phosphate.
As I understand with higher bioload, protein skimmer would help control nutrients and ensure they don't go out of hand, till I get around to the next WC, is that safe to assume?
If that's true, what is the ideal location to install the skimmer? before refugium ( am worried about stripping the nutrients before it gets to chaeto) or after refugium (worried about pods getting killed before getting to DT).
I also have plans for building a proper sump (40G breeder) with baffles (hence my question on placement so I can design the sump) and removing the sponge on my return pump so I can have easy access of pods in the DT.
If I have a large refugium section, say on the 40G breeder, can I get by without getting a skimmer as long as I perform weekly water changes?
I have a 75G DT with 20L sump, the sump is basically set up with a filter sock, water passes through the length of the sump (recently added chaeto to this section, sump has no baffles) and meets the return pump (has filter sponge) at the end of the sump. The tank has very little bio-load and I do a 10G WC every week with no dosing, tank parameters have been stable, I have very few LPS with mostly softies so I have been lucky with my nutrients so far.
But, like everyone else, wanted to add more fish, possibly will get into SPS as well, so got chaeto and setup refugium so I have pods for mandarin that I plan on adding in the future and chaeto to combat nitrate and phosphate.
As I understand with higher bioload, protein skimmer would help control nutrients and ensure they don't go out of hand, till I get around to the next WC, is that safe to assume?
If that's true, what is the ideal location to install the skimmer? before refugium ( am worried about stripping the nutrients before it gets to chaeto) or after refugium (worried about pods getting killed before getting to DT).
I also have plans for building a proper sump (40G breeder) with baffles (hence my question on placement so I can design the sump) and removing the sponge on my return pump so I can have easy access of pods in the DT.
If I have a large refugium section, say on the 40G breeder, can I get by without getting a skimmer as long as I perform weekly water changes?