Flow Rate to Refugium

[rroselavy]

Hello all-

Here's some more Refugium questions. Any input appreciated!

1) I've read from several forums about flow rate through a refugium. The consensus is that flow should be slower, but some argue that people tend to put too little flow through their refugium. What is your turnover rate for your refugium volume? 1x, 5x, et cetera?


2) To control the flow rate through the refugium, I have read of several options:

a) Some people may design their sump/refugiums with a bypass so all the flow from the skimmer chamber does not go through the refugium.

b) Other people have their overflow split and use a ball or gate valve to control the balance of flow. This means that raw DT water is flowing through the refugium, which (I assume) could result in a excess build-up of detritus.

c) Other people may have a dedicated line from the sump (or DT) up to the refugium, and then use gravity to get the water back to the sump. This is how a HOB refugium works.

d) Some other option I have not read about or am not recalling.


Which do you have and why?

I am leaning toward option c), where I will have a maxijet pumping skimmed water up to the 4.5g refugium chamber, and then just have the water overflow back into the sump. Flow rate can be controlled by simply replacing the pump with a suitable one.

Thanks!

[CarmieJo]

I know that a lower flow is optimal but I don't have that option with my setup. So, for what it is worth, the caulerpa just gets the whole 600 ghp (or so) and does just fine.