Part 4: getting the refuge ready
This tank had a 3 part sump. The first chamber is where the reef flows down into the sump. In this chamber, I have a sump and a heater. The second chamber, housed a GFO reactor and that’s it. It’s the larger part of the sump and designated as the refuge.
I had already removed the GFO reactor and asked Triton about this. They mentioned as I transition I can in fact run a GFO reactor, if needed. I plan to install this outside of the sump, instead of hanging over the middle chamber like I did previously.
In this refuge, I was lacking live rock. The good part is I have had a tub of liverock running in my fish room for quite some time. So, I removed some of this liverock and put in my sump. Mindful not to put too much to shock the system but enough to help with the chateo growth.
Next, I needed a light. I was going to run a bulb and a clamp light, but I’m always paranoid about water and electrical devices. I wanted something I could mount under the stand and that was waterproof. My research showed I should seek a fuge light with an output of at least 6000K.
I went with an LED fuge light to keep heat down and it’s a small reef aquarium LED, producing 9000K of output. It had high marks at growing algae and also took a small footprint in my tank.
It’s installed and programmed to my Apex to cut on at dusk (when radions are dimming) and stay on at night to help keep the PH of my tank stable.
