? About a refugium

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

I have a sump that has a refugium section to it got do I start it and what to put in?

 

[CastAway]

Macroalgae, and perhaps some live rock rubble.

 

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

No plants?

 

[CastAway]

I've always considered them one and the same.

 

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

Okay how do I get micro-algae? Just a light on top of my sump?

 

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

Sorry new at this

 

[CastAway]

You can buy macroalgae on-line, or sometimes at local fish stores. A plant spectrum light is all you need. The plants will serve both to extract unwanted nutrients from the water, and, to serve as habitat for tiny life forms that benefit your fish and coral. It's called a refugium because it's a "refuge" for the plants and tiny life forms, free of predation (at least from the other life forms we keep in our display tanks). Chaetomorpha, often called just "chaeto", is a popular macroalgae. It does not root, but instead just tumbles or floats. Other macroalgae, like any one of a variety of caulerpa, will root, and for such using the rubble is good. The rubble also serve to host tiny creatures called copepods and amphipods, or "pods" for short. Because macroalgae also consume CO2, it can be used to keep pH stable by using a reverse light cycle, lighting the refugium overnight, and darkening it in the daytime. I enjoy my own refugium as much as I do my display tank I think. Keep us posted on what you do with yours!

 

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

+1 castaway
Thanks for explaining it to me.

 

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

I got my cheto should I keep my light on all day on my refugium until ph stables?

 

[Jc_ellis]

For ph stability, you want to run the refugium light when your main tank lights are off.

 

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

Okay... So only at night?

 

[vic67]

Yes at night to temper the pH swing. I have chaeto, LR, RR in my fuge.

 

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

Lr? Rr? I have cateo now

 

[vic67]

Live Rock and Rock Rubble.

 

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

Ok those with help with ph overall?

 

[Bluelobstor]

Ok those with help with ph overall?

No, the rocks do nothing for ph. Photosynthesis occurs when the lights are on and the organisms uptake CO2, when the lights turn off the organisms quit photosynthesizing they respire therefore releasing CO2 in the water decreasing the ph. The purpose of running the fuge on reverse daylight is when the organisms in the DT are releasing CO2 the organisms in the fuge are up taking the released CO2, thereby keeping the ph stable. Hope that makes sense.

 

[vic67]

Not really a help with pH but I have minimal LR in my DT so I have extra in the fuge. In my other tank I have the LR/RR for the copepods to breed and hang out.

 

[Bluelobstor]

The live rock is just for filtration and a place for critters to hide and attachment spots for macros

 

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

 

[Xbreakxitxdownx]

Do you know a product that will help ph raise? I tried r/o right for buffers aquavitro balance it raises it but then just drop eventually I'm lost lol