Adding refugium

[Hermie]

Honestly you could just stick a light in an empty chamber and it will grow algae.
If the light is powerful enough, it may be able to counteract the algae growing in your display. You don't necessarily have to add much macroalgae.
The point is to give microalgae a place to grow instead of your DT. Of course places to hide will be beneficial to hosting copepods down there, but you don't want too much macro algae that will out compete micro algae which the pods will eat. So this all really depends on your goal.

Are you looking for copepods, isopods, amphipods?

 

[Hermie]

also im pretty sure, you can seed your tank with pods and feed phyto to supplement pod growth and coral growth.

Yeah but that was a missing part of the original equation. Additional food including phytoplankton.

 

[Musovski]

Yeah but that was a missing part of the original equation. Additional food including phytoplankton.

wrote it earlier as well.

 

[Hermie]

wrote it earlier as well.

You did not mention phyto until my comment questioning chaeto as a "necessity" for pods (of which at the time I defined as copepods).

 

[Musovski]

Honestly you could just stick a light in an empty chamber and it will grow algae.
If the light is powerful enough, it may be able to counteract the algae growing in your display. You don't necessarily have to add much macroalgae.
The point is to give microalgae a place to grow instead of your DT. Of course places to hide will be beneficial to hosting copepods down there, but you don't want too much macro algae that will out compete micro algae which the pods will eat. So this all really depends on your goal.

Are you looking for copepods, isopods, amphipods?

Strong light wont compensate for starvation. It can help it a bit but its more of a chance to fry it than grow it. Best itll do is keep it at a stagnant size from when it was purchased.

 

[Musovski]

You did not mention phyto until my comment questioning chaeto as a "necessity" for pods (of which at the time I defined as copepods).

Said "IMO" meaning in my opinion because i like more pods in thicker algae.

 

[Hermie]

Strong light wont compensate for starvation. It can help it a bit but its more of a chance to fry it than grow it. Best itll do is keep it at a stagnant size from when it was purchased.

Starvation is an assumption, we don't know how much the OP is feeding and even the OP said themself "I know I have been trying, any suggestions, I feed g good amount."

 

[Musovski]

@reefertank If you need help, just DM me. Macroalgae is a difficult thing when it comes to peoples views. Its like politics in the real world.

Ill link you some articles to understand the needs and idea of Macroalgae which will then help you with raising pods.

 

[reefertank]

Well lift my skimmer off the last 5 months and all that happened was my algea in my display got out of control. But nitrates did not rase one bit. I just switched sumps because my other one became covered in barnacles and white sponges. Really just trying to get the algea in the dt under control.

 

[reefertank]

You can see in my display tank that the back wall there is a lot of brown algae as well as on the rocks in the white rocks were just added a couple weeks ago.

 

[jtl]

I have my sump set up as follows: refugium, skimmer and return pump. The over flow goes to the fuge, I also have a carbon reactor running off my return pump that flows in the fuge giving it a little more flow. My chaeto does not grow much because I keep my nutrients low.

 

[navathehutt]

I know I have been trying, any suggestions, I feed g good amount.

If you're crafty you can build a display refugium , get a 10 gallon tank some bulk heads /plumbing and let it drain into your main sump. My h380 light w0uld always get sweaty under an enclosed refugium having it out in the open , i like dosing into the it and having it on a night!. The Cons: I have zero nitrate and over feed my tank get around .05 of the phosphate on the hannah ulr. Also the water level can change with build up and make your ATO a little inconsistent if it changes in your main sump

 

[Hermie]

If you're crafty you can build a display refugium , get a 10 gallon tank some bulk heads /plumbing and let it drain into your main sump. My h380 light w0uld always get sweaty under an enclosed refugium having it out in the open , i like dosing into the it and having it on a night!. The Cons: I have zero nitrate and over feed my tank get around .05 of the phosphate on the hannah ulr. Also the water level can change with build up and make your ATO a little inconsistent if it changes in your main sump

So if I understand correctly, your refugium is sucking out all the nitrates ? That makes me think... I wonder if variably lighting the fuge could effeciently "control" nitrate levels...
I recall that algae prefers ammonia, so I don't know how this would work exactly...

 

[navathehutt]

So if I understand correctly, your refugium is sucking out all the nitrates ? That makes me think... I wonder if variably lighting the fuge could effeciently "control" nitrate levels...
I recall that algae prefers ammonia, so I don't know how this would work exactly...

Yes it definitely can control your nitrate levels. It's a multi variable approach though. Skimming/Fuges/Algae Reactor can sometimes be over kill. But if you have a tiny sump you may want a larger area for contact time/flow/lighting to grow chaeto/ or algae! it was fun for me to build an external refugium ( red sea 450 sump/display) and learn how to plumb pvc / drill tank. BRS 160/52 week videos has some great info for fuge lighting. Also everyone on here can help you out! When in doubt test your water and experiment with what works for you!

Cheers!

 

[Sonor]

Reefertank, the simple answer is yes you can have a sump with the return in the middle. Musocski makes some good points about flow and food. I have a small pump in the input chamber of my sump into the fuge section to supplement flow with dirty water. I also have sand 1" live rock, chaeto and some softies in my fuge. There are a lot of different methods for running your fuge. You test and adjust, to get it to work for you. I also feed my fuge and system phyto, I believe that it helps with pod production. Again just my opinion. My system has been up now over 4 years and it is working for me. Enjoy and have fun.

 

[reefertank]

Looks good to me.