Chaeto Question

[Resendes Reef]

I have soft coral/lps tank with a few fish. I'm thinking about adding a refugium with chaeto.
My question is, do I run the risk of the chaeto taking too many nutrients out of the water that my coral may need?

 

[LBehr]

Depends how your nutrients run. If they don't run high then I wouldn't add anything. I maintained 3 systems for a while and upgraded to sumps with fuges and better skimmers we ended up having to feed a lot more and add fish to keep the shrooms and nems and such happy but obviously the sps loved the cleaner system.

 

[LBehr]

I have a tank with mostly shrooms and euphyllia and I don't have skimmer or fuge because they love higher nitrates

 

[Resendes Reef]

Do you have a problem with higher phosphates and algae? My phosphates always are elevated and can't get my sand bed algae free.

 

[LBehr]

I haven't tested in probably 6 months and I honestly can't remember. I know nitrates and phosphates were on higher end of acceptable. I hate testing with a passion so if there doesn't appear to be anything wrong I don't do it.

 

[LBehr]

I dont have algae issues, every few months when the glass is looking greener I change out the phosguard I keep in the sump. I guess I may have misunderstood what you meant by nutrients. I was thinking nitrates and phosphates.

 

[LBehr]

Your going to have to be more specific when you say algae on sandbed. A pic may help too. Hair, cyano, bubble, maybe it's not algae at all but a diatom bloom.

 

[LBehr]

Also size of tank and what your phosphates and nitrates are reading

 

[LBehr]

But a simple answer would be that adding a fuge shouldn't hurt corals too much especially if nutrients are high. They may get angry when nutrients first drop but should be fine in long run. Depending on what type of algae or bacteria you have thought just dropping phosphates may not be enough.

 

[taintstick]

Do you have a problem with higher phosphates and algae? My phosphates always are elevated and can't get my sand bed algae free.

What kind of water are you using?

 

[Gator1970]

I have soft coral/lps tank with a few fish. I'm thinking about adding a refugium with chaeto.
My question is, do I run the risk of the chaeto taking too many nutrients out of the water that my coral may need?

I would say no - very unlikely that macro algae will strip nutrients to that low a level. Now if you are also skimming, running gfo, carbon,etc, etc, that might be an issue. When I started in the hobby no one generally even considered that nutrient reduction would affect coral health - it seems that thinking has changed to the degree that some people dose nutrients! I think if you have fish and are feeding once a day, nutrients won't be a limiting factor for your corals.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have soft coral/lps tank with a few fish. I'm thinking about adding a refugium with chaeto.
My question is, do I run the risk of the chaeto taking too many nutrients out of the water that my coral may need?

No.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Do you have a problem with higher phosphates and algae? My phosphates always are elevated and can't get my sand bed algae free.

Check if it is indeed an algae. Also define elevated.

 

[TbyZ]

I have soft coral/lps tank with a few fish. I'm thinking about adding a refugium with chaeto.
My question is, do I run the risk of the chaeto taking too many nutrients out of the water that my coral may need?

only if you want to maintain alkalinity at un-naturally high levels.
alkalinity at higer than natural levels (125ppm. . . 7dKH . . . 2.5meq/L increases growth in corals, increases photosynthesis, corals need more NO3 in particular.

This is why zeovit (ULN) recommends alkalinity at natural sea water levels, & why aquarists who maintain alk at 8dKH and higher need to dose nitrate.

 

[Bdog4u2]

If nutrients get lower than you want then trim the chaeto. I run a huge pile in my sump but I'm not shy with the food. fat fish are healthy fish. I enjoy the look of my corals but I love my fish

 

[Resendes Reef]

Thanks everyone
I'm not sure what the parameters are right now. Been too busy to check lately. I think last time I tested phosphates a week ago or so, it was .48

I think I'm going to go for it

 

[LBehr]

Thanks everyone
I'm not sure what the parameters are right now. Been too busy to check lately. I think last time I tested phosphates a week ago or so, it was .48

I think I'm going to go for it

Im sure people will disagree with my next statement but if you're not keeping sps that is an acceptable level for phosphates. I keep mine around .5 and aim between 20 and 40 on Nitrates. I just keep euphyllia and shrooms though so they thrive at those levels. If possible I would check your mag. It's wierd but sometimes low mag will cause crazy hair algae outbreaks. It would also help to know what kind of algae.