Ditching my refugium. Unless you convince me otherwise :)

[ScottB]

I have 2 separate systems: a 139 gallon Display system and a basement frag system of 260G. The display is older, has no fuge, rock steady nutrients & other parameters. SPS dominant. Well stocked.

The frag system has a healthy, medium size fuge. My fish stock is building, but lets say it has a medium bioload, feed 18 fish heavy. Larger tangs, foxface, algae blennies.

In the frag system, I have to dose PO4 and NO3 or else dinos come back. I have already reduced my fuge light schedule down to 4 hours and keep it trimmed to softball size. I skim VERY dry. I let the socks overflow until I just can't stand the poor water clarity.

So my question: WHY SHOULD I KEEP THE REFUGIUM GOING? I run a recirculating CO2 scrubber so my pH does not get too low after lights out. What is the value of it if I don't have a nutrient issue?

Thanks,
scott

 

[Silent]

The point of them would be to keep pH steady, lower nutrients, or raise food for fish like dragnets. You already achieve 2 of the 3. Up to you.

 

[mcdrichj]

You could let the chaeto get large enough that the underside starts to die off instead of continuously trimming.