Do you Really Need a refugium?

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

Trying this macro algae refugium one more time.... if this setup doesnt work, i give up on it... lol

 

[Bruce60]

How often are you guys testing, to successfully run a refugium?

my last build It was running well until I bottomed out in phosphates. So does this mean daily testing for you guys running refugiums

I test as follows:
Alkalinity: 3-4 times/week
Calcium and Magnesium: Weekly
Notrate and Phosphate: Monthly

In my decades of experience I find that if I test too frequently, I may see noise that I should not react to but sometime do. That is my main issue with one of the automated testing stations that require daily or more frequent testing. WHY??

 

[jmichaelh7]

I’m currently having Liverock leeching phosphates so I’m running gfo which requires every other day testing to prevent bottoming out

 

[Bruce60]

I’m currently having Liverock leeching phosphates so I’m running gfo which requires every other day testing to prevent bottoming out

That's unfortunate. I hope it stabilizes so you can get to less frequent testing.

 

[Schraufabagel]

My refugium has helped to shrink my algae issue that I’m fighting. I also seeded apex pods to help create more diversity in my tank. So far it seems to be working

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

I test as follows:
Alkalinity: 3-4 times/week
Calcium and Magnesium: Weekly
Notrate and Phosphate: Monthly

In my decades of experience I find that if I test too frequently, I may see noise that I should not react to but sometime do. That is my main issue with one of the automated testing stations that require daily or more frequent testing. WHY??

Totally agree when a tank is looking good!

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

Trying this macro algae refugium one more time.... if this setup doesnt work, i give up on it... lol

Chaeto appears to taken hold... Will see if nutrients are reduced and if not a mess long term then this could work

 

[Maxcmo]

Put 5 mexican turbos in there they will cleAn it up in a few days

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

Chaeto appears to taken hold... Will see if nutrients are reduced and if not a mess long term then this could work

Growing. On the fence with keeping. Still pretty messy crap.

 

[Discotu]

that's some dense chaeto!i need to get my fuge up and running asap

 

[jmichaelh7]

I have mine up and running. Now I have red cyano!!

good thing it’s only in refugium ??

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

that's some dense chaeto!i need to get my fuge up and running asap

I ended up ditching the chaeto. Total detritus trap and was blocking the intake to my return section.

Accidentally, some ulva instin... or "gutweed" got into the refugium. This is actually working out much better. It grows 10 times faster than chaeto and does not trap detritus or block flow into the return section. So far i am liking it.

 

[stcroixohana]

No it is certainly not needed, but in some cases well worth it. Personally i always run a refugium with cheato. Not just for the nutrient export but because it is a great place for pods/etc that add to the health of the tank.

Again though obviously many have fantastic tanks without one. As far as maintenance i guess it depends on the setup. My maintenance schedule is grap a big chunk of cheato out every week and either take to LFS or throw in flower garden. Nothing more than that.

Hey, sorry to jump on on this but, I've had my refugium up and running for about 6 months. Sand bed, some live rock, and big slimy ball of chaeto. My tank is way overstocked, 90g 2 mature clowns, 2 firefish, wrasse, filefish, sailfin tang, mandarin, pj cardinal, and 2 jerkface damsels. My phos will get as high as 0.3 and I'll need to clean my glass (marginally) once a week with relatively low nitrate (assuming I change socks twice a week). I'm rehoming a few fish soon so I can keep my corals healthy with a 10% weekly water change schedule.
All of this writing for a simple question: should I be removing bits of my macro regularly? I haven't gotten in the habit but it's growing really well. I guess I haven't quite pieces that part of the export together yet. Pods love it in there, I just figure I should snatch a handful of the chaeto out from time to time.
Thanks!

 

[jmichaelh7]

Hey, sorry to jump on on this but, I've had my refugium up and running for about 6 months. Sand bed, some live rock, and big slimy ball of chaeto. My tank is way overstocked, 90g 2 mature clowns, 2 firefish, wrasse, filefish, sailfin tang, mandarin, pj cardinal, and 2 jerkface damsels. My phos will get as high as 0.3 and I'll need to clean my glass (marginally) once a week with relatively low nitrate (assuming I change socks twice a week). I'm rehoming a few fish soon so I can keep my corals healthy with a 10% weekly water change schedule.
All of this writing for a simple question: should I be removing bits of my macro regularly? I haven't gotten in the habit but it's growing really well. I guess I haven't quite pieces that part of the export together yet. Pods love it in there, I just figure I should snatch a handful of the chaeto out from time to time.
Thanks!

When it gets full trim some . Otherwise if you don’t need to

 

[X-37B]

Hey, sorry to jump on on this but, I've had my refugium up and running for about 6 months. Sand bed, some live rock, and big slimy ball of chaeto. My tank is way overstocked, 90g 2 mature clowns, 2 firefish, wrasse, filefish, sailfin tang, mandarin, pj cardinal, and 2 jerkface damsels. My phos will get as high as 0.3 and I'll need to clean my glass (marginally) once a week with relatively low nitrate (assuming I change socks twice a week). I'm rehoming a few fish soon so I can keep my corals healthy with a 10% weekly water change schedule.
All of this writing for a simple question: should I be removing bits of my macro regularly? I haven't gotten in the habit but it's growing really well. I guess I haven't quite pieces that part of the export together yet. Pods love it in there, I just figure I should snatch a handful of the chaeto out from time to time.
Thanks!

I remove a softball size piece about every 2 weeks from my remote 30g fuge. I also have ogo and dragons breath. The red remove nutrients at a slower rate than the cheato.
The fuge is plumbed into my 120 and I have 17 fish total and feed heavy. Po4 runs <.07 now.

 

[mdb_talon]

Hey, sorry to jump on on this but, I've had my refugium up and running for about 6 months. Sand bed, some live rock, and big slimy ball of chaeto. My tank is way overstocked, 90g 2 mature clowns, 2 firefish, wrasse, filefish, sailfin tang, mandarin, pj cardinal, and 2 jerkface damsels. My phos will get as high as 0.3 and I'll need to clean my glass (marginally) once a week with relatively low nitrate (assuming I change socks twice a week). I'm rehoming a few fish soon so I can keep my corals healthy with a 10% weekly water change schedule.
All of this writing for a simple question: should I be removing bits of my macro regularly? I haven't gotten in the habit but it's growing really well. I guess I haven't quite pieces that part of the export together yet. Pods love it in there, I just figure I should snatch a handful of the chaeto out from time to time.
Thanks!

As others have said you definitely want to remove some of it over time. As it gets too compact and thick parts will start to die adding nutrients back to tank. I take large chunks from mine weeks then "fluff" the remaining to make sure it not all stuck together and compacted

 

[jmichaelh7]

I remove a softball size piece about every 2 weeks from my remote 30g fuge. I also have ogo and dragons breath. The red remove nutrients at a slower rate than the cheato.
The fuge is plumbed into my 120 and I have 17 fish total and feed heavy. Po4 runs <.07 now.

I have 12 fish and I don’t need to run gfo like I used to. I think this is due to refugium holding it’s part.