HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
Do nitrate and phosphate register on a test kit for you?
I have tons of coral too and I think that a lot of my uptake comes from the acros. My chaeto was definitely out competing my coral at one time.
Negative Experiences with Refugiums
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I have tons of coral too and I think that a lot of my uptake comes from the acros. My chaeto was definitely out competing my coral at one time.
HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
It consumes both but primarily nitrate.
The tank I run a fuge on was not started with live rock other than three fist size chunks from my larger system.
All other rock was soaked in a Rubbermaid with bottled bacteria, heat and flow for six weeks before I fired up my tank though.
When I moved 3 years ago I said goodbye to macro algae and I don't miss it one bit. I still have a refugium but it has a marine pure block in it and the flow is simply the return of my media reactor. No light. No algae. No loss of life. I use carbon dosing to control nutrient levels which along with protein skimming seems to work just fine for me.
Disclaimer : I do have macro algae in other tanks but not in my main display. I would do a display fuge again but not sure I would grow it under my tank again.
Disclaimer : I do have macro algae in other tanks but not in my main display. I would do a display fuge again but not sure I would grow it under my tank again.
Rubblereefer
Active Member
Undetectable nitrate and phosphate in my reef. Yes some of my corals might be bigger and more colorful if I didn’t run such heavy export with cheato, but it’s worth it to me to not have to deal with algae like ever. I feed a ton too, 2 cubes mysis daily, and alternate 1 cube of coral gumbo or a couple scoops of reef chili daily as well, so there should be at least some nutrients in the water. I’m also running a skimmer, tumbling bio balls, marine pure, a bag of chemipure elite and a tablespoon of bio pellets. I probably should add more fish, as I think I have far too much export/filtration but I don’t want to dose nitrate or phosphate, and so far it’s working out for me for about a year now.
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Nasir
Active Member
I have a small hang on Refugium on my system and I love it. I harvest cheato monthly which I take to the LFS for credit and It does help with nitrates. I have a lot of fish (tangs) and I don’t have any problems with nitrates. It also holds bugs and pods for my wrasses and mandarine. I also don’t have any trouble with with it depleting the nutrients because it is an hang on so all my water doesn’t go through it.
HotRocks
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If it works it works!
. Every tank is certainly different for sure!
ca1ore
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No single answer to the OP question. First of all, there are many different kinds of refugia, with many different purposes. For example, I run one on my system solely for animals that get picked on in the main display. Assuming you meant a standard Chaeto refugium as nutrient absorber, then the necessity depends on how you design the system for nutrient balance. No tank ‘needs’ one if input-output balance is effected elsewhere. Use of a properly sized skimmer and an algal scrubber will almost certainly obviate the need for a chaeto refugium. Add in a lot of live rock and a deep sand bed and it’s even less necessary. I’ve never personally been able to run nitrates/phosphates down so low that my coral suffer, though I suppose it’s possible. Figure out how you’re going to manage nutrient levels, and then see how well it works. If you end up needing some kind of algae export, you can always add it in later.
LC8Sumi
Well-Known Member
I've pulled mine yesterday off my system (54g display, 6g fuge with chaeto), because I have a feeling (well more of a hope), that it was the limiting factor to my sps. The interesting part is, that before pulling it I had a lot of (greenish) skimmate, but since yesterday the skimmer haven't produced anything.
Dennis Cartier
Valuable Member
I am in the camp that they compete with your corals. They can also deplete nutrients that you test for and some that you don't. I have a 20 gallon cheato barrel on an 80 gallon frag tank and find that it is really easy to deplete macro and micro elements. Forgetting to dose iron will pale and stall my corals and stall the cheato growth, and I am currently dosing nitrate (CaNO3) to try to re-balance a build up of phosphate.
The other consideration, is that they are not removable without impacting your tank once it is accustomed to running with a fuge as export. You will need to plan for a period of adjustment while your tank finds balance minus the fuge if you decide to remove one that has been on a tank for awhile.
For my next tank, I don't plan to have a fuge, though I do have a cheato reactor on standby should I need it. I am hoping that I don't.
Dennis
The other consideration, is that they are not removable without impacting your tank once it is accustomed to running with a fuge as export. You will need to plan for a period of adjustment while your tank finds balance minus the fuge if you decide to remove one that has been on a tank for awhile.
For my next tank, I don't plan to have a fuge, though I do have a cheato reactor on standby should I need it. I am hoping that I don't.
Dennis
LC8Sumi
Well-Known Member
Well 2 days later, my nitrates jumped to 7ppm (from <1). Will see how the tanks rides it out. I’m doing a blackout in the DT (hopefully this gives a head-start for the bacteria) & skimming as wet as I can.
symon_say
Active Member
If you think you fuge is out competing your display, reduce the time fuge light is on, a fuge is just like any other equipment on your tank, it need adjustment, and change with time.
I have a 160 gallon DT and a Triton 44 sump, and I’m running full Triton. I do not use filter socks (per Triton method), and the flow path is fuge/skimmer/pump.
My Chaeto growth was slow until I...
I do believe my coral growth is constrained a bit, which is perfectly fine with me. I actually prefer it that way—I don’t want my encrusting Montis or LPS growing out of control. Their current growth rate is just right, and I can always increase it by reducing the fuge photo period.
I’ve now added an extra Kessil H380 for additional control and Chaeto growth. I sell my harvested Chaeto to my local LFS, which pays all my normal expenses.
My Chaeto growth was slow until I...
- Increased fuge photo period
- Changed fuge lighting from Kessil H80 to Kessil H380
- Started occasional iron dosing
I do believe my coral growth is constrained a bit, which is perfectly fine with me. I actually prefer it that way—I don’t want my encrusting Montis or LPS growing out of control. Their current growth rate is just right, and I can always increase it by reducing the fuge photo period.
I’ve now added an extra Kessil H380 for additional control and Chaeto growth. I sell my harvested Chaeto to my local LFS, which pays all my normal expenses.
AltitudeAquarium
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What iron do you use to dose with?I have a 160 gallon DT and a Triton 44 sump, and I’m running full Triton. I do not use filter socks (per Triton method), and the flow path is fuge/skimmer/pump.
My Chaeto growth was slow until I...
I now harvest 2-3 gallon ziplock bags full of Chaeto every 2 months, and my nitrates and phosphates are nicely controlled.
- Increased fuge photo period
- Changed fuge lighting from Kessil H80 to Kessil H380
- Started occasional iron dosing
I do believe my coral growth is constrained a bit, which is perfectly fine with me. I actually prefer it that way—I don’t want my encrusting Montis or LPS growing out of control. Their current growth rate is just right, and I can always increase it by reducing the fuge photo period.
I’ve now added an extra Kessil H380 for additional control and Chaeto growth. I sell my harvested Chaeto to my local LFS, which pays all my normal expenses.
