Question about chaeto/refugium

Pivitol · Apr 3, 2018

So I am about to do a reboot of sorts. Currently I have a 200gal display w/a 40gal sump, the sump is too small to put all the crap I want/"need" into so the wife gave me permission to move it to a wall that I can plumb through and have a "sump room". So I am going all in, I purchased a 100gal Rubbermaid stock tank for the sump and am looking for ideas for a separate refugium. I have read that for a refugium with chaeto you want a taller refugium so it can tumble does this help or is it internet lore? The current tank/refugium I am looking at is https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...eavy-duty-oval-stock-tank-40-gal?cm_vc=-10005 but at only 13" tall is it tall enough if it needs to tumble. (Might make a great frag tank though) Second what would be the desired flow through on a 40gal fuge? I plan on putting it directly over the sump feeding it via it's own pump or from a manifold and gravity drain back to the sump.

Crabs McJones · Apr 3, 2018

Pivitol said:
So I am about to do a reboot of sorts. Currently I have a 200gal display w/a 40gal sump, the sump is too small to put all the crap I want/"need" into so the wife gave me permission to move it to a wall that I can plumb through and have a "sump room". So I am going all in, I purchased a 100gal Rubbermaid stock tank for the sump and am looking for ideas for a separate refugium. I have read that for a refugium with chaeto you want a taller refugium so it can tumble does this help or is it internet lore? The current tank/refugium I am looking at is https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...eavy-duty-oval-stock-tank-40-gal?cm_vc=-10005 but at only 13" tall is it tall enough if it needs to tumble. (Might make a great frag tank though) Second what would be the desired flow through on a 40gal fuge? I plan on putting it directly over the sump feeding it via it's own pump or from a manifold and gravity drain back to the sump.

While chaeto tumbling is a good thing to ensure all sides are getting light, it hardly ever happens. Most often the reefer will flip his chaeto every once and a while. But very few do but still have great success. As far as flow anywhere from 5 to 10x turn over of the display tank to me seems like a good starting point. Do you have your lighting all sorted out yet?

Gareth elliott · Apr 3, 2018

I try to tumble chaeto after like a weeks growth the ball is too big and the power head collects little pieces of chaeto. If your going to tumble put a porous barrier between the tumbling powerhead and the algae. Otherwise all your gaining is more maintenance to do, ime anyway.

Pivitol · Apr 3, 2018

I currently have an unused 2bulb t5 36" fixture and would use a 6500k and red spectrum bulb. At least that's the plan for now.

Pivitol · Apr 3, 2018

Gareth elliott said:
I try to tumble chaeto after like a weeks growth the ball is too big and the power head collects little pieces of chaeto. If your going to tumble put a porous barrier between the tumbling powerhead and the algae. Otherwise all your gaining is more maintenance to do, ime anyway.

I originally was thinking of using eggcrate around the overflow area and could make "cages" for the powerheads. Do you think that would work?

Gareth elliott · Apr 3, 2018

I used a net breeder box as my cage, already have them for freshwater fish breeding.
If your holes end up being to big easy to close up a bit with some fishing line.

Gareth elliott · Apr 3, 2018

Just dont use block sponges, even course ones just add a place to clean detritus out of.

Dennis Cartier · Apr 4, 2018

Pivitol said:
I originally was thinking of using eggcrate around the overflow area and could make "cages" for the powerheads. Do you think that would work?

I was contemplating the same thing recently when adding a fuge. In my case, my fuge is a 20G Brute barrel with the pump feeding it in the sump. I have tried the powerhead route before to get cheato tumbling (they always clog), so this time I plumped the feed line through the side of the barrel and to the bottom, pointed up. This way the cheato tumbles with no local pump/PH to clog. Works great.

Dennis

PatW · Apr 4, 2018

Bulk Reef Supply had a series of videos on chaeto. They are well worth watching.

I set up chaeto in my sump refugium. At first, it did great with a Home Depot LED. It never tumbled. I just turned it daily.

Then I ramped up my display tank lights and the chaeto withered.

So I got a kessel refugium light and it flourished again.

Then it died. Turned out that I had 0 phosphate.

So I dosed phosphate to keep it measurable and the chaeto flourished again.

Chaeto is good for nutrient export and supposedly releases organic into the water which are good for corals.