Refugium help

[Hilltopreef90]

I don’t have a separate area to have a regular refugium so I made a basket that I plan to put Chaeto in, unfortunately I can’t find any chaeto to buy at the moment.
are there other options to use in a basket inside my refugium if I decide to go with something other then chaeto ?
Once I start the refugium should I add inverts and if so what kind?
I have a small powerhead to circulate the water in the sump and innovatives chaeto light, in the sump I have my filter socks, a octopus 110 int protein skimmer the refugium basket, and I the last chamber the return pump. I also have some small pieces of live rock in the sump area
Does it sound like my sump is set up properly?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Hey what’s the main purpose for the refugium for your tank?

 

[sixty_reefer]

Caleurpa will do just fine add some copepods to

 

[Dkmoo]

Honestly you can grow anything in there. Point is to absorb nutrients, and usually the first thing that start to grow in their is also going to be the hardiest and most efficient nutrient absorber. Also provides food for pods.

I tried to grow chaeto in mine but it never lasts long. Now I added a few crates and mesh and let the flow go thru it so it now kind of a fuge/scrubber hybrid. GHA and other kinds of micro algae growing there. Keeps everything stable and I got tons of pods.

 

[Hilltopreef90]

Hey what’s the main purpose for the refugium for your tank?

To lower and control phosphates and nitrates

 

[kittenbritches]

The chaeto from @AlgaeBarn is great, and they have excellent customer service.

 

[X-37B]

I have red macro algae in my fuge. Also a large ball of cheato that will be replaced as soon as I drive 3 hours to the store that carries it.
I do not like chateo because it breaks apart and gets everywhere.
The red may not remove nutrients as fast as cheato but I can live without the mess.
Enough red will work just as well, imo.

 

[Hilltopreef90]

The chaeto from @AlgaeBarn is great, and they have excellent customer service.

They’re out of stock

 

[juniorgomez708]

I have red macro algae in my fuge. Also a large ball of cheato that will be replaced as soon as I drive 3 hours to the store that carries it.
I do not like chateo because it breaks apart and gets everywhere.
The red may not remove nutrients as fast as cheato but I can live without the mess.
Enough red will work just as well, imo.

I never had it break apart. It stays in a ball and I never let it get out of control. Chaeto is the best in my opinion.

 

[kittenbritches]

They’re out of stock

I've found they are usually back in stock on Saturdays.

BRS also sells chaeto from AlgaeBarn if you have rewards points you want to use.

 

[X-37B]

I never had it break apart. It stays in a ball and I never let it get out of control. Chaeto is the best in my opinion.

Interesting! Every time I remove some little pieces go every where.
Maybe im doing something wrong.
Maybe I have defective chaeto, lol.

 

[kittenbritches]

Interesting! Every time I remove some little pieces go every where.
Maybe im doing something wrong.
Maybe I have defective chaeto, lol.

Great, you broke it!

 

[Hilltopreef90]

I've found they are usually back in stock on Saturdays.

BRS also sells chaeto from AlgaeBarn if you have rewards points you want to use.

Thanks

 

[X-37B]

Great, you broke it!

Yea maybe im defective and its not the cheato, lol.

 

[kittenbritches]

 

[FiddlersReef]

My cheato used to break apart constantly until I got the grow light adjusted right. Seems like it stopped after that.

 

[WheatToast]

Caleurpa will do just fine add some copepods to

Second! So will Sea lettuce (Ulva), and it can be fed to herbivorous organisms.