Refugium problems, advice please...

[lkc]

So I've got this dinky little half gallon hang on faux refugium I bought on Amazon for 40 bucks hanging on the side of my IM 50 Lagoon. The problem is, it sucks out all the nitrates and I am constantly fighting dinos. Then I have to take it off line, and store it for a week or two. Then my nitrates shoot up to 30. This roller coaster is not good for the tank. What can I do to back this thing down? The two cheato balls in the photo are only baseball size, a small baseball......
It's got an 80gph pump on it and I can't find anything much smaller than that to slow the flow.
Thanks!

 

[Shmollica]

So I've got this dinky little half gallon hang on faux refugium I bought on Amazon for 40 bucks hanging on the side of my IM 50 Lagoon. The problem is, it sucks out all the nitrates and I am constantly fighting dinos. Then I have to take it off line, and store it for a week or two. Then my nitrates shoot up to 30. This roller coaster is not good for the tank. What can I do to back this thing down? The two cheato balls in the photo are only baseball size, a small baseball......
It's got an 80gph pump on it and I can't find anything much smaller than that to slow the flow.
Thanks!

I think it’s lighting that fuels the fuge. Try lighting every other day...or experiment with how many hours per day until you get a better balance.

 

[lkc]

Good thought. The fuge light matches the DT schedule. Else it lights up the entire room if I leave it on at night.

 

[Reef.]

Lighting is the best suggestion, you could also feed more, less hours, days or just have one ball going at a time.

Good problem to have I guess.

 

[lkc]

I was thinking about ditching one of the balls.

 

[Dkmoo]

How about just feed more? High nutrient throughput generally give better results from corals.

 

[FortyFour44]

How about embrace the nitrate reduction (and copepod population) of the fuge, and dose nitrates to stabilize and battle the dinos?

Thats what I’m considering. Similar position.

 

[HuduVudu]

Your refugium should be on a reverse cycle and you shouldn't run it for long periods.

Also if your tank is new you are going to deal with algaes especially if you have a dead rock start.

Tanks take time. Good biodiversity helps but nothing will make the algae go away. Eventually it calms down and you get a diverse amount of it. All competing nothing getting out of hand.

Nitrate and phosphate are red herrings. Do not fixate on them. They just make you anxious and that causes you to lose the patience that you desperately need when you are working out a new tank.

Patience is the key. Stay the course. Stop intervening. Let things settle and mature and find their place.

 

[lkc]

I'm using neo nitro and neo phos, sparingly.