Refugium water flow

[Murica]

I currently have two powerheads in my 36 gallon refugium. One for surface agitation and one pointed directly at my chaeto. Is the one pointed at the chaeto necessary? I hear lower flow rates are better in the fuge. Main reason I ask is cause that pump on my chaeto kicks up detritus in the fuge, causing it to go in a return pump and back into my display. If I take that pump out the detritus will settle on the bottom and will be easier to take out, but I'm not sure if the chaeto will grow as well...

Is almost no flow ok or is it best to keep the chaeto in the higher flow

 

[Jaylivi1212]

The only flow i've ever kept on chaeto is basically the water flowing through and I had excellent growth. I kept a couple of red legged hermits in my fuge to help with the detritus problem.

 

[bif24701]

I currently have two powerheads in my 36 gallon refugium. One for surface agitation and one pointed directly at my chaeto. Is the one pointed at the chaeto necessary? I hear lower flow rates are better in the fuge. Main reason I ask is cause that pump on my chaeto kicks up detritus in the fuge, causing it to go in a return pump and back into my display. If I take that pump out the detritus will settle on the bottom and will be easier to take out, but I'm not sure if the chaeto will grow as well...

Is almost no flow ok or is it best to keep the chaeto in the higher flow

The more water from the system you can run through the chaeto the better, but not powerheads. Powerheads will get clog and they are just recirculating the water, you want new water going through the chaeto with CO2 and nutrient.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yea. I follows that low flow thing. It's for a sump only imo. It's to allow. Stuff to settle. Depending on the return rate you may be just fine with out a ph.
I have one small 12 D.C. Pump in mine because I have a dead. Spot, and it's on the battery backup to the fuge doesn't die if the power goes out.

 

[mfinn]

I do the slower flow through the sump, but I do have a powerhead in the refugium.
Since adding one many years ago I have had much better growth of the macro.
I don't think 2 in necessary.

 

[AlexG]

I am keeping high flow in my refugium tank. The return pump going to the refuge tank is ~1200GPH but I also have an MP40 that is set for max speed for general circulation. It is a bare bottom 150 gallon tank with some rocks on one end with a bunch of different macro algae species growing. In my case I am trying to make a display refuge with a large variety of macro algaes and many prefer higher flow. The higher flow I find has some benefits as the as desirable macro algae species do not easily become covered in undesirable algae. Also any filter feeders such as tunicates, sponges, feather dusters will also benefit from the higher flow.