Refugium with chaeto

[Hilltopreef90]

I finally have a healthy amount of chaeto growing in my refugium but it still doesn’t seem to be making much of an impact on my nitrates and phosphates. I do weekly water changes and am doing everything suggested to expect my nitrates and phosphates to be lower.
Is chaeto supposed to help reduce these, what reasons would it not be reducing my phosphates and nitrates ?
I have a 5x10x4 basket full of nice green healthy chaeto in my sump area

 

[minus9]

Not all macro algae consume N & P at the same rate. Some will uptake one over the other, just depends. Also, trace elements help boost macro algae growth as well, so if certain elements are depleted or low, then the growth rate will be lower. I can’t find it now, but I think there’s a reference somewhere that shows the rate of N & P uptake with certain macro algae? If memory serves me, gracilaria has a pretty even uptake of both? Maybe 50/50?

 

[Lavey29]

Seemed to take my fuge about 2 maybe 3 months before it really settled in and I see nitrates and phosphate reduction in the tank.

 

[Duncan62]

I finally have a healthy amount of chaeto growing in my refugium but it still doesn’t seem to be making much of an impact on my nitrates and phosphates. I do weekly water changes and am doing everything suggested to expect my nitrates and phosphates to be lower.
Is chaeto supposed to help reduce these, what reasons would it not be reducing my phosphates and nitrates ?
I have a 5x10x4 basket full of nice green healthy chaeto in my sump area

Put an airstone in with the cheato if you can so it bubbles up thru the mat or ball or whatever you have. We all know about the surface of bubbles. Also don't rely on only one algea. Even some slime algea take up ammonia thus bypassing the nitrogen cycle all together. Vary you macros. Make bubbles. Don't get it to clean. Soon you'll be dosing to avoid 0s. Good luck.

 

[Hilltopreef90]

This is unrelated but I’m wanting to add copapods to my refugium and there’s several types of pods available is there any pods better then others ?

Put an airstone in with the cheato if you can so it bubbles up thru the mat or ball or whatever you have. We all know about the surface of bubbles. Also don't rely on only one algea. Even some slime algea take up ammonia thus bypassing the nitrogen cycle all together. Vary you macros. Make bubbles. Don't get it to clean. Soon you'll be dosing to avoid 0s. Good luck.

 

[Duncan62]

This is unrelated but I’m wanting to add copapods to my refugium and there’s several types of pods available is there any pods better then others ?

I use 5280 pods from algeabarn. It's a mix. I use airline tubing to siphon the pods into holes and cracks in rocks and of course the refugium. This allows the most pods to escape being a meal before they reproduce.

 

[Duncan62]

I use 5280 pods from algeabarn. It's a mix. I use airline tubing to siphon the pods into holes and cracks in rocks and of course the refugium. This allows the most pods to escape being a meal before they reproduce.

Also pods are related. They'll help eat lots of stuff you don't want in your macro. Important addition to your refugium.

 

[Lavey29]

Put an airstone in with the cheato if you can so it bubbles up thru the mat or ball or whatever you have. We all know about the surface of bubbles. Also don't rely on only one algea. Even some slime algea take up ammonia thus bypassing the nitrogen cycle all together. Vary you macros. Make bubbles. Don't get it to clean. Soon you'll be dosing to avoid 0s. Good luck.

Haven't tried an air stone under it. That's interesting.

 

[PatW]

chaeto likes flow. You could put a small power head in the refugium to increase flow and some grid to keep the chaeto from clogging the powerhead. Chaeto tends to deplete various trace elements. I add cheatogro to my tank and it keeps the chaeto flourishing. I have also found that a high flow through the refugium really helps and running a return pump at the high end of recommendations can help too.

 

[Duncan62]

Haven't tried an air stone under it. That's interesting.

Aerated water and high flow thru an algea mat, cheato, other weird macros and all the nuisance algea is the only filtration in all 4 of my tanks. I do run a skimmer on and off. Mostly I have to overfeed to maintain nutrients. I've got some bad pics I think. No water changes.

 

[Spare time]

I finally have a healthy amount of chaeto growing in my refugium but it still doesn’t seem to be making much of an impact on my nitrates and phosphates. I do weekly water changes and am doing everything suggested to expect my nitrates and phosphates to be lower.
Is chaeto supposed to help reduce these, what reasons would it not be reducing my phosphates and nitrates ?
I have a 5x10x4 basket full of nice green healthy chaeto in my sump area

What's the nitrate and phosphate level at in the tank? Also, what light do you have on the chaeto. What all do you dose ?

 

[Lavey29]

Aerated water and high flow thru an algea mat, cheato, other weird macros and all the nuisance algea is the only filtration in all 4 of my tanks. I do run a skimmer on and off. Mostly I have to overfeed to maintain nutrients. I've got some bad pics I think. No water changes.

That's cool so my fuge is about the same size as yours. Will try a battery powered air stone to see what difference it make. Mine seems balanced now with great green color and growth. Lots of microfauna too.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Caulerpa has always done a better job of stripping Nitrates and Phosphates in my systems. Even still, it hasn't been keeping up with my reef tank. Pretty sure I have phosphate leaching from the rock.

 

[Lavey29]

Caulerpa has always done a better job of stripping Nitrates and Phosphates in my systems. Even still, it hasn't been keeping up with my reef tank. Pretty sure I have phosphate leaching from the rock.

I think I did also but after 11 months the phosphate stabilized so perhaps the rocks stopped leaching at some point.