Should I clean my refugium

[stanleo]

Ten gallon refugium on a 120 gallon tank. It's loaded with microfauna and chaeto grows quite well although it doesn't seem to float anymore. Been going for almost 2 months. Sides are covered with green hair algae. Phosphate and Nitrate are stable at .03 ppm and 2 ppm. How often should I, if ever, clean the sides on the refugium? It's to the point that I can't view the chaeto really from the sides. I took out a handful of chaeto doing the last water change, the same amount of chaeto I started it with 2 months ago and there is still a large amount in there.

Here are some pics for referance

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I remove the GHA from my refugium (along with except caulerpa) whenever I do water changes. I also vacuum up detritus so that it doesn't accumulate.

 

[NShirke]

I would vacuum the refuge, scrap algae from the wall. Did you add any clean up crew in it? I've add a few snails in my refuge.

 

[Mical]

Since it's only 2 mos old, I'ld let it go for now. Let it mature, cleaning it may shock the system.

 

[madweazl]

Since you're actually trying to grow algae in there, what is the point in removing it from the sides of the tank? I leave mine alone, completely actually. It is full mayhem down there.

 

[Mykawl]

I completely cleaned mine and really upset the corals and caused a bit of a Dino bloom. So be careful it’s like an organ in your reef tank, the advice above sounds like a much better idea cleaning walls and vacuuming bottom

 

[Mical]

Since you're actually trying to grow algae in there, what is the point in removing it from the sides of the tank? I leave mine alone, completely actually. It is full mayhem down there.

 

[Mykawl]

I think even cleaning walls and removing gha will have a big impact


Side question do people have GHA refugiums?Since it grows on its own and seems to be really efficient

 

[S2G]

If your parameters are stable then I'd leave it alone for now.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

At some point, I invariably HAVE to remove the GHA from my refugium before it chokes out my caulerpa.

 

[Silent]

The point of having a refugium is to remove grown algae. If you don't remove algae you aren't removing the contaminants. I do agree 2 months is fairly new and you could wait a little longer but you get my point.

 

[Mykawl]

What kind of clean up crew do you guys put in your refugium

 

[madweazl]

What kind of clean up crew do you guys put in your refugium

None for me (though it's full of pods, brittle stars, bristleworms, and god only knows what after three plus years).

 

[gotmesalty77]

Well im glad I can now justify how my fuge looks. Thanks all

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

When I am harvesting the chaeto and ulva (usually every two weeks), I will intentionally try to grab as much GHA as I can. But other than that I leave the fuge alone.

 

[russthefishguy111]

Clean my approx every 2-3 months