Water Changes with a Refugium Help Needed

[Hair Algae Wizard]

Folks,

Possibly a silly question, but here we go non the less...

What is the best way to manage water changes with a refugium? I just set one up in my sump, where I also do my water changes as it is right next to my RODI system and mixing station.

Can Cheato live for a time without being submerged in water? Am I destroying any micro fauna, etc by removing the water that is in the fuge chamber?

Appreciate any advice!

Thanks

 

[WheatToast]

Chaetomorpha rapidly shrivels up without the presence of water (though I am not sure if recently dried-up strands are still viable) and the microfauna would not fare well either. Performing water changes in the refugium would also suck out pods. Is it possible to perform water changes in your main display tank?

 

[Lavey29]

If you do your water change in the sump just use two buckets. Siphon out then add the chaeto in the old tank water bucket until you are done then return it to the sump. I leave my chaeto out for 10 minutes doing maintenance and it is fine.

 

[Hair Algae Wizard]

If you do your water change in the sump just use two buckets. Siphon out then add the chaeto in the old tank water bucket until you are done then return it to the sump. I leave my chaeto out for 10 minutes doing maintenance and it is fine.

Thank you! What about the miracle mud?

 

[Hair Algae Wizard]

Chaetomorpha rapidly shrivels up without the presence of water (though I am not sure if recently dried-up strands are still viable) and the microfauna would not fare well either. Performing water changes in the refugium would also suck out pods. Is it possible to perform water changes in your main display tank?

I can, but so much easier to do in the basement where my sump is...

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you! What about the miracle mud?

Sorry I don't use that stuff

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you! What about the miracle mud?

I speculate that the mud can stay damp for an extended period of time and unaffected by water changes.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Don’t think it will die. I rinse mine out then place back in sometimes between wc

 

[Jedi1199]

I can, but so much easier to do in the basement where my sump is...

That makes much more sense. This was a fact that was not included in the original post. I was wondering why you would be doing water changes from the sump and not the DT till I saw this.

 

[neonreef3d]

People are still doing water changes? I can’t remember last time I did one..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

People are still doing water changes? I can’t remember last time I did one..

Alzheimer's?

 

[jmichaelh7]

People are still doing water changes? I can’t remember last time I did one..

Tried the whole skipping thing. Tank looks much happier with 10% weekly

 

[neonreef3d]

Alzheimer's?

yes Randy ..LOL I have Alzheimer's

how about you? aspergers?

 

[Dburr1014]

How is the sump plumbed in? Pictures?

Where my pipe comes down, I have a "t" fitting before it runs into the fuge. I can actually put a pipe in there and run it to a bucket. I just flip the valve, water comes from the display into the bucket, allows me to dump a clean bucket of water into the sump as the old water is coming out of the display. Takes me about a minute to do a 5 gallon water change.