Won't open!!!

cluanar · Jun 9, 2018

One last question, ( famous last words ).

Because the previous owner did not have a refugium my setup seems backwords. Here is what I have from right to left.

Intake ( via socks which i removed ) is a small deep area, not enough for a skimmer. maybe a 2 gl area
refugium ( maybe a 10 gl area ) with live rock and chato
return and skimmer with ato. I am hoping the ato keeps the skimmer in tune with water depth.

My concern is the skimmer after the refugium.

IslandLifeReef · Jun 9, 2018

cluanar said:
complete tester and refractometer due in today. I do have a GFO but read it was NOT a good idea to run 24/7. My phosphates were nil according to LFS and told me not to run the GFO. Should I?

If you have a refuge with chaeto, there is no reason to run GFO. Nil on phosphates is a bad thing. If you were only running a refuge with chaeto, I would say that your phosphates weren't really 0.0000. Since you are running GFO as well, you might have stripped all of your phosphates. I would pull the GFO out for good.

drblakjak55 · Jun 9, 2018

Welcome to reefing. Light and flow. My 90g tank is only three years old. Many corals not doing well in one spot have been moved. Some moved three or four times. Up or down for light, more flow, less flow.
Have had large colonies of zoas shrink down to one, than back up in the same spot.

cluanar · Jun 9, 2018

IslandLifeReef said:
If you have a refuge with chaeto, there is no reason to run GFO. Nil on phosphates is a bad thing. If you were only running a refuge with chaeto, I would say that your phosphates weren't really 0.0000. Since you are running GFO as well, you might have stripped all of your phosphates. I would pull the GFO out for good.

It was suggested earlier my phosphates may be to high. GFO fixes that ya? Phosphates can cause the brown dust?

Also, my chaeto isn't growing much if at all, its not dying but not growing. I have a decent full spectrum light on it 24/7

IslandLifeReef · Jun 10, 2018

cluanar said:
It was suggested earlier my phosphates may be to high. GFO fixes that ya? Phosphates can cause the brown dust?

Also, my chaeto isn't growing much if at all, its not dying but not growing. I have a decent full spectrum light on it 24/7

Your chaeto probably isn't growing because you don't have any phosphates in the tank to feed it. Yes, the GFO will fix high phosphates, but if a test said that they are at nil, i.e. 0.000, then you know that they aren't high, regardless of any suggestion. I think the post you are referring to said that they thought because your nitrates were high, your phosphates were probably high too. If you had your water test at your LFS, you now know that your phosphates are not high.

Again, just a suggestion, but I would take the GFO out of the tank and just run your chaeto. If you continue to allow your phosphates to stay at 0.000, you will have many more problems that are much harder to fix than the one you have now.

cluanar · Jun 10, 2018

IslandLifeReef said:
Your chaeto probably isn't growing because you don't have any phosphates in the tank to feed it. Yes, the GFO will fix high phosphates, but if a test said that they are at nil, i.e. 0.000, then you know that they aren't high, regardless of any suggestion. I think the post you are referring to said that they thought because your nitrates were high, your phosphates were probably high too. If you had your water test at your LFS, you now know that your phosphates are not high.

Again, just a suggestion, but I would take the GFO out of the tank and just run your chaeto. If you continue to allow your phosphates to stay at 0.000, you will have many more problems that are much harder to fix than the one you have now.

So I researched some chaeto growth and I am guessing my $9.00 amazon full spectrum light may be a reason why. I think it is 30 PAR.
I am leaning towards the kessil H80 tuna floral light. Maybe that will keep the algea in the refuge as opposed to the main display.

cluanar · Jun 10, 2018

I have decided on the H80 Kessil and to remove the GFO from the system. At least turn it off. I am considering adding a small pump to get the flow in refuge for a tumble on the chaeto but not sure if the tumble is needed.

Thanks for the help , i will keep you updated.