Algae Scrubber and refugium, same/same or different?

[LondonJon]

Algae Scrubber and refugium.

Do they essential do the same job?

What’s the advantage / disadvantage of each?

If you have the space and the budget, would you have both?

What should the flow be in a refugium?

I always thought it should be low, but have seen some videos where the Cheto is in a ball and rotating quite fast. What’s the benefit/reason for doing it this way?

 

[Scrubber_steve]

If either is properly sized, provided correct lighting & is functioning efficiently, only one of either is necessary.

 

[LondonJon]

T

If either is properly sized, provided correct lighting & is functioning efficiently, only one of either is necessary.

Refugium seems easier.
How would you size it?
For a 2,000 G display tank.

 

[LondonJon]

Can a refugium be too big?
I’m guessing not. The algae can only grow if it has nutrients that it can feed on, regardless of the space it’s in.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

T


Refugium seems easier.
How would you size it?
For a 2,000 G display tank.

I prefer a scrubber, one reason being it can be sized precisely. How to size a fudge?

 

[krash7172]

I tried both. It was fun setting up and experimenting with a refugium but a store bought scrubber is much easier if you can afford it IMO.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I can tell you that for a fudge chaeto is typically used, but many people struggle to keep it alive, no matter what they do.

 

[theMeat]

Refugium will offer more water volume and a safe place for pods to breed away from predators.
A scrubber will offer more nutrient export in less space, and more aeration.
IME a scrubber needs more frequent cleaning and maintenance, and if you have the space a fuge is a better way to go, especially if you get plenty of aeration throu skimmer.

As far as fuge flow. Think lower flow offers more exposure time and lets debris settle out for consumption. Also a better plan if you want clear water and want to run sock-less.
Cheato typically likes higher flow and light more along the red blue spectrum.
With caulerpra lower flow, and light not as critical.
Either way, try a few different types of macro and see which one takes over, then that’s the one for you.

 

[sp1187]

I'm using an up-flow scrubber. pods live in it.

 

[LondonJon]

Refugium will offer more water volume and a safe place for pods to breed away from predators.
A scrubber will offer more nutrient export in less space, and more aeration.
IME a scrubber needs more frequent cleaning and maintenance, and if you have the space a fuge is a better way to go, especially if you get plenty of aeration throu skimmer.

As far as fuge flow. Think lower flow offers more exposure time and lets debris settle out for consumption. Also a better plan if you want clear water and want to run sock-less.
Cheato typically likes higher flow and light more along the red blue spectrum.
With caulerpra lower flow, and light not as critical.
Either way, try a few different types of macro and see which one takes over, then that’s the one for you.

So, two refugium would be better, with different flow rates in each?

 

[LondonJon]

I prefer a scrubber, one reason being it can be sized precisely. How to size a fudge?

how to size a scrubber?

 

[Silent]

Its hard to size a scrubber. Typically if nutrients drop too low you regulate that by cutting the photo period. If you have higher nutrient levels and the lights are on almost all the time then you might need to add another to your system.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Its hard to size a scrubber. Typically if nutrients drop too low you regulate that by cutting the photo period. If you have higher nutrient levels and the lights are on almost all the time then you might need to add another to your system.

A scrubber is precisely sized by screen surface area to the amount fed to the tank. The length of the photo period is used to set NO3at the level you want to maintain it at

 

[Scrubber_steve]

how to size a scrubber?

The new rule is based on cube-equivalent amount of food fed daily, regardless of how many gallons you have in the system. You need 12 square inches of screen illuminated on BOTH SIDES with a total of 12 watts of fluorescent light for 18 hours/day for each cube-equivalent fed into the system per day. That means 6 watts per side of real wattage, not equivalent wattage. LED wattage is addressed separately as it has a different set of rules.

The cube-equivalent is defined as any ONE of the following:

1 frozen cube
10 pinches of flake food
10 square inches (60 sq cm) of nori
0.1 dry ounce (2.8 grams) of pellet food
3.25 mL of liquid coral food

Algae Scrubber Basics

This is the 2nd revision of the "Algae Scrubber Basics" post that I posted on Reef Central, Reef 2 Reef, 3Reef, Reef Sanctuary, Reef Frontiers,...

www.algaescrubbing.com

 

[theMeat]

So, two refugium would be better, with different flow rates in each?

Nah. I have a 55 gal fuge on my 220 with enough nutrient export that I have no need for water changes. Had a scrubber running along with fuge for the first 9 months or so of tanks life. Have had it off since, about 7 years ago. Have about 10x water volume of fuge running through it. At first had 6500k lights and caulerpra was thriving. Changed light on one half to red/blue and cheato took over on that half. Weirdest thing, split right diwn the middle. Since then switched to all red/blue and caulerpra all but gone for a couple of years now.
Can pull over 5 gal of macro out every month or two. But lately have been experimenting with not removing as much and allowing bottom to die out to release back trace events. So far so good.
For my needs Could probably go with a smaller fuge, but regardless of size macro will only grow according to nutrients/food available

 

[Scrubber_steve]

TRITON method
"The size of the refugium should be between 10% and 20% of the volume of the display tank."

TRITON Method Slide

The most experienced in solution based water chemistry in the industry. Continuing to revolutionise reef keeping worldwide since 2008.

www.triton.de

TRITON US
"There are no specific guidelines unique to Triton in terms of setup and sizing of the refugium."

Refugium recommendations

I'm doing a big upgrade and planing on using the Triton method. Is there anything I should consider when designing my new refugium? Does Triton have guidelines or recommendations on how to set up a refugium? Things like The ratio of the refugium size compared to the size of the display tank...

www.reef2reef.com

?

 

[theMeat]

TRITON method
"The size of the refugium should be between 10% and 20% of the volume of the display tank."

TRITON Method Slide

The most experienced in solution based water chemistry in the industry. Continuing to revolutionise reef keeping worldwide since 2008.

www.triton.de

TRITON US
"There are no specific guidelines unique to Triton in terms of setup and sizing of the refugium."

Refugium recommendations

I'm doing a big upgrade and planing on using the Triton method. Is there anything I should consider when designing my new refugium? Does Triton have guidelines or recommendations on how to set up a refugium? Things like The ratio of the refugium size compared to the size of the display tank...

www.reef2reef.com

?

That Is good info for someone looking for guidance for triton method. Only confuses op’s question since Triton method depends on other factors to maintain nutrient control

 

[Scrubber_steve]

That Is good info for someone looking for guidance for triton method. Only confuses op’s question since Triton method depends on other factors to maintain nutrient control

Simply showing that there is no specific rules on calculating fuge size

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Only confuses op’s question since Triton method depends on other factors to maintain nutrient control

What other factors?

 

[theMeat]

What other factors?

Specific carbon, fertilizer in virtually all their additives (unless you use other method), specific sump layout/design to name a few