Am I doing this refugium right?

[liquidreefer]

Should my refugium look like this? That was once clean cheato from Algae Barn and cycled reef rubble. Now it's covered in some hair algae and other film algae and what looks like some cyano. That's a Kessil H380 hung up pretty high with a shade on it. The light spills out and is getting algae on my skimmer and return pump. The glass is covered in film algae that I can't see my pods any longer. I've been using ChaetoGro every other day. Additionally my nitrates are still over 60! Maybe that light is too strong and too high for this small refugium? The refugium is the one in the standard sump that comes with the Proclear 230 v2. Should I consider a smaller light like the AI Fuge and have it at a lower level off of the water line? I just wanted this to work like how I see on all of these videos and keep my nutrients in check in a natural way. What am I doing wrong? I'm running GFO so my phosphates are at .07.

 

[Subsea]

How often are you harvesting & exporting nutrients with Chaetomorphy.

Seaweed refugiums are not the most efficient method for reducing nutrients with a small area. If feeding less to reduce nutrients is not ann option, then consider a turf anlgae scrubber.

Aside from ascetics, film algae in a refugium is a good thing for feeding pods. The pretty videos you mention are most likely less than 1% of reality. I don’t clean the glass in my refugiums.

 

[exnisstech]

It looks like mine, messy and full of all kinds of nasties to feed the little critters. I've never cleaned a sump. If you want a clean sump ditch the fuge and go with an ATS. Personally I've found chaeto to be poor to useless at reducing nutrients in any of my systems. I run a fuge for the life that can thrive there without predation.

EDIT: I do not watch YouTube videos on reefing so maybe I'm doing it wrong but not watching them makes the hobby much simpler for me.

 

[GARRIGA]

GHA growing on chaeto why I'm considering an ATS although you could try tumbling the macroalgae as that might reduce the growth of GHA. Relative to tank volume and food input that Fuge might be too small and lowering light output not the solution but perhaps try extending the photoperiod. Can always add an ATS to supplement the Fuge as that's a perfect habitat for growing pods and other critters beneficial to the tank. ATS not so much. It's also more efficient at removing co2 because ATS efficiency gained from access to atmospheric co2. Both compliment each other.

As for ChaetoGro. Might want to dose based on iron levels otherwise might be supplying the GHA with more than rest of life can utilize and could be what's driving that although pure speculation on my part but not on testing iron. Best test that being dosed to avoid creating an imbalance.

 

[Subsea]

“I do not watch YouTube videos on reefing so maybe I'm doing it wrong but not watching them makes the hobby much simpler for me“.

Kudos to the grumpy old man that said this. I feel the same way.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Should my refugium look like this? That was once clean cheato from Algae Barn and cycled reef rubble. Now it's covered in some hair algae and other film algae and what looks like some cyano. That's a Kessil H380 hung up pretty high with a shade on it. The light spills out and is getting algae on my skimmer and return pump. The glass is covered in film algae that I can't see my pods any longer. I've been using ChaetoGro every other day. Additionally my nitrates are still over 60! Maybe that light is too strong and too high for this small refugium? The refugium is the one in the standard sump that comes with the Proclear 230 v2. Should I consider a smaller light like the AI Fuge and have it at a lower level off of the water line? I just wanted this to work like how I see on all of these videos and keep my nutrients in check in a natural way. What am I doing wrong? I'm running GFO so my phosphates are at .07.

looks like mine also minus hair algae, I did cut some black acrylic to put up around the top of the fuge above the sump to stop light spillage into the other chambers. My fuge was working to well, fighting double zeros on nitrates and phosphates .

 

[Subsea]

“I've found chaeto to be poor to useless at reducing nutrients in any of my systems. I run a fuge for the life that can thrive there without predation.”

@liquidreefer
I agree with the above post for several reasons. While Chaetomorphy provides an excellent matrix for pods, it is not the best for nutrient export. Ulva & Gracilaria Hayi grow faster in my experiences. Also, depending on what fish are in your tank, you could practice nutrient recycling and feed herbivores in display tank with Ulva grown in refugium. Similar to recycling live pods from refugium into display tank.

PS: How often do you export nutrients by pruning & removing Chaeto

 

[get-salty]

put a small powerhead on the bottom for circulation. you dont need to switch light, just reduce the amount of time.

 

[liquidreefer]

Thanks all for the replies - to answer some questions -

I haven't harvested any chaeto yet as it's only been in there for a couple of weeks now and sure, it's grown but we're talking gangbusters here. It has made no dent in my nitrates.

I actually do have an ATS, I just ended up taking it down in favor of the fuge in order to get more bacterial diversity and house pods, etc. I didn't know you could run both at the same time?

I already had the Kessil light and decided I could use it over this fuge, and yes, its a small fuge, we're taking like it a 7.5"x10" or something like that so I was wondering if that 90 watt was overkill and a lower wattage and dimmable light like the AI Fuge was a better choice for me.

The photo period runs from 9 PM to 12 noon. That may be too long but it has definitely contributed to my pH staying above 8.1 basically 24/7.

I cannot stand the light spillage creating algae on my skimmer and pump which is why I was considering lowering the Kessil or getting a "smaller" light. I was hoping the light shade was enough to block the light spillage.

I really don't like the film algae in there but I guess I can always add a CUC to the fuge as well and more pods.

Honestly, I was hoping to see nitrates drop but maybe that chamber is just too small for a 180 display, 230 total volume.

I was vodka dosing! And that worked so well! However, I just didn't think it was helping the bio-diversity and I read/watched so many people achieve so much with their refugium, I thought, let's do that. I can tear the fuge down, recycle the rubble and still host pods, etc, just go back to vodka doing I suppose.

Coral growth is ridiculously slow IMO.

 

[OriginalUserName]

Thanks all for the replies - to answer some questions -

I haven't harvested any chaeto yet as it's only been in there for a couple of weeks now and sure, it's grown but we're talking gangbusters here. It has made no dent in my nitrates.

I actually do have an ATS, I just ended up taking it down in favor of the fuge in order to get more bacterial diversity and house pods, etc. I didn't know you could run both at the same time?

I already had the Kessil light and decided I could use it over this fuge, and yes, its a small fuge, we're taking like it a 7.5"x10" or something like that so I was wondering if that 90 watt was overkill and a lower wattage and dimmable light like the AI Fuge was a better choice for me.

The photo period runs from 9 PM to 12 noon. That may be too long but it has definitely contributed to my pH staying above 8.1 basically 24/7.

I cannot stand the light spillage creating algae on my skimmer and pump which is why I was considering lowering the Kessil or getting a "smaller" light. I was hoping the light shade was enough to block the light spillage.

I really don't like the film algae in there but I guess I can always add a CUC to the fuge as well and more pods.

Honestly, I was hoping to see nitrates drop but maybe that chamber is just too small for a 180 display, 230 total volume.

I was vodka dosing! And that worked so well! However, I just didn't think it was helping the bio-diversity and I read/watched so many people achieve so much with their refugium, I thought, let's do that. I can tear the fuge down, recycle the rubble and still host pods, etc, just go back to vodka doing I suppose.

Coral growth is ridiculously slow IMO.

I think a shade is the way to go, even if you have to build something out of pond liner/plastic. Lowering the light means more salt creep will get into it and start to wear it down. I've burned through a couple of kessils that way myself.

Were your nitrates stable before? It's possible your fuge is pulling more than you think but it's just that you are adding back enough organics to offset it.

 

[Subsea]

“I haven't harvested any chaeto yet as it's only been in there for a couple of weeks now and sure, it's grown but we're talking gangbusters here. It has made no dent in my nitrates.“

Until you harvest seaweed, your nutrients will not go down. When I used seaweed refugium, biomass doubled every 10-14 days. If you don’t thin it out; it leaks DOC (dissolved organic carbon) back into the water and that DOC will fuel nuisance algae growth.

 

[BryanM]

I know one person who after getting his ATS set up and working, watched it starve his cheato out.

Honestly ATSes are just fuges on steroids, and nicely self contained, which I prefer greatly.

 

[liquidreefer]

Should I keep this fuge as is, harvest some chaeto and then start carbon dosing again? Hanna kit stats Nitrates are 75, which means it's higher but Phosphates now read .01, GFO doing its job.