First Refugium Ever Having Problems

Marco S

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I bought a softball sized piece of Chaeto about three and a half months ago and put it through QT for three months. It was doing fine with a normal freshwater plant LED for the first month and got up to the size of a basketball, (or right around there) and then I bought an AI Prime Fuge light and it started dying on me. I played with the settings for a while and it never really helped so by the time I was able to put it in my sump it was a little larger than a baseball. I posted here asking for help with setting up the AI Prime and got no responses and AI has no information on the proper settings and height etc. I was a really disappointed and almost switched back to the plant LED, but figured I would see how it went in the sump since the QT time was up.

It has been in the sump for about a week now and I guess the added nutrients and better water flow were key because it is growing very well with the AI Prime now, (also the Prime is a bit higher if that makes a difference). The problem I have now is that green hair algae is now growing like crazy on the inside walls of my skimmer. I have a Red Sea Reefer 750XXL V3 sump and the refugium is long but skinny and the light spills over to the skimmer section and I can't really position it in a way that it doesn't.

I have a couple questions and hopefully someone has some answers...

1. Will it hurt anything to have algae growing in my skimmer?

2. Should I find someway to block the light from the skimmer?

3. Will the Chaeto eventually out-compete the algae from growing in the skimmer

4. Should I try and adjust the AI Prime? And if so, does anyone have a schedule and settings they can share with me? Pretty please!!!

I currently have the AI about 15" from the water level in the sump and it is on from 8:30 PM - 8:00 AM every night. The settings are as follows:

UV: 100%
Red: 100%
Deep Red: 100%
Cool White: 52%

I tried to replicate the actual spectrum that Chaeto needs to grow I got off a BRS Investigates video and it is growing good now so I am reluctant to change the settings unless someone with the same light and same sump has settings that they have experienced great results with and do not have an issue with algae growing in their skimmer.

Thanks in advance. :)
 

AlgaeBarn

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I bought a softball sized piece of Chaeto about three and a half months ago and put it through QT for three months. It was doing fine with a normal freshwater plant LED for the first month and got up to the size of a basketball, (or right around there) and then I bought an AI Prime Fuge light and it started dying on me. I played with the settings for a while and it never really helped so by the time I was able to put it in my sump it was a little larger than a baseball. I posted here asking for help with setting up the AI Prime and got no responses and AI has no information on the proper settings and height etc. I was a really disappointed and almost switched back to the plant LED, but figured I would see how it went in the sump since the QT time was up.

It has been in the sump for about a week now and I guess the added nutrients and better water flow were key because it is growing very well with the AI Prime now, (also the Prime is a bit higher if that makes a difference). The problem I have now is that green hair algae is now growing like crazy on the inside walls of my skimmer. I have a Red Sea Reefer 750XXL V3 sump and the refugium is long but skinny and the light spills over to the skimmer section and I can't really position it in a way that it doesn't.

I have a couple questions and hopefully someone has some answers...

1. Will it hurt anything to have algae growing in my skimmer?

2. Should I find someway to block the light from the skimmer?

3. Will the Chaeto eventually out-compete the algae from growing in the skimmer

4. Should I try and adjust the AI Prime? And if so, does anyone have a schedule and settings they can share with me? Pretty please!!!

I currently have the AI about 15" from the water level in the sump and it is on from 8:30 PM - 8:00 AM every night. The settings are as follows:

UV: 100%
Red: 100%
Deep Red: 100%
Cool White: 52%

I tried to replicate the actual spectrum that Chaeto needs to grow I got off a BRS Investigates video and it is growing good now so I am reluctant to change the settings unless someone with the same light and same sump has settings that they have experienced great results with and do not have an issue with algae growing in their skimmer.

Thanks in advance. :)

1. I wouldn't recommend it.
2. It would be ideal, can you post a photo of your sump setup and the algae in the skimmer?
3. I think your schedule and setup is fine.

Another question

What are your nutrient levels at?
 
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Marco S

Marco S

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1. I wouldn't recommend it.
2. It would be ideal, can you post a photo of your sump setup and the algae in the skimmer?
3. I think your schedule and setup is fine.

Another question

What are your nutrient levels at?
I can't get a picture at the moment, but will post one later tonight.

My nutrient levels are:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - between 2 - 6 (trying to get it higher)
Phosphate - 0
Calcium - 450
Magnesium - 1460
Alkalinity - between 8 - 9
PH - between 7.8 - 8.1
Salinity - 1.025
Temp - 78 - 78.5
ORP - between 290 - 305 (if ORP actually matters)

Edit: Magnesium is actually 1260 not 1460...
 
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