Hair algae in refugium

LMSquire

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Hi friends,

About a month ago I started a refugium in the designated compartment of the sump on my Reefer 350 g2.

I have various macros in a plastic mesh net box I made, along with a Tunze fuge light and a power head circulating water.

I am also dosing ocean magic phytoplankton from algae barn. Per the instructions, 30 ml daily on 90 gal total volume.

Recently, I have seen hair algae growing in the refugium, see pics below.

My understanding was that this refugium would reduce the amount of unwanted algae growth, not create a bloom of it in my sump.

Does anyone have any thoughts on why this is happening?


IMG_2700.jpeg
IMG_2699.jpeg
 

Reefkeepers Archive

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20231207_163014.jpg

Hair algae works well :)

Though IDK how to stop it from growing in the sump, to my knowelage as long as it's not growing directly on the macroalgae it's fine
 

YOYOYOReefer

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I would fill it with live rock and get rid of the light. Have had much more success with cryptic sumps than refugium sumps. What spectrum is your light? When my halides need to,be changed they tend to grow hair algae as the spectrum shifts. Maybe try a different light on it
 

exnisstech

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I'd rather have it growing in the sump than the DT. I don't understand all the hate that gha gets. Whenever I remove some there are always pods in with it so I tend to not worry about some gha.
Probably the only way to prevent it in the sump is remove the light or try to remove the light spill to the other chambers.
 
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darrick001

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In over 25 years of reefing with a refugium I have never had one that was gha free. Just manually remove it when it starts showing up. I remove any clumps when I trim my chaeto every 2-3 weeks.
 

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