Hang on refugium questions and tips

Aboynamedsous2 · May 20, 2021

Hello all, I’m setting up a hang on refugium to help with phosphates and nitrates in hopes of keeping algae under control (also hope to gets dragonet down to road). This is my first time setting one up it will be hanging off a standard 30 gallon. I read that macro algae and seaweed can mess up oxygen at night without light. I was wandering if I put a carbon pouch in the refugium if it would help with oxygen levels. The tank is in my bedroom and I don’t want a light in 24/7 if I can help it. I would make it an internal but do to circumstances that’s not possible. Thanks I’m advance for any tips! Also sorry for the bad pics lol.

Ratherbeflyen · May 21, 2021

A bag of carbon won't change the oxygen levels of your water. It doesn't have to though. Algae doesn't consume oxygen. It consumes CO2 and releases oxygen. It is usually recommended to run the algae lighting on opposite schedule of your display lights. That is because the consumption/removal of CO2 raises the PH of your water. So by having corals consuming CO2 during the day and algae consuming CO2 at night, your tank will be more stable.

If you can't or wont run your algae lighting at night, there are still other positive attributes to having macro algae in your system what ever your lighting schedule is. I'm a big believer is algae filtration, just get some started.

Aboynamedsous2 · May 21, 2021

Ratherbeflyen said:
A bag of carbon won't change the oxygen levels of your water. It doesn't have to though. Algae doesn't consume oxygen. It consumes CO2 and releases oxygen. It is usually recommended to run the algae lighting on opposite schedule of your display lights. That is because the consumption/removal of CO2 raises the PH of your water. So by having corals consuming CO2 during the day and algae consuming CO2 at night, your tank will be more stable.

If you can't or wont run your algae lighting at night, there are still other positive attributes to having macro algae in your system what ever your lighting schedule is. I'm a big believer is algae filtration, just get some started.

Thanks, the tank is in my bedroom so I don’t wanna sleep with a light on lol. But I could cover it with a box at night so the lights can run.