How do you maintain your refugium?

[Back where it all began]

As the title suggests, what steps, if any, do you use to keep your refugium functioning at top efficiency. I have a lot of sea lettuce and chaeto so I need to thin some out and clean the walls etc.

 

[Copingwithpods]

For me it's

Harvest chaeto (2x a month)
Clean glass (1x a month)
Rotate night shift snail (2x a month)

 

[William Norman]

How often do you clean out the bottom of the fuge ? I have low flow and wonder how often I should removing the build up on the bottom.

- Hey Back Where it all began. I went Harrison High. I was just next door for many years. Now down in S FL.

 

[pelphrey]

I pull some macro algae out when the compartment is packed full. Otherwise I don't do anything else, I do have live rock on the bottom of the refugium section. I've only cleaned the bottom of the section once, the next time I do clean it I will be using one of these - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bucket-...ible-with-5-Gal-Homer-Bucket-BH0100/202017218

 

[Sdot]

I have enlisted a sea hare to keep the hair algae down. I harvested my Chaeto about once every few weeks.

 

[splitting_lanes]

I vacuum the detritus out when I do water changes. A month or so ago I put a snail in the sump, and what a difference that made! Finally, no hair algae on the walls

 

[AlexG]

I try to leave my refugium alone for the most part. I don't touch the rocks or the bottom. On occasion I will harvest some chaeto, caulerpa, or red macro algaes as needed. I do clean the front glass about once a week but that is about it. All of my actual live rock for the system is in my refugium so there is a ton of life in the refugium that I let balance itself out. I feel that cleaning the refugium would disrupt the balance of life not just with the macro algae but with all the microfauna that is thriving in this tank. As my displays have been doing well I have opted to keep my maintenance with the refugium the same. The only recent change I have made is a light upgrade for one of the lights that needed replacement back in December.

The MP40 is starting to get a little clogged up so it will need a trim. Don't ask me why but the Botryocladia (Red Grape) macro algae decided it likes to grow on the MP40.

 

[William Norman]

I try to leave my refugium alone for the most part. I don't touch the rocks or the bottom. On occasion I will harvest some chaeto, caulerpa, or red macro algaes as needed. I do clean the front glass about once a week but that is about it. All of my actual live rock for the system is in my refugium so there is a ton of life in the refugium that I let balance itself out. I feel that cleaning the refugium would disrupt the balance of life not just with the macro algae but with all the microfauna that is thriving in this tank. As my displays have been doing well I have opted to keep my maintenance with the refugium the same. The only recent change I have made is a light upgrade for one of the lights that needed replacement back in December.

The MP40 is starting to get a little clogged up so it will need a trim. Don't ask me why but the Botryocladia (Red Grape) macro algae decided it likes to grow on the MP40.

Do you think the MP keeps things stirred up so detritus doesn't stay ?

 

[tamanning]

my sump is dominated by calerpa prolifera. I have a 2 inch sand bed mixed with miracle mud mixed. i have bought as many types of pods as I could find emerald crabs and turbo snails. the return chamber is the only part that needs cleaning and that is once a month.

 

[AlexG]

Do you think the MP keeps things stirred up so detritus doesn't stay ?

The MP40 does stir up some detritus but the far end of the tank and around the rocks still has a good amount of detritus buildup. I do think that good flow is important for the refugium inhabitants.

 

[Back where it all began]

How often do you clean out the bottom of the fuge ? I have low flow and wonder how often I should removing the build up on the bottom.

- Hey Back Where it all began. I went Harrison High. I was just next door for many years. Now down in S FL.

Hi, small world. I've lived in the White Plains area for the last 6 years. Before that in Manhattan, but got too expensive.