Start slow . I started 10 hours and nutrients bottomed out. Worse thing came next .
now I’m trying again
now I’m trying again
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Start slow . I started 10 hours and nutrients bottomed out. Worse thing came next .
now I’m trying again
A refugium is not much different than any other piece of filtration equipment in that you'll need to tune it based on your system. In this case the tuning is adjusting the intensity and duration of your lighting.
I would start with six to eight hours of lighting first and run it while your display lights are off. Test your nutrients after a week and make adjustments from there. I would err on the side of caution though because you don't want to bottom out of your nutrients. Typically the problems that come with zero nutrients can be worse than high nutrients.
Less and nuisance algae will take over the crate...So a softball size ?
Don’t you remove the access as it grows anyway?
Agree, is going to be a balance. You will need to pay attention to it. You need to eventually trim if you see chaeto is reeceding or too large for the sump, because if there are no more nutrients, it can result in other plagues ligue cyano. Too little it could give a chance to other algae to thrive. I am in the first case, where I think my chaeto is sucking all of my nutrients, so I am now overfeeding
Thanks Coxey. In fact, I have reduced the lights from 14 to 10 hours as another alternative, as you mentioned. Is a matter of fine tuning to get the proper balance, so that's my advice to the OP to keep an eye on it as not all tanks are the sameHave you tried cutting down the period you have the fuge light on?
I'm completely new to this and don't even have my chaeto yet, but this is going to be my approach.
From my understanding trimming will just give the chaeto more room to grow which is when it reduces more nutrients. Which is good if trying to bring them down, but bad if you are trying to raise them.
However, if you don't trim it then it will max out the area and choke itself out and start to die... which you don't want either.
So the question is how do you slow the growth rate without killing it... if wanting to raise your nutrients levels? Seems like reducing light time is the best bet.
No idea if it will work, but its what I'm going to try to use as a method to keep mine balanced.
Thanks Coxey. In fact, I have reduced the lights from 14 to 10 hours as another alternative, as you mentioned. Is a matter of fine tuning to get the proper balance, so that's my advice to the OP to keep an eye on it as not all tanks are the same
Yes, I am planning to do some 15% water changes every 3 weeks, depending on how my readings are in the next couple of weeks. I still don't have corals, so that is why I want to get the system prepared on nutrients and light intensity (currently only at 10%). Don't plan to add corals yet to give the system some additional time for stabilization.I would think you could also do smaller or less frequent water changes and dose mag, calcium, etc for corals.
Yes, I am planning to do some 15% water changes every 3 weeks, depending on how my readings are in the next couple of weeks. I still don't have corals, so that is why I want to get the system prepared on nutrients and light intensity (currently only at 10%). Don't plan to add corals yet to give the system some additional time for stabilization.
Some say adding corals early on sets your system up better. After cycled and before any fish. That’s what I did with my frag tank snd it’s doing awesome. I just added a springer Damsel last week.Yes, I am planning to do some 15% water changes every 3 weeks, depending on how my readings are in the next couple of weeks. I still don't have corals, so that is why I want to get the system prepared on nutrients and light intensity (currently only at 10%). Don't plan to add corals yet to give the system some additional time for stabilization.
just be careful about chaeto sources - lots of reefers have aiptasia and if you don't, this is a surefire way to get it unless you can be 100% sure it's cleanHave you tried to contact fellow reefers around your city? Maybe some LFS, they sometimes have for their tanks and are willing to give you some from their own tanks, that's how I got mine.
I like dipping in freshwater for other pest. While dipping I examine for Aiptasia.just be careful about chaeto sources - lots of reefers have aiptasia and if you don't, this is a surefire way to get it unless you can be 100% sure it's clean