Is a pristine sump with a refugium possible?

[shiftline]

I have had my tank running for over a year and never had a lit sump. I have used GFO and never had an alage issue. I do however have PH issues. Recently I took off the calcium reactor and put dosing pumps back on. Sadly no big chang in ph

This got me thinking that maybe I should add a reverse lit fuge. But will my sump turn to sh** and loose its pristinness? Haha I also debated making an ATS. It after watching BRS new video on cheato and higher power led lights it got me thinking of adding some

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

YOU will be happier with a macro reactor.
ME Im happy with the silly little forest of chato macros bugs .
But you also might be happier with outside air for the PH, and Kalkwasser.

 

[DanConnor]

Have room to run your makeup water through a kalk reactor? That's nice combined with a CA reactor.

 

[shiftline]

I did a diy kalk reactor but I found I had to drip too much. Water level in the sump was raising faster than it evaporated so I took it off

I also took off CA reactor so I cloud dose 2 part and Alk at night. Helped a bit for PH but not as much as I hoed.

 

[shiftline]

The BRS cheato video strongly makes me consider putting my 90w evergrow with some cheato in the fuge. Would just suck to get algae growing in the skimmer / pumps and the rest of it in there. A turf scrubber would keep it contained but a bit more of a pain to maintain and clean

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

may I ask your ph and how your testing.

 

[shiftline]

7.61-7.99. Via apex lab grade probe
Last calibrated about a month ago

 

[Bdog4u2]

Is your ph effecting your tank? I don't test mine because I know my human nature will make me want to adjust it and I don't want anything else to adjust but I do open some windows as much as possible

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

7.61-7.99. Via apex lab grade probe
Last calibrated about a month ago

yea, I would check that. I'm in a sumpless 30g w a tiny skimmer dosing 2 part and kalk in the top off and I'm always above 8. My sumped 55 is too, w a tiny skimmer and the same dosing.
So if huge aeration, Kalk, dosing aren't raising Ph, Id have to say test error or there's little to no oxygen in the house and the furnace is always on.

 

[Ocean Lotion]

If my alk was good and pH that close to 8 I would not worry. I never test ph.

 

[shiftline]

Yea the upper range is fine I jus feel that 7.6x is a little low. Alk is pretty stable. My old probe was pretty close. I recently replaced it with a fancy double junction lab probe an readings are pretty similarly to the old ones. I know it's pointless to chance PH and I never cared before.. but still seems borderline to low. I lost a bunch of sps back in November / December which started this which hunt and I guess ph is what Im now possibly pointlessly focused on (funny since I never worried about it the past few years)

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I would buy an API PH test.
And yea the swing has lost me some SPS as well.

 

[shiftline]

So either way revers light cycle algae will help boost / stabilize PH. I guess the question is Cheato in the chamber before the pump or diy a turf scrubber

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So either way revers light cycle algae will help boost / stabilize PH. I guess the question is Cheato in the chamber before the pump or diy a turf scrubber

If you put light down there it wont be pretty. Coralline etc. You do seem pretty good at diy.

 

[shiftline]

Thanks! That's my worry. Haha. Looks like a turf scrubber it is

I took apart my evergrow nova s2 but sadly the pucks are both on the same board so there is no easy way to split it up. I'll see what else I can dig up or find online

 

[ReefQueen]

What about a cheato reactor? Then all the cheato and light is contained in the reactor and won't ruin the clean look of your sump.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks! That's my worry. Haha. Looks like a turf scrubber it is

I took apart my evergrow nova s2 but sadly the pucks are both on the same board so there is no easy way to split it up. I'll see what else I can dig up or find online

AHA! You just wanted an ATS!

A chato reactor would be to easy. Although, the reactor could be black and keep light in.o_O...

 

[ludnix]

I'm planning to use opaque dividers (colored acrylic) on the sides of my refugium to prevent unwanted algae growth in my skimmer. I think the ATS is a great option as well though it may not provide the microfauna benefit that a refugium would, it certainly will make for a cleaner sump area.

 

[shiftline]

I was thinking of putting black acrylic baffles in the side if the rock / cheato chamber if u went that route too. Haha.

Cheato reactor would work but by the time I build it a could prob make a turf scrubber for a similar price and from what I read it's more effective. So sounds like either ATS or black, acrylic side baffles and the s2 over some cheato. I have spent hours reading up on ATS toddy