misc. algae & macro in refugium (in sump)

potatocouch

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2016
Messages
617
Reaction score
218
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
in the ideal world, we would love to have only Chaeto (or some prefer Caulerpa) in their fuge (sump) but in saying that, if worst come to worst, the refugium is filled with all sort of misc. algaes i.e. GHA, Caulerpa, Chaeto, Red Dragon, Bryopsis .. does it really matter? I mean as long as they don't go up to the Display Tank and as long as they can outgrow the algae in the DT by out-taking the majority of nutrients (No3 and Po4) .. that's basically the whole concept of having a refugium right?

I am all for cleanliness of the sump ... but I don't understand when some folks panic when they see GHA growing in their refugium ... you can't see them anyway .. as long as they don't travel to your DT and they uptake all the nutrients and starve those algaes in DT.
 

fish farmer

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 13, 2017
Messages
3,698
Reaction score
5,402
Location
Brandon, VT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My chaeto is getting covered in hair algae and other algaes that are/were in my DT. My sump is ugly as can be. My DT is looking a lot better once I added a refuge. I even omitted a WC change today.
 
OP
OP
potatocouch

potatocouch

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2016
Messages
617
Reaction score
218
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My chaeto is getting covered in hair algae and other algaes that are/were in my DT. My sump is ugly as can be. My DT is looking a lot better once I added a refuge. I even omitted a WC change today.

This is exactly what I have in mind; my newly created fuge got Chaeto in it .. I will see how it pans out ... if GHA or Caulerpa or any other algae takes over .. so be it .... as long as they're in the sump and outpacing the growth rate in DT by uptaking the No3 and Po4 more.
 

NS Mike D

In the arena.
View Badges
Joined
Dec 19, 2017
Messages
2,266
Reaction score
4,795
Location
Huntington. NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
When I trim the cheato, I try to use the newly cut cheato to sweep as much of the nasty stuff out without disturbing it too much so it doesn't flow back into the DT. I presume the cheato limits the growth of the nasty stuff so I don't worry about it being in the fuge. The nice thing about algae in the fuge is that is self regulates the NO3 and PO4.
 
OP
OP
potatocouch

potatocouch

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2016
Messages
617
Reaction score
218
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For someone who just started a refugium, would you suggest getting 1 large handful of Chaeto .. that way they're mature enough to out-battle nutrients with other nuisance algaes ... or should I just start small and let it grow (and potentially beaten by nuisance algae) ?

The bigger the chaeto is .. the more intake of No3 and Po4, right ?
 

fish farmer

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 13, 2017
Messages
3,698
Reaction score
5,402
Location
Brandon, VT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For someone who just started a refugium, would you suggest getting 1 large handful of Chaeto .. that way they're mature enough to out-battle nutrients with other nuisance algaes ... or should I just start small and let it grow (and potentially beaten by nuisance algae) ?

The bigger the chaeto is .. the more intake of No3 and Po4, right ?

I got about a cup of chaeto for my sump, which is on a 29 gallon tank with NO3 around 30ppm and PO4 around 1pmm. It doubled for me in a month and did well under a grow bulb, dark green growth, not light and fluffy growth which you see with stronger lights. The growth has slowed significantly and is about 2 cups worth now, my NO3 has been around 5ppm and PO4 is .5pmm.
 
OP
OP
potatocouch

potatocouch

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2016
Messages
617
Reaction score
218
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So it does not matter start small or start with big chunk of Chaeto?
 

fish farmer

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 13, 2017
Messages
3,698
Reaction score
5,402
Location
Brandon, VT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Depends on how much nutrients you have and/or algae issues. I hear folks who toss a big chunk in their refuge only to die off because they don't have enough nutrients to keep the amount they have growing.
 
Back
Top