New Refugium

[Bodyguard]

Hello All,

Today I have started my first refugium. I ordered the AlgaeBarn Refugium starter pack and went with the establish tank option. So I added the Chaeto ball and loose pieces have been breaking off and getting into my DT and causing a headache with clocking my up my rtn pump screens. See pics. Is this normal when adding new chaeto to a sump? Like I said this is my first fug but this loose chaeto is getting every where and annoying the s*** out of me. I followed their instructions and just REALLY annoyed a what it is doing 2 hours into adding it! I have to leave my sock off for 5 days so there is nothing currently capturing it other than a fish net I have resting on one of the return heads. The ball is tumbling at a slow rate.

Thanks for the feedback

 

[Wick3d_1]

We have ours as a separate chamber and away from any pumps. All that's in there is return pipes.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Hello All,

Today I have started my first refugium. I ordered the AlgaeBarn Refugium starter pack and went with the establish tank option. So I added the Chaeto ball and loose pieces have been breaking off and getting into my DT and causing a headache with clocking my up my rtn pump screens. See pics. Is this normal when adding new chaeto to a sump? Like I said this is my first fug but this loose chaeto is getting every where and annoying the s*** out of me. I followed their instructions and just REALLY annoyed a what it is doing 2 hours into adding it! I have to leave my sock off for 5 days so there is nothing currently capturing it other than a fish net I have resting on one of the return heads. The ball is tumbling at a slow rate.

Thanks for the feedback

I had the same problem with flowing out of my separate 2nd chamber's baffles and over into the return pump 3rd chamber.

My chaeto did same thing (or worse, smaller bits) but I'd also ordered Red Ogo and Sea Lettuce because I didn't get the whole package just individual algae types. The Red Ogo & Sea Lettuce stayed intact, but they also wanted to go into pumps. Initially that first night, I ran to local hardware store and I bought window screening (get type that can go into saltwater) and we used that tied on egg crate to build a barrier. It got stuck in the screen as it tumbled, so we went to BRS pod rocks and used those on their side (cut in half to make even thinner and get more surface area)) and attached those to egg crate and that is what we are still using today to keep 2nd chamber refugium IN 2nd chamber and not sneaking over/under/over baffles to 3rd chamber. Red Ogo has the advantage I can also feed it to my tangs, so I never did get around to getting more chaeto as Red Ogo also grows great and acts like chaeto from nutrient export perspective.

 

[Bodyguard]

In all the BRS videos I've watched and threads I've followed on creating a fug non ever mentioned the chaeto creating this mess. This is going to take awhile to clean out (unless there are any CUC that will eat this stuff). I've lost probably a 1/4 if not a 1/3 of the chaeto which is really annoying as well. I currently have my carbon reactor pump in there. Its looking like I will need to move it 1st or last chamber now.

 

[Bodyguard]

We have ours as a separate chamber and away from any pumps. All that's in there is return pipes.

Yes mine is in its own chamber as well. Middle of the 3 but it is easily making through my Under Over

 

[Bodyguard]

So after ~12 hours thus far the chaeto keeps falling apart. Its about a 1/4 the size now from the original "ball" I dropped in the fug. ticked to wake up and see that is was even smaller and a strand of chaeto grab one of my heaters and kept it from tumbling. What if anything should be in the fug chamber? I currently have my two heaters in there.

I really hope this is part of starting a chaeto fug. It's like someone put it on a chopping block and cut it up and then tried to make a "ball" before shipping it. I thought AlgaeBarn would have provided a better performing product instead of one that just falls apart and makes a mess and clogging the equipment!

 

[bruce53]

Hello All,

Today I have started my first refugium. I ordered the AlgaeBarn Refugium starter pack and went with the establish tank option. So I added the Chaeto ball and loose pieces have been breaking off and getting into my DT and causing a headache with clocking my up my rtn pump screens. See pics. Is this normal when adding new chaeto to a sump? Like I said this is my first fug but this loose chaeto is getting every where and annoying the s*** out of me. I followed their instructions and just REALLY annoyed a what it is doing 2 hours into adding it! I have to leave my sock off for 5 days so there is nothing currently capturing it other than a fish net I have resting on one of the return heads. The ball is tumbling at a slow rate.

Thanks for the feedback

Chaeto should float on top. Maybe yours is not well. I have not had any chaeto get into the pumps.

 

[Gort]

@Bodyguard - I talked with a guy from Algae Barn. He told me healthy Chaeto shouldn't shred like that. He also suggested a very coarse sponge somewhere before the pump screens until you figure out the root cause.