Refugium on Res Sea Reefer 350 g2: where does it go??

[LMSquire]

Hey all!

So I have a Red Sea Reefer 350 g2, the newer model, and after about 6 months I am ready to install a refugium.

If you see my setup here, I have the return going into the reefmat linen roller and bio balls/brick, then into my Red Sea skimmer, then into the return.

Can I simply put chaeto and a light over the compartment with the bio balls and brick? That would be great, but I am wondering if the pods will then go onto meet a swift death in my skimmer before making it to the return compartment.

Anyone have any experience with this? I searched threads that came close to answering this question, but were mostly about converting the ato into a fuge which is more than I’d like to do. My next step would probably be to get a good hang on refugium.

Appreciate you fam!

 

[BairCorals]

Just curious but why so much media? Do you have a nsa with bare bottom? Not bashing just never seen so much in a sump before

 

[LMSquire]

Just curious but why so much media? Do you have a nsa with bare bottom? Not bashing just never seen so much in a sump before

Haha honestly it’s because when I set it up six months ago I had no idea what the heck I was doing. Then I started lurking around here and absorbed information about 10x faster than when I studied for the bar exam.

I have a full crushed coral and sand bottom.

Would you recommend taking the bio brick and balls out?

Also, any thoughts on my question about putting a refugium in that spot after the reefmat?

 

[2020 Worst Year]

Haha honestly it’s because when I set it up six months ago I had no idea what the heck I was doing. Then I started lurking around here and absorbed information about 10x faster than when I studied for the bar exam.

I have a full crushed coral and sand bottom.

Would you recommend taking the bio brick and balls out?

Also, any thoughts on my question about putting a refugium in that spot after the reefmat?

did you start with live rock or dry rock?

 

[BairCorals]

Golley that's a beautiful tank! Yeah you can take small amounts out over time. Don't wanna shock the system. But you definitely don't need that much with all that going on in the tank! And I believe that looks like the original fuge area so definitely.
Doesn't really matter where you put it as long as your macro tumbles and isn't going to get chewed up by equipment. May need a small WaveMaker in there. Your pods are going to live everywhere anyways, but they're reproduction rates in a fuge are going to be fast so I wouldn't worry too much about loosing some to equipment.

 

[Jedi Knghit]

The compartment with your media is where I have my refugium, Dump some of the media, add a light and macro.

 

[LMSquire]

The compartment with your media is where I have my refugium, Dump some of the media, add a light and macro.

Excellent, this is the answer I was hoping for, thanks!!!

 

[LMSquire]

did you start with live rock or dry rock?

Caribsea live rock

 

[LMSquire]

Golley that's a beautiful tank! Yeah you can take small amounts out over time. Don't wanna shock the system. But you definitely don't need that much with all that going on in the tank! And I believe that looks like the original fuge area so definitely.
Doesn't really matter where you put it as long as your macro tumbles and isn't going to get chewed up by equipment. May need a small WaveMaker in there. Your pods are going to live everywhere anyways, but their reproduction rates in a fuge are going to be fast so I wouldn't worry too much about loosing some to equipment.

Thanks! My work and family life have suffered but I think it looks pretty good at six months!

So the origin story is that my buddy gave me all that bio brick to help cycle my tank and I used the bio balls that I believe came with it. Maybe I’ll give half of that brick back to my buddy.

You think I’d be good to keep the bio balls in the fuge or is that a no-no?

Also, where do you get your macro algae from?

You guys are the best

 

[Zerodameaon]

Howdy neighbor, that is one nice tank. You started with that only 6 months ago?

 

[NotoriousDMC]

First, I agree with all the other comments about how great the tank looks.

Second, in light of the first point, why not leave well enough alone? Your tank seems to be doing fine to better than fine without one.

 

[VintageReefer]

Honestly you don’t need a refugium. The amount of cheato it can grow will have minimum impact on the system. They need to be very large in order to really help. It will house pods but you’ll be throwing out handfuls of cheato every week or two and most loose pods won’t make it back to the display. You can get pod condos and throw them in anywhere in the sump or display behind the rock

If you have a phosphate or nitrate issue there’s better ways to control it. But your tank looks great so I would say if it ain’t broke don’t change anything

 

[Spare time]

Honestly you don’t need a refugium. The amount of cheato it can grow will have minimum impact on the system. They need to be very large in order to really help. It will house pods but you’ll be throwing out handfuls of cheato every week or two and most loose pods won’t make it back to the display. You can get pod condos and throw them in anywhere in the sump or display behind the rock

If you have a phosphate or nitrate issue there’s better ways to control it. But your tank looks great so I would say if it ain’t broke don’t change anything

They really don't need to be that large as long as you have a strong light.

 

[LMSquire]

Howdy neighbor, that is one nice tank. You started with that only 6 months ago?

Thanks! Yes, filled on 6/13 so less than 6 months.

 

[LMSquire]

First, I agree with all the other comments about how great the tank looks.

Second, in light of the first point, why not leave well enough alone? Your tank seems to be doing fine to better than fine without one.

Thank, much appreciated. I wanted to produce more pods, have fresh macro to feed my tang’s and foxface, and have a natural way of lowering nutrients. I got one all set up that I’ll post a pic of and it seems to be going well! Will need a few more weeks to truly tell though. And you’d probably be surprised but my po4 is .65! Too high!

 

[VintageReefer]

You should get consider an algae turf scrubber instead

Mine floats in my refugium chamber in my sump. The leds are internal. It’s literally a floating self lit box with a air pump connected.

I hooked this up and it out competed the algae in the display and killed off all my cheato at the same time. Super easy to use and stronger than a cheato fuge

The algae can be used to feed certain types of fish also

 

[Zerodameaon]

You should get consider an algae turf scrubber instead

Mine floats in my refugium chamber in my sump. The leds are internal. It’s literally a floating self lit box with a air pump connected.

I hooked this up and it out competed the algae in the display and killed off all my cheato at the same time. Super easy to use and stronger than a cheato fuge

The algae can be used to feed certain types of fish also

Do you have the Surf2? If not, which one do you have?

 

[VintageReefer]

yes and I’ve been using it as primary filtration for about 8 years. I took my skimmers offline about a year ago, and haven’t done water changes in 2 years

This is the best investment I’ve ever made in 20+ years of keeping reefs

When I had a larger bioload, it just grew algae faster. My cheato turned white in about a month and died off. Hair algae did the same. I maintain .02 - .05 phosphates without a skimmer or water changes. I’ve spiked phosphate to .34 via aminos or with liquid phosphate products, it’s back to .02 in 2-3 days on its own