Refugium or bio media

Dryanimtt

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So it seems I have a bit of dilemma here or not. Looking to get some opinions on what the best option would be in my case. I have a 20 gallon long diy sump I put together with pre-made baffle kit. In the last chamber before the return I have some bio balls and chaeto. Thing is the chaeto is just kind of mushed in there with a subpar light. So it's essential serving no good purpose. My question is should I just remove the bio balls (since I have nowhere else to put them) and dedicate that change to chaeto or keep the bio balls and remove the chaeto? Which does everyone think provide the most benefit to the system?
 

Brady4000

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Unless you need the extra surface for a beneficial bacteria, I would remove it and just run Chaeto.
 
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Dryanimtt

Dryanimtt

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that's basically my question.... if you had to choose one or the other, which would it be? the added surface for beneficial bacteria or the benefits of a refugium. I dont really know if i need the extra surface or not, there in lies the crux.
 

Brady4000

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Well let’s find out.

Tank size?
How many pounds of rock in the DT?
How much sand if any?
Are you getting no ammonia at the moment? How new is the tank?

Full tank shot picture please.
 

Jedi1199

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What is your bio load? In order to get the best responses to your issue, you need to provide as much detail as possible.
 

Brady4000

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Equipment cabinet is in! I'll show the inside once I get everything in there and straightened up.
20201012_164953.jpg
20201012_175427.jpg
20201012_175447.jpg
Ok did some digging in your build thread.

Yes it looks like you have enough rock and sand to support your tank. Since the tank is new, just add fish slowly, and watch for ammonia.

I would run the chaeto after you build up some nitrates, might have a hard time with such a new tank.
 

Azedenkae

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So it seems I have a bit of dilemma here or not. Looking to get some opinions on what the best option would be in my case. I have a 20 gallon long diy sump I put together with pre-made baffle kit. In the last chamber before the return I have some bio balls and chaeto. Thing is the chaeto is just kind of mushed in there with a subpar light. So it's essential serving no good purpose. My question is should I just remove the bio balls (since I have nowhere else to put them) and dedicate that change to chaeto or keep the bio balls and remove the chaeto? Which does everyone think provide the most benefit to the system?
Presuming you have plenty of live rock, you can just remove the bioballs as the live rock should be all the biological filtration you'd need (at least in terms of nitrification).
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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Answer is here :)

not any reef needs the bio media, not a single one.

contrast that to owners who want / feel they need it: 99.98%

if we removed all the sand and the media you’d still be way over needs for surface area, source for claims, fifty page sand rinse thread where we do just that.
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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there’s a hidden little proof detail our search return can provide: find one reef tank on the whole internet that can’t carry a bioload after removal of some of its surface area and post it. The link will simply be a great working reef on api showing false positive or Red Sea false positive, none will be a tuned seneye, but any day we watch the actual reef run it’ll be fine and normal v dead. Try and find one single link on the whole web n post it here, that’s a fun exercise on surface area dynamics in reefing, a search for a single outlier among a million posted reefs. All reefs having any degree of rock in the display have met their surface area demands, the bioballs are simply extra plastic, yank em
 

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