Refugium Question

[Mrcote1]

Hi everyone. I have a Mariner 130 and the sump has 3 chambers, one for filter socks, one for protein skimmer and one for the return. My phosphates and nitrates have been climbing (I have a high bioload) and I was wondering if anyone has ever done a refugium in their return chamber? I have the large intake screen on it so I doubt chaeto woukd get sucked into it?

For reference, my phosphates are 0.18ppm and nitrates are 23ppm. I am also battling an intense hair algae outbreak.

 

[Uncle99]

Hi everyone. I have a Mariner 130 and the sump has 3 chambers, one for filter socks, one for protein skimmer and one for the return. My phosphates and nitrates have been climbing (I have a high bioload) and I was wondering if anyone has ever done a refugium in their return chamber? I have the large intake screen on it so I doubt chaeto woukd get sucked into it?

For reference, my phosphates are 0.18ppm and nitrates are 23ppm. I am also battling an intense hair algae outbreak.

I did but ended that as once I added light, after a few months, it got very “dirty” which affected both the skimmer and pump in terms of “slowing” down the flow through these devices.

It was a pain the clean that out.

I did replace that with a separate lit fuge and that worked well.

Your phosphate is below .2ppm which is not too bad, I’ve run .2 to.3 for more than 5 years.

You could easily mop up with a GFO or LC like phosphate-e.

Nitrates still not bad at 23ppm, you could lower that with something like Nopox.

If you Ok with the maintenance of the sump, then yep, it will work.

 

[X-37B]

I would run the skimmer in the return area. I do on 1 system.
This leave the skimmer area for a fuge. I will be doing the same on my new ext 112 build.