Refugium VS DIY Chaeto Reactor VS DIY Algae Turf Scrubber for a 160 gallon tank

[reefinginBD]

Should I go with, a refugium, algae turf scrubber or a chaeto reactor? Or should I go with a mix of two? I will have some wrasses in the tank, and I may add a dragonet when the tank is mature. So, I want to have a good population of copepods. I am not sure whether I should set up a refugium, ATS or a chaeto reactor. The bottom of the sump will be covered with bio media, either blocks or cubes. I believe that the copepods would thrive in there, right? If I keep chaeto should I have it in the refugium area? If so how should I tumble it? Or should I use a diy chaeto reactor? What would you say? Or should I use the ATS. The other option that I can think of is, keeping chaeto or other macro algae in the refugium section and have a small ATS what do you think? Then I will have the nutrient export from the algae scrubbers and some nutrient export from the chaeto which will also prove a place for the pods to stay. But then again I want to turn the refugium area into a small frag rack so should I use a chaeto reactor instead? I’m really confused about this part.

 

[exnisstech]

If you have a chamber to house it I would vote chaeto in a fuge. It's simple to maintain, just pull a chunk out every once in a while, rinse in the water and pitch it or give it away. Pods love it, mine is packed with them. It doesn't have to tumble and a cheap grow light from Amazon or hanging in a work light fixture from home depot will grow it just fine. Simple, cheap, and easy to maintain just way I like it.

 

[ekandler]

I have a large fuge that I’ve had for years and it works wonders. My fuge doesn’t tumble and it doesn’t cause any issues and I have a thriving copepod population. Never used an algae scrubber but I’d put my vote for a fuge. I don’t know how a pod population would do in an algae scrubber, might be okay but doesn’t seem like it’d do as well with the smaller volume.

 

[reefinginBD]

I have a large fuge that I’ve had for years and it works wonders. My fuge doesn’t tumble and it doesn’t cause any issues and I have a thriving copepod population. Never used an algae scrubber but I’d put my vote for a fuge. I don’t know how a pod population would do in an algae scrubber, might be okay but doesn’t seem like it’d do as well with the smaller volume.

If you have a chamber to house it I would vote chaeto in a fuge. It's simple to maintain, just pull a chunk out every once in a while, rinse in the water and pitch it or give it away. Pods love it, mine is packed with them. It doesn't have to tumble and a cheap grow light from Amazon or hanging in a work light fixture from home depot will grow it just fine. Simple, cheap, and easy to maintain just way I like it.

I see thanks! Can you please tell me how I can stop detritus from settling in the bottom? And also do I have to flip the chaeto or can I just flip it once a month when I clean the tank? Also um do you have problems with pests living in the refugium?

 

[Borat]

Fuge is better for pods and cheato is especially loved by Gammarus and Munnids (amphipods and isopods)

 

[Borat]

I see thanks! Can you please tell me how I can stop detritus from settling in the bottom? And also do I have to flip the chaeto or can I just flip it once a month when I clean the tank? Also um do you have problems with pests living in the refugium?

What kind of pests?

 

[Borat]

I see thanks! Can you please tell me how I can stop detritus from settling in the bottom? And also do I have to flip the chaeto or can I just flip it once a month when I clean the tank? Also um do you have problems with pests living in the refugium?

It's almost the whole idea of refugium that detrius settles at the bottom? Just hoover detrius when doing water change, or even better - leave it alone.. You need to flip every now on, I do it when I trim/harvest it.. Maybe once every couple of weeks..

 

[Wasabiroot]

I like to have a small powerhead in my refugium. I run a mix of chaeto, gracilaria and caulerpa which can get tangled together and trap debris so I find the powerhead helps keep stuff suspended a bit better so it can flow to the next chamber. If you have sufficient flow into your refugium section this is likely not necessary but I have to keep my drain a bit slower because I'm a lazy moron who used ball valves when I set up the tank

 

[exnisstech]

I see thanks! Can you please tell me how I can stop detritus from settling in the bottom? And also do I have to flip the chaeto or can I just flip it once a month when I clean the tank? Also um do you have problems with pests living in the refugium?

My chaeto is in the second chamber of my sump, filter socks in the first so detritus isn't too bad. I pulled the socks once and that was a mistake. I'm also not too concerned with a "clean" sump since it's in my basement. I roll the chaeto over when I think about it but I mounted some led lights to the glass using velcro and have a light hanging so it's pretty much lit all the way around so flipping it isn't as important than if I had a single light source. Nothing there that I consider pests. Pods, a brittle star once and some bristle worms. Even have a cucumber in there that I watch out for when I'm harvesting. It came down from the display a year or so ago so I just leave it. All good inhabitants IMO

 

[reefinginBD]

It's almost the whole idea of refugium that detrius settles at the bottom? Just hoover detrius when doing water change, or even better - leave it alone.. You need to flip every now on, I do it when I trim/harvest it.. Maybe once every couple of weeks..

So trimming it once a month and flipping it then is enough right? Also by pest I heard that things like bristleworms and all. I also saw on BRSTV that peats grow in them. So like is that a problem?

 

[reefinginBD]

I like to have a small powerhead in my refugium. I run a mix of chaeto, gracilaria and caulerpa which can get tangled together and trap debris so I find the powerhead helps keep stuff suspended a bit better so it can flow to the next chamber. If you have sufficient flow into your refugium section this is likely not necessary but I have to keep my drain a bit slower because I'm a lazy moron who used ball valves when I set up the tank

I see. Doesn’t the powerhead get clogged? How do you prevent it from doing that?

 

[Wasabiroot]

It does, lol, but nothing crazy. I just periodically pull stuff out of it. Alternatively some course foam around the intake that is easily removable makes that easier. I use a Tunze voyager nano. Runs like a champ. Thing is you will need to pop down there to maintain it regularly anyways - algal growth, removing the excess to export nutrients, and ensuring flow through. I think sometimes we undersell the associated maintenance with refugiums
As for pests, not really. I have a few aiptasia but I also have two peppermints and a pencil urchin who help to remove anything problematic. I have bristleworms also but haven't encountered them much in the refugium, but you could wear gloves if that is a concern. The frequency you remove depends on how good a job its doing and how much space is left for new growth

 

[Borat]

whatever you think of as "pests" is most likely to be normal ecosystem of a healthy reef.

bristle worms are annoying because they can sting you - but they are an important cleanup crew..

 

[reefinginBD]

It does, lol, but nothing crazy. I just periodically pull stuff out of it. Alternatively some course foam around the intake that is easily removable makes that easier. I use a Tunze voyager nano. Runs like a champ. Thing is you will need to pop down there to maintain it regularly anyways - algal growth, removing the excess to export nutrients, and ensuring flow through. I think sometimes we undersell the associated maintenance with refugiums
As for pests, not really. I have a few aiptasia but I also have two peppermints and a pencil urchin who help to remove anything problematic. I have bristleworms also but haven't encountered them much in the refugium, but you could wear gloves if that is a concern. The frequency you remove depends on how good a job its doing and how much space is left for new growth

I am worried that if there are pests in the refugium, they can crawl upto the display tank. Do you think that will happen?

 

[Borat]

you dont want powerheard in your refugium - its mean to be slow moving...

 

[Borat]

I am worried that if there are pests in the refugium, they can crawl upto the display tank. Do you think that will happen?

..and then crawl out at night from the display tank and break into your bedroom?

 

[reefinginBD]

whatever you think of as "pests" is most likely to be normal ecosystem of a healthy reef.

bristle worms are annoying because they can sting you - but they are an important cleanup crew..

As far as I know, they are all good until they get too big. Do you think they can go from the refugium to the display tank? Also I want to keep frags in the refugium when newly fragged how can I keep it here then?

 

[Wasabiroot]

you dont want powerheard in your refugium - its mean to be slow moving...

I don't disagree but only because my sump style has very slow flow through to the skimmer chamber, almost so slow that one is necessary in my case. Borat is right though - you want to maximize contact time to ensure the algae can absorb nutrients

 

[reefinginBD]

..and then crawl out at night from the display tank and break into your bedroom?

Haha I am just worried that they can grow too big and bother the fish and corals.

 

[reefinginBD]

you dont want powerheard in your refugium - its mean to be slow moving...

What if I use an airline? Will the bubbles move the chaeto?