Refugium - what’s in yours

[WiscoFishNut]

Chaeto, a pod hotel, and a couple nerite snails to eat the undesirable algae that grows in there. Thinking about adding an emerald crab if the snails don't keep things in check. Plus I've had dumb snails manage to plug the intake for my skimmer..

 

[G Santana]

Don't know if you care, but marine pure leaches some form of aluminum into water.
This is as tested by ICP, which finds any form of Aluminum, even those which are harmless.
I had the 4 inch blocks in my refugium for 6 months and then removed them, returning the ICP test levels to normal.
I really like the surface area though.

This is disturbing, I had every intention on using blocks in my sump, now it's something to seriously reconsider.
There are a bunch of sumps that I have seen that have those or similar products.
Seriously something I have to look at!!!
Has anyone else had their water tested and come up with similar aluminum results?

 

[New&no clue]

Mine has live rock, Xenia, aiptasia, bubble algae, and a little bit of cyano.

 

[Pistondog]

This is disturbing, I had every intention on using blocks in my sump, now it's something to seriously reconsider.
There are a bunch of sumps that I have seen that have those or similar products.
Seriously something I have to look at!!!
Has anyone else had their water tested and come up with similar aluminum results?

If you search this site for aluminum marine you'll get links to more info.

 

[G Santana]

If you search this site for aluminum marine you'll get links to more info.

I had no idea, I had watched the video on BRS regarding their benefit and it made sense. Being made of ceramic gave me confidence to use them. Per your msg I did a search and now have no intention to use them. I have additional dry rock that I will use.
This post and a quick search has given me eye opening information.
Thank you.

 

[Arabyps]

My refugium chamber in the sump has a Rain2 algae scrubber and bio homme media.

 

[Pistondog]

I had no idea, I had watched the video on BRS regarding their benefit and it made sense. Being made of ceramic gave me confidence to use them. Per your msg I did a search and now have no intention to use them. I have additional dry rock that I will use.
This post and a quick search has given me eye opening information.
Thank you.

I didn't either, but I still don't know if harmful, do you?
I know many reefers use it with great success, no bad symptoms.
I have a hard time risking it.

 

[G Santana]

I didn't either, but I still don't know if harmful, do you?
I know many reefers use it with great success, no bad symptoms.
I have a hard time risking it.

I don't know, but when I did a search roughly 20 pages popped up. Most folks who used the bricks took them out, only a few said they kept them. Some folks had their water tested and had some levels of aluminum. Bottom line, with all the money reefers have invested, it's just not worth taking the risk.
Again, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Amstar]

I am thinking some live rock rubble, cheato , maybe some Xenia and Kenya tree corals - b/c they grow like weeks - maybe one or two bad acting cleanup crew members

 

[WVNed]

Mine is a 29 gallon tank with low flow. Whatever grows in it is fine.

 

[Mark Gray]

Mostly cheato some sea lettuce Fiji mud and some buo blocks.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Don't know if you care, but marine pure leaches some form of aluminum into water.
This is as tested by ICP, which finds any form of Aluminum, even those which are harmless.
I had the 4 inch blocks in my refugium for 6 months and then removed them, returning the ICP test levels to normal.
I really like the surface area though.

Do their marine pure balls leak aluminum

 

[Pistondog]

Do their marine pure balls leak aluminum

See above and search this website for "aluminum marine" for your own info.

 

[Amstar]

What about flow? Wasn’t the thought in the past your cheato needs to “tumble” or is that not the case anymore?

 

[Pistondog]

What about flow? Wasn’t the thought in the past your cheato needs to “tumble” or is that not the case anymore?

I am no expert, but what does that add?
Minimal flow is required to replenish nutrients, but why tumble except for nice videos.
I think it is a preference, not a requirement.
I flip my chaeto when harvesting.

 

[Firthy13]

i have nothing in mine yet, i cant decided what to put in it.

Side question, for those of you running Skimmers also, are they before or after your fuge? do you think it even matters?

 

[Pistondog]

i have nothing in mine yet, i cant decided what to put in it.

Side question, for those of you running Skimmers also, are they before or after your fuge? do you think it even matters?

Makes no difference.
My overfow tees off 10ish% to fuge and rest to skimmer. Both converge on return pump.

 

[DSEKULA]

Xenia, lta, and clownfish, and some duster worms. Also add anything else like frags to grow our etc that needs refuge from the dt so it doesn't get beat up untill it grows out etc. I've even trained dragons (scooters, dragonets) for friends there so my fuge is also a "dragon training ground" lolol

 

[Firthy13]

i don't think it will matter either. As you can see here, my Fuge flows in to my skimmer chamber. Hopefully it doesn't chew too many pods up and get blocked with chaeto.

 

[GrapevineReefs]

In my main display fuge run the AI Prime Fuge with Miracle mud, Chaeto, Red ogo, Dragons Breath, Mangrove, snails a random hermit or three, urchin, and a coral banded shrimp. I also have two AIO tanks that have media racks that allow me to run chaeto fuge’s in them And they grow like crazy!