Refugium with old AI Prime, Nero 3, 3d printed basket - adding copepods

[DustinDec]

After discussing things with my wife and thinking it over for the last few months, we decided to take the plunge and start our refugium. Our nitrates typically sit around 21 ppm and phosphates are currently around 0.26 ppm. The plan is to add chaeto in a 3D printed basket, use a light shade on an AI Prime 16, and run a Nero 3 for solid water movement.

I will also be adding a jar of Galaxy Pods from AlgaeBarn and dosing around 35 mL of OceanMagik. The system currently runs a 57W Aqua UV, ReefMat, and skimmer. I plan to turn off the UV for 24 hours after adding the pods. I will dose once, then after 24 hours dose OceanMagik a second time, followed by 2 to 4 hours with the UV still off before turning it back on. Before and after each feeding, I will leave the refugium light off for a couple of hours. I will continue daily dosing for about two weeks, then reduce to 2 to 3 times per week.

Does this plan sound solid? I am hoping to add a captive bred female Mandarin in about 2 to 3 months. I restarted this tank in early July and it has been running since. It is a mixed reef. My SPS has not really taken off yet, but everything appears to be at least growing.

Note: The image showing the sensor holder and heaters is the area where I plan to keep the chaeto, inside a 3D printed PETG basket.

 

[Subsea]

Dustin,
It is a solid plan. And a excellent one with you including your soul mate with the decision.

I don’t include phytoplankton in the refugium for pods as I feel the system supplies what the pods need.

 

[X-37B]

No need for the shade. Even with, it will spread light throughout the system. I tried one on an old frag system with 40 breeder sump.
Coralline grew inside my skimmer and coated everything with the shade so I took it off.

 

[DustinDec]

No need for the shade. Even with, it will spread light throughout the system. I tried one on an old frag system with 40 breeder sump.
Coralline grew inside my skimmer and coated everything with the shade so I took it off.

Your sump still looks pretty clean, so I'm assuming it's a non-issue? Do you have to do a lot of extra cleaning, or it basically balanced out?

 

[DustinDec]

Dustin,
It is a solid plan. And a excellent one with you including your soul mate with the decision.

I don’t include phytoplankton in the refugium for pods as I feel the system supplies what the pods need.

I appreciate your kind feedback. You've also addressed one concern I had which is maintaining them going forward. The hope is to not require phytoplankton, but rather use it occasionally to boost here and there.

 

[Subsea]

I appreciate your kind feedback. You've also addressed one concern I had which is maintaining them going forward. The hope is to not require phytoplankton, but rather use it occasionally to boost here and there.

Many use mechanical filtration (socks or roller mats) in first compartment in front of pods. In that situation, mechanical filtration removes food for the pods and actually traps pods if they were established in display.

 

[X-37B]

Your sump still looks pretty clean, so I'm assuming it's a non-issue? Do you have to do a lot of extra cleaning, or it basically balanced out?

That sump had several pieces of live rock a frag rack, frags, and red macro algae.
I used a mesh filter sock.
When I did WC's I pulled from the sump so some detrius was removed.