Should I use macroalgae in my sump if there wont Be corals or plants in my display?

[Shanty Aquatics]

I understand that chaeto provides many of benefits to an aquarium as in lowering the nitrate and phosphate but should I use it if I wont have any other corals or plants in my aquarium since I wont be able to do a on and off cycle for it to work "correctly".

 

[Subsea]

@Shanty Aquatics
Welcome to the hobby. Since this is your first post, I know nothing about your background or understanding of reef chemistry.

What are you putting in your display, if not corals.

What does this mean, “I won’t be able to do on off cycle for it to work correctly”?

Are you a student at College Station?

 

[Shanty Aquatics]

Thank you for the welcoming, I’m not a student but I do live here. I plan on starting a breeding business and I haven’t had a salt aquarium with out corals or plants and I know that the macro algae will need the carbon from other plants so is it best for me to not put anything in my refugium? And the on and off cycle sorry for not being more specific but I meant the lights since you want the refugium on at night and the display at night.

 

[CryptoNautical]

They just need carbon, phosphates, nitrates and trace elements. Technically by having fish you cross off Carbon, Nitrates and Phosphates with feedings and fish waste. I didn't notice too much growth until I started dosing trace elements.

Essentially your macro algae is a nutrient sink. It has to grow to absorb nutrients, but if it end up dying back it will release the nutrients back into your water. Another thing to take into account is how much space you're willing to allocate to the refugium. A refugium's main purpose is to be a safe space for micro fauna and you'd need a lot of space for macro algae to make in impact on your nutrients (Ex. I only saw a impact from chaeto on my system once I gave it around %40 of my total water volume in space)

If you're looking for nutrient control I'd look into a algae scrubber or a skimmer. A refugium can do their jobs too but require a larger footprint and time to become as effective.

 

[Shanty Aquatics]

They just need carbon, phosphates, nitrates and trace elements. Technically by having fish you cross off Carbon, Nitrates and Phosphates with feedings and fish waste. I didn't notice too much growth until I started dosing trace elements.

Essentially your macro algae is a nutrient sink. It has to grow to absorb nutrients, but if it end up dying back it will release the nutrients back into your water. Another thing to take into account is how much space you're willing to allocate to the refugium. A refugium's main purpose is to be a safe space for micro fauna and you'd need a lot of space for macro algae to make in impact on your nutrients (Ex. I only saw a impact from chaeto on my system once I gave it around %40 of my total water volume in space)

If you're looking for nutrient control I'd look into a algae scrubber or a skimmer. A refugium can do their jobs too but require a larger footprint and time to become as effective.

They just need carbon, phosphates, nitrates and trace elements. Technically by having fish you cross off Carbon, Nitrates and Phosphates with feedings and fish waste. I didn't notice too much growth until I started dosing trace elements.

Essentially your macro algae is a nutrient sink. It has to grow to absorb nutrients, but if it end up dying back it will release the nutrients back into your water. Another thing to take into account is how much space you're willing to allocate to the refugium. A refugium's main purpose is to be a safe space for micro fauna and you'd need a lot of space for macro algae to make in impact on your nutrients (Ex. I only saw a impact from chaeto on my system once I gave it around %40 of my total water volume in space)

If you're looking for nutrient control I'd look into a algae scrubber or a skimmer. A refugium can do their jobs too but require a larger footprint and time to become as effective.

My sumps first chamber will have filter socks with the skimmer in it as well followed by a channel between two baffles that will have sponges, next would be the refugium, after that would just be the return chamber

 

[CryptoNautical]

That's a lot of nutrient export. I would focus on cycling the tank with the skimmer off and worry about a refugium after you have the tank cycled and a few fish in. Skimmers alone can be enough to clean a tank depending on your bioload.

 

[Shanty Aquatics]

That's a lot of nutrient export. I would focus on cycling the tank with the skimmer off and worry about a refugium after you have the tank cycled and a few fish in. Skimmers alone can be enough to clean a tank depending on your bioload.

Gotcha thank you!

 

[Subsea]

Thank you for the welcoming, I’m not a student but I do live here. I plan on starting a breeding business and I haven’t had a salt aquarium with out corals or plants and I know that the macro algae will need the carbon from other plants so is it best for me to not put anything in my refugium? And the on and off cycle sorry for not being more specific but I meant the lights since you want the refugium on at night and the display at night.

Oppossite photo cycle is not required. PH fluctuation between 8.2 and 7.8 is normal on wild reefs. Alkalinity of your water buffers pH.

what is in your display tank that requires nutrient management?

what are you breeding?