Starting a refugium

[CoralClasher]

Wow everything is looking great this morning!! Just tested nutrients phosphate went up from 0.04 to 0.07 No3 went down from 3ppm to 1.5 alkalinity went up from 151ppm to 160ppm I don't see any brownish red Dinos just a little white flakey Dino that seems to be breaking up on its own. This refugium might be what I needed to kick the Dinos out. Hope it stays going in the right direction. QT fish will go back in tomorrow and I'll be going to LFS to see what they have for worms. When should I add some plants to the refugium? I have a QT running for snails and a cleaner shrimp still about a week short of the full QT time. Will I need to QT worms and plants?

 

[CoralClasher]

Hope you are planing on taking that back off line when it’s up and running. Don’t want to waste your micro fauna by skimming them up!! Also make sure your not running the fuge water back into the Roller Mat.
Looking good pal keep it up !

Wife is looking at the skimmer and asking why it's not being used. I'm going to have to put it back in at some point and run it as a air stone or she'll kill me for buying the dang thing.

 

[Captmcfly]

Bwahahaha

Yea I’m sure with the size of your feuge it won’t make a big diff on pulling out too many good guys

 

[CoralClasher]

Everything is looking good but No3 was low again this morning and phosphate was 0.11. I'm not sure why phosphate went up I haven't added any in a few days now. How high should I let them go till I do something about it?

 

[Captmcfly]

I don’t dose either of them. I just feed the tank and let the biological process do it’s thing .
Without going back through the whole thread I can’t remember if this tank has inhabitants or not ?? If not I’d let it run till I see the nitrate go high then I’d start the feuge with Cheato and a reverse light cycle. If it’s been up and running and is fully cycled I’d just feed the inhabitants as normal and put a ball of Cheato in and fire up the lights opposite the tank lights obviously.
As far as uptake I expect you will see all your nutrients drop within a week. If they go too low cut your feuge lights back but I would not go less then ten hrs on the feuge

 

[Captmcfly]

Wow everything is looking great this morning!! Just tested nutrients phosphate went up from 0.04 to 0.07 No3 went down from 3ppm to 1.5 alkalinity went up from 151ppm to 160ppm I don't see any brownish red Dinos just a little white flakey Dino that seems to be breaking up on its own. This refugium might be what I needed to kick the Dinos out. Hope it stays going in the right direction. QT fish will go back in tomorrow and I'll be going to LFS to see what they have for worms. When should I add some plants to the refugium? I have a QT running for snails and a cleaner shrimp still about a week short of the full QT time. Will I need to QT worms and plants?

I only qt fish myself but everyone has there own ides on that. You can get clean macros from algae barn and grab some pods too! Or grab the feuge starter pack !! As long as your cycle is complete and your adding food to the tank you can add your plants to the feuge . Just need nutrition for them to keep alive aka nitrates and light.

 

[CoralClasher]

I don’t dose either of them. I just feed the tank and let the biological process do it’s thing .
Without going back through the whole thread I can’t remember if this tank has inhabitants or not ?? If not I’d let it run till I see the nitrate go high then I’d start the feuge with Cheato and a reverse light cycle. If it’s been up and running and is fully cycled I’d just feed the inhabitants as normal and put a ball of Cheato in and fire up the lights opposite the tank lights obviously.
As far as uptake I expect you will see all your nutrients drop within a week. If they go too low cut your feuge lights back but I would not go less then ten hrs on the feuge

Well I was going to put the fish back in DT today but yesterday some white spots showed up on a purple tang again! Soon as I get some healthy looking fish I'll be feeding the tank real food. I have been feeding phytoplankton.

 

[Captmcfly]

Throw a block of frozen in there every day or two... put some Cheato in and let it run. Everything will even out in a week or so. That’s how I cycled and started mine. Fish or no fish the cycle still happens the food will rot the bacteria will proses it and the Cheato will take the nutes.. this is what works for me. I’ve had success in the past and am now into the 2nd month of a new 40b thinking I will even be able to skip the uglies if everything keeps going as it has

 

[CoralClasher]

Ok the 5280 pods from Algae Barn showed up today. The macro algae will be here Saturday from Indo pacific sea farm. Algae Barn gave me free nano brine. Will the nano brine reproduce in the refugium or are they just food for fish I don't have? And do I need to keep the pods room temp or tank temp till Saturday?

 

[Hermie]

Ok the 5280 pods from Algae Barn showed up today. The macro algae will be here Saturday from Indo pacific sea farm. Algae Barn gave me free nano brine. Will the nano brine reproduce in the refugium or are they just food for fish I don't have? And do I need to keep the pods room temp or tank temp till Saturday?

nano brine will probably just get eaten and those making it to adult hood will die off or get eaten
room temp is fine

 

[CoralClasher]

Sweet my shipment of macro algae showed up!! I got the six pack of different types I've never had a refugium with plants some will just float around and some I need to plant in the sand? Any tips like how deep to plant, how close together, do I tie them to something?

 

[CoralClasher]

Just spread them out and let them find their own place? Lights on full spectrum and full power day one?

 

[CoralClasher]

Ok a little over a week and the red macro algae is growing fast, yellow is gone, the greens are not looking so good. Should I be adding iron or something to feed the green algae?

 

[Captmcfly]

From what I have read one type will almost always outcompete the others... possibly segregation is the key ??

 

[CoralClasher]

From what I have read one type will almost always outcompete the others... possibly segregation is the key ??

I've started using chaetoGro and see some good growth in the green macros. I'm wondering about pruning. Should I be cutting anything that has turned clear?

 

[CoralClasher]

Is turning clear a sign of going sexual and should be removed? I see some that are multicolor should I prune till I have all solid colors?

 

[Captmcfly]

I would think clear sections would indicate that it is not getting enough light? I honestly don’t know for sure. When my chato turned light in color it’s always the bottom section and I just flip it

 

[Matt Carden]

I would add it later if it will need to be moved. Otherwise, starting it with Macros and 600gph flow(DC pump would allow the change for the head height later. I think an inch or two of sand would be fine for sand dwellers and you could grow some serious mermaid fans as they run roots in fine sand and spread out all over.

What are mermaid fans?

 

[CoralClasher]

I would think clear sections would indicate that it is not getting enough light? I honestly don’t know for sure. When my chato turned light in color it’s always the bottom section and I just flip it

My chato did turn white and got brittle. It came back when I added the chaetoGro. I'm more concerned with the red stuff turning clear and green.

 

[CoralClasher]

I have been stirring and mixing up all of the macros twice a day and lighting for 13 hours.