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#1 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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150 build with refugium
Tank started September 2019
150 gallon sump 40g refugium (started January 2020) |
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#2 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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#3 |
Registered Seaweedist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 5,807
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Nice. So your refugium is plumbed in with your reef display, for nutrient uptake?
__________________
As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 |
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#4 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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yes, I have two durso overflows in my display. One drains directly to the refugium and the other to the sump. The refugium also drains to the sump.
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#5 |
Registered Seaweedist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 5,807
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I see you split the difference with the purple light on your chaeto and daylight on your mangroves. I think that could work well. Keep us informed.
The challenge with this type of setup is that if you want your reef AND your 'fuge to be successful displays, you kind of have to walk a tightrope. Corals like low nutrients, macros like high nutrients. If you get hit all the right numbers for your reef, your macros will suffer, and vice versa. It helps if you have a priority, which I assume is your reef display. So shoot for those good reef parameters, and then try different macros to see what can survive in those lower nutrient levels. If you find that you become more interested in a successful refugium display, I recommend you detach it from the reef system, so you can give those plants everything they want. Good luck with it!
__________________
As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 |
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#6 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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Thanks, as of now, the reef tank is the priority
I had to turn off the skimmer a couple weeks ago because the chaeto was dying. Now, it's more exploding than growing. |
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#7 | |
Registered Member
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Quote:
LOL, well, turn the skimmer back on?
__________________
Originally posted by yellowslayer13: "I hate that hole" Current Tank Info: SCMAS Member 225 peninsula euroreef RS180 Apex 400W X 3 20k radiums / Spectra mixed SPS |
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#8 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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I've got my trusty magus 9 curve skimmer back on task
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#9 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 50
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does it matter having the mangrove leaves underwater?
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#10 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
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I've seen both ways suggested, float and let the roots grow down and plant and let it grow up out of the water.
I ended up planting mine in the sand and a few of the plants' leaves are now out of the water. |
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#11 | |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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Quote:
I re-plumbed it to a single drain to my sump with a utility pump pumping water to the refugium. |
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#12 |
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Location: Cleveland, OHIO
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I'm seeing an explosion of these in my refugium
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#13 |
Premium Member
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Location: Cleveland, OHIO
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I've had a hard time balancing good parameters for my display and having solid macro growth in my refugium. If the refugium is doing well, the display is not. If the display is doing well, the refugium is not.
I'm considering separating the refugium from the display tank. |
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#14 |
Registered Seaweedist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 5,807
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That is the challenge with reef tanks and refugiums. Ideal reef conditions are not ideal for macro growth, and vice versa. If you want the best chance of getting an impressive reef AND refugium, separate them, so you can provide ideal conditions for both.
If you want a refugium to help manage nutrient levels in your reef, it's good to have a mix of fast-growing greens and slower-groing reds. If you're managing your reef well, your fuge will slow way down and 'wait' for the next high nutrient event. In general, if your reef is doing well, your fuge will be 'idling' and not very pretty to look at. Impressive reef/refugiums can be done. You just have to choose corals that can handle higher nutrient levels, like soft corals. Check out Vlangel's thread in the macro section, "High Nutrient Macro Algae/Sea Grass Reef".
__________________
As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 |
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#15 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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They are separated
I'm reading through Vlangel's thread- impressive |
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#16 |
Premium Member
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Location: Cleveland, OHIO
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With this being seperated, should I feed the refugium? If so, what should I feed it with?
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#17 |
Registered Seaweedist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 5,807
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The CNP (Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus) ratio for macros and seagrasses is 550-40-1. These are the big 3 nutrients for plants. Then there are trace elements that get used up quickly in closed systems. The most important one is Iron. Water changes and fish food will take care of the phosphate and trace elements, with an occasional dose of Iron possibly required.
That just leaves Carbon and Nitrogen. Plants' favorite form of Carbon is CO2. I add CO2 by running a small CO2 tank with a regulator. The output goes into the intake tube of a canister filter, which then puts out CO2-heavy water into the tank. Plants' second favorite form of Carbon is bicarbonates. Plants have to 'work' to convert bicarbs into CO2, but if you don't want to go the CO2 route, this is the next best choice. Google ways to increase bicarbonates in marine aquariums. Nitrogen is pretty easy. Plants' preferred form of Nitrogen is ammonia, but it's risky to dose it because it can cause algae. Potassium Nitrate is a safer choice. It is sold in hardware stores as stump remover. Mix some up in a jug and start playing around with amounts and frequency of dosing. I hope this is helpful.
__________________
As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 |
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#18 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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I have a CO2 tank, but it's for other purposes. I am great at dumping fish food.
I'll have to read the chemistry info. $5 for stump remover, that looks simple. |
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#19 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
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Nitrates are at 5ppm, what should I target for refugium?
I have a small amount of cyano in there |
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#20 |
Registered Seaweedist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 5,807
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Good question. I don't know the answer. That 5ppm sounds good, but I think the optimum number varies. The more plant biomass you have the more Nitrate it can take. It's also linked to light levels. The more light, the higher the nutrients can be run. And it varies with the plants. Fast-growing greens like caulerpa can use more, slower growers like the reds need less.
Sorry I don't have a better answer. My plant biomass changes drastically after pruning/export, and the variety of plants I have varies wildly in nutrient needs, so I never figured out the perfect level. You might try lowering Nitrate levels to see what effect it has on the cyano, balancing against the effect on your plants.
__________________
As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 |
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#21 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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I'm going to increase flow for a few days. It's in a dead spot.
I'm not adding any nitrate until the cyano dissapears. |
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#22 |
Premium Member
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Location: Cleveland, OHIO
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The cyano is mostly gone in the refugium
Nitrate and phosphate readings are zero I've been dosing iron, all the macro looks great |
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#23 |
Premium Member
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Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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Display inhabitants
Yellow tang
5 anthias Scarlet Pinstripe Wrasse cleaner shrimp 2 clownfish |
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#24 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,409
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Quote:
I think my tank and fuge work together because my coral are tolerant of high nutrients and I keep the caulerpa prune back almost weekly.
__________________
Genesis 1:20 - Current Tank Info: A 56 gallon naural nutrient macro reef that flows into a 30 gallon fuge with macros/seagrass that flows into a 20 gallon sump. |
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#25 |
Premium Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cleveland, OHIO
Posts: 329
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He is great!
I've been getting very low phosphate and nitrate readins in my refugium. I've been dosing iron, which seems to be helping. My macros look great despite pretty low nutrient levels. |
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