3:48 Do copepods and other microfauna indeed not killed by return pump ?!

Sorry to hear about the recent losses. Hang in there!

I used to spend a lot of time on my belly gazing into the refugium zone. :)

melevsreef I've done the same thing many times, although the refugiums I've had have never looked as nice as yours, I do love critter watching, it really is a peaceful feeling. I've always liked planted freshwater tanks (I've never owned one) and having a refugium is kind of like having the best of both worlds, reef tank display and a nice macro growth in the fuge. I've got a JBJ 30 RL and I'm growing mangroves in the back at the moment but I'm making my list to upgrade to either a 60 cube or 65 gallon RR. I'll definitely include a nice refugium in the build. I've always wanted to have a dedicated refugium system that would gravity flow down into the sump. I saw one that my LFS was using and I loved the idea of having a sumo that had to stay behind closed stand doors. Having a display refugium is like having a clean engine bay on your car, compared to a refugium that works, but it's really dirty and not something you'd like seeing.

Yes, keeping it clean and appealing and still be practical as well as useful is my plan. I've seen a handful of beautiful display refugiums that were stunners, and you could tell the person knew exactly how to prune the plants for the most pleasing display.

melevsreef Do you ever worry about your feather caulerpa going "sexual" under your reverse lighting schedule? I started doing some research online and the forums seem to think that a reverse lighting schedule would make it go "sexual" and some said 24 hour lighting would prevent it but as soon as you turn off your 24 hour lighting that would trigger it to go "sexual" as well. I'm drawing up my plans for a sump and I'll probably do something like you've got with the protein skimmer in the back left area, refugium running across the front portion and then the back right portion as the return pump area. I'd like to use some feather caulerpa as well, its an aesthetically pleasing macro algae, I'll probably also run chaeto as you are along side the caulerpa.

No, this type does do that. Never has, which is why I prefer it.

Thanks for your experience. :)

+Ruby Cadilac I don't know. I'll be talking to them since they have a huge booth at MACNA next week.

I build sumps for a living, and this is one I made back in 2010: www.melevsreef.com/tanks/melevs-reef-custom-acrylic-sump The light is 6500K LEDs from a company that is no longer in business.

+CUBAN REEFER I totally agree and have been putting it off. Time to set up the Walkboard again and get it scraped.

+CUBAN REEFER check my instagram. Hehe

+psteeleb That would be awesome, Pete. Haven't seen you in forever.

Sand will suffice. If the mud was as great as it implies, we would see lots of proof and everyone would be using it because they'd want the same results.

It's when the plant bleeds out all of its green fluid within into the water column, and the mass turns clear. Within a few days, the clear plant collapses, falling apart as you try to remove it. There's more to it, but that's the gist of it. No-one wants that to happen, and this particular species I showcased does not do this.

Is there a good list of what species do and don't go sexual and what causes them to go sexual?

Snails, cucumbers, starfish all are possible candidates. A fighting conch, a small urchin perhaps. Just consider the size of the refugium before you add things so those items don't starve to death. Or feed the fuge to keep them fed.

Also... for the refugium... do you see any problem with having a tight lid to limit evaporation?

That makes sense. Thanks!

I will be changing how the water enters the refugium in the near future.

Does algae actually benefit from increased co2 levels? I thought it was only true plants that did...but my background is more in high tech planted tanks where we run excess co2 to give the true plants more growth potential over the algae that we deal with so perhaps in a system without true plants algae can utilize the co2 better? (shrug)

Algae does use CO2. If you use a calcium reactor it is wise to have the effluent lead into the beginning of the refugium section.

Thanks for the tip, I might as well since it isn't doing anything good for the system.

That's a good plan. Just remember that rock will never be used in your display ever again. The roots will weave their way through the rock and new vines will appear... so if you know that rock is sacrificed to this particular zone forever it's a good plan.

Thanks, well I was planning on making it permanent and maybe even a display refugium. I can imagine a few large rocks with lots of surface area, covered in different algae would look cool. As little islands of algae, and just trim the shoots that try to escape the rock.

Be sure to find me and introduce yourself. :) I've only used sand.

Just dose what the tank needs. Don't add extra 'to be safe', and consider that if you can't test for what you are dosing you could very well be using too much as it is.

No, in sump or separate yet tied in to the main system doesn't make any difference.

I run both since each offers benefits to my reef. If you have the space, incorporating a refugium is a good choice.

A big refugium is very nice, but what about other things like heaters, reactors, dosers, skimmer and more? All of those need to go somewhere too.

melevsreef good point. Thanks for the reply!!

Micro algae is Hair Algae (derbasia) or Bryopsis. Caulerpa and Cheato are macro algaes. The taller the refugium, the more lighting is needed to penetrate the water. Some have reportedly thrown tons of wattage at their refugium and see massive growth, so there is validity to lighting choices. People have used T5s, VHOs, Metal Halides to grow these plants, but LEDs are the less energy-consuming choice of course.

No, dry sand does not cause a cycle, ever. Nor does adding live sand. Sand is sand.

Yes, that’s how I have mine running. Unfiltered reef water drains into refugium and the refugium flows into the return zone, to be pumped back up to the display.

Dinoflagellates? Have you considered turning the lights off for three days (simply unplug them from your timers), and continue dosing 3% peroxide the entire time. How big is the area affected?

😉

When is that one happening?

melevsreef October 7th and 8th in Anaheim.

This type doesn't. Caulerpa nummularia is much more prone to go sexual, but if you keep the light on 24 hours a day it won't. But you don't benefit from the pH boost since photosynthesis can't process naturally. www.melevsreef.com/node/447 I don't feed macro algae to my fish because there's a chance some of the plant can pass through the fish and land in the rockwork to take root.

I see I see. Do you happen to know the exact type of caulerpa that you have? I was thinking on adding the one from Indo Pacific Sea Farms, they sell a yellow and red one that they use to feed their tangs but I have seen many people with great reefs like yours or Duane's using caulerpa that make me wonder if I should just use caulerpa instead.

This is the kind I have. melevsreef.com/critters/caulerpa-sertulariodes

Thanks!

Feather went sexual in my tank. Lol. But, I'm a certain kind of special!

I hate the look, that's the only reason. If we lived in a world where the daylight was pink and all the plants grew, I'd accept it without question. lol

Macroalgae needs nitrate, phosphate and iron to thrive. The lower those numbers, the tougher it will be for plants to grow. Assuming you have a nice strong light for the macro, it could just be the tank lacks what the plants need currently and you've got to get those parameters in the target zones. I'll be talking about those this Saturday. Suffice it to say, my tank has some nitrate and some phosphate. I run biopellets and use Phosphate Rx to keep the numbers reasonably low.

You're definitely right that zero/low nitrate and phos tanks likely have more gha issues because there is usually an unnatural ratio of nitrate to phos. Gha is simple and doesn't require as much as other algaes to grow, so it can thrive with less of either, consuming whatever trace amounts of phos/trates aren't being used by coral, at levels so low we can't see them on tests. We see zeros, but those trace amounts are enough for the gha 👎🏼. Feeding macros in a separate area is the basis of a refugium, but people forget to feed, leaving only enough nutrients for simple gha algaes to grow. I've run a low nutrient tank, while keeping a refugium happy by "feeding the fuge". This can be as simple as feeding the tank more, dropping a few food pellets directly into the macros, or dosing phos and trates at very low levels directly to the fuge. I've done all 3 of these things without seeing phos or trate levels rise. There's my 2 cents, and now I'll anxiously await Marc's thoughts with you :).

All excellent points, Kelly. :)

Thanks! I have been toying with the idea of dosing Nitrates (Seachem Flourish Nitrogen)... that form of Nitrogen did you use?

I use brightwell neonitro and neophos mainly on macro/seahorse tanks, but want to clarify that I would first try the pellets in a reef refugium. A little nitrate and phosphate goes a long way, and dosing either can cause a lot of harm if you don't test like crazy and go VERY SLOWLY in a refugium. I have only one reef with refugium, and multiple macro tanks. It's easy to forget that people don't love algaes as I do, and use them only for nutrient control. Refugium algae like caulerpa and chaeto might just need better lighting or iron, as Marc pointed out. If you use red macros like Gracilaria, potassium can make a huge difference also. But, for a low nutrient reef tank refugium, I would personally try adding the pellets, feeding more, increasing or changing lighting, adding a little iron or potassium (based on testing) and only try dosing nitrogen if none of those work. Feeding a fuge actual food is much simpler than trying to find a sweet spot dosing products. Sorry for the change of direction, but I wouldn't want you upset with me if your algae thrived, but coral died. Last comment: although a refugium can be beautiful and very helpful in reducing nutrients and algae in a display, if your tank likes to grow GHA, an algae scrubber might be perfect for you :). Same concept of using the algae in a separate location to keep the DT clear, but you already know you can grow GHA no problem, lol. Saves space too!

It definitely will outcompete the micro algae that tries to take hold in your tank. And that's what I've been doing with my reefs for years. :)

melevsreef cool, so removing the GFO might not have a negative effect, just let the macro algae do its job?

It won't have a negative effect, it just won't be there to remove phosphate like you are used to. I simply dose Phosphate Rx as needed.

melevsreef - Just ordered Phosphate RX, 10 micron socks, Hana checker, and studying - thanks man

I've still never used one. I borrowed one to try out, but my tank was back to nearly 0 nitrate so that test would have been pointless. I like biopellets, they have made nitrates a non-issue for my reef. Macroalgae does all the nice things I mentioned, but you'll notice I didn't discuss it helping reduce nitrate since it never did in my own system.

melevsreef thanks! Any article or video you suggest on biopelets? And seriously, you replying is amazing. Keep up the great channel!

Here's my video, and in the video description on links to some articles too. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l7h4mZuTlq6ZpWg.html

I think you may have skipped over that section where I discussed it. :) No, I run them 9 hours a day, and this type doesn't misbehave like other species of caulerpa.

9 hours a day should suffice. That's how long mine is on. A powerhead could help with some nice circulation, provided the plant doesn't clog that pump's intake port.

In the refugium? It doesn't matter if you find any down there.

melevsreef it's much easier to just throw half the chaeto away instead of continue to scarp it off all the walls and off everything else.

I don’t think there would be enough food in the refugium to keep them going. Check with Chad at Reef Nutrition as he would know more.

I don’t know. Sorry. I either use Chemi-Clean or RedCyano Rx.