chateo refugium?

[Riffe]

I have a 20 long for my sump and have a refugium. The water that falls down from my tank is kicking up the chateo. How can i prevent the chateo from breaking up? The chateo ball doesn't settle and pieces of it are flowing threw the sump and some have gotten to the show tank. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Aj

[ttugrad95]

A pic of your setup might help.

[Riffe]

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o48/Onthespanishfly/DSCF0544.jpg

[Riffe]

bump

[Phyxius]

It looks like all the pressure from the flow of your overflow is pushing it out. Could you possibly switch the sump around a little?

You have a huge area for the return pump and skimmer that could be made smaller. If you pushed the pump over and added a baffle you could create a area just for the cheato and refuge area....Put the skimmer in the area then with the overflow pipe, then fuge area and the return pump area.....

Just and idea as your sump would just need 1 baffle added...

Something like this I had in my old 90 system with a 30g sump
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/78452000_0002zz__Small_.jpg

[Phyxius]

It looks like all the pressure from the flow of your overflow is pushing it out. Could you possibly switch the sump around a little?

You have a huge area for the return pump and skimmer that could be made smaller. If you pushed the pump over and added a baffle you could create a area just for the cheato and refuge area....Put the skimmer in the area then with the overflow pipe, then fuge area and the return pump area.....

Just and idea as your sump would just need 1 baffle added...

Something like this I had in my old 90 system with a 30g sump
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/78452000_0002zz__Small_.jpg

same with a old 15g sump I did

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/78452100_1970__Small_.jpg

[Reefer07]

Mike, what kind of lights are those you are using? Do you have to wire them or do they have a grounded plug?

Thanks,
Zac

[Phyxius]

They are basically the same light socket one that Riffe above is using but without the reflector on the outside. I`m using the CF bulbs with the built in reflectors so I didn't need the one that came with the socket assembly. I also removed the clamp and have them in a clip that is screwed to the top of the stand so it wont fall in the water.

It was a pre-wired unit with plug and wire/socket/reflector and clamp for mounting that can be had at any Lowes/Home Depot. The bulb is the 5100K bulb
Manufacturer: TCP
Manufacturer's Part #: 1P3816-51 CFL bulb Its a 16 watt equal to 75 watt.
Its the one from Melevs site that he recommended over the 6500k versions

Great bulb for growth and run two in the 19watt versions on my 210g sump......

Riffe-Sorry for the sidetrack from the topic....

[alicamo]

it looks like you got ur sump backwards, the big area in the front looks like its for the skimmer and intake, then baffles, then return.

that may take a little work to reverse it though, you could try to slow down your intake a bit with some eggcrate or filter sponge or something.

[SarasotaDiver]

"It was a pre-wired unit with plug and wire/socket/reflector and clamp for mounting that can be had at any Lowes/Home Depot. The bulb is the 5100K bulb
Manufacturer: TCP
Manufacturer's Part #: 1P3816-51 CFL bulb Its a 16 watt equal to 75 watt.
Its the one from Melevs site that he recommended over the 6500k versions"

Just a quick question! Melev recommend the 5100k over the 6500k? So the 5100k is probably better than the 6500k? I'm running 100W/6500k on my fuge and just realized the cheato is a bit faded off looks like some spots are "yellowish" like dead...Just wondering should I change it to 5100k???

Thanks,

Andreas

[SarasotaDiver]

bump

[redfishsc]

I seriously doubt the minor shift in light color would make any difference. I run a 6500K over my chaeto and get some of the yellow, but honestly mine looks more like a nuisance algae covering the chaeto (like dinoflagellates or maybe diatom film).

I've seen guys run everything from 10,000K halides to cheap "warm white' 3000K screw-base PC's and they all grow it like crazy.

Mine is a 26W PC but my chaeto sump is only 4X9X9 so it doesn't need any more than that.

[Phyxius]

SarasotaDiver
Sorry for the delay in reply.

I did run the 6500k bulbs first since they could be found anywhere and were cheaper. When it came time to replace them I went with the bulb Melev recommended in the 5100k spectrum and it made a believer out of me. I had increased growth of cheato in my sump and was actually able to grow Red Gracilaria much easier for my Tangs without it dying out on me. Same sump , same tank and same set up and only change was the K rating in the bulb so yrs I can say the jump from 6500k to 5100k did do it. I have had no problems with nuisance algae in the sump growing from using these bulbs.
In my 210g tanks sump I started with a baseball sized portion of cheato 3 weeks ago and its the size of a basketball now on a newly set up tank so its pretty good growth.
The growth of coraline algae is pretty good with this bulb too :) although not really wanted in my sump

Flow is key to growth as well as having nutrients in your system that will feed it also.....

The bulb was highly recommended by Melev on his site but not necessarily as a replacement for the other bulbs.I trust Melevs recommendations with his experience and trials over the years.

[Riffe]

just finished added another baffle to create 3 slots. thanks for the replies!

[SarasotaDiver]

Thanks Phyxius! I just realized I have some kind of algae growt in my tank and sump also(8 gal Bio Cube)! My tank is running for 3 weeks now and the algae is kind of redish or brownish...I guess I will change the 6500k to the 5100k!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13653732#post13653732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Phyxius
SarasotaDiver
Sorry for the delay in reply.

I did run the 6500k bulbs first since they could be found anywhere and were cheaper. When it came time to replace them I went with the bulb Melev recommended in the 5100k spectrum and it made a believer out of me. I had increased growth of cheato in my sump and was actually able to grow Red Gracilaria much easier for my Tangs without it dying out on me. Same sump , same tank and same set up and only change was the K rating in the bulb so yrs I can say the jump from 6500k to 5100k did do it. I have had no problems with nuisance algae in the sump growing from using these bulbs.
In my 210g tanks sump I started with a baseball sized portion of cheato 3 weeks ago and its the size of a basketball now on a newly set up tank so its pretty good growth.
The growth of coraline algae is pretty good with this bulb too :) although not really wanted in my sump

Flow is key to growth as well as having nutrients in your system that will feed it also.....

The bulb was highly recommended by Melev on his site but not necessarily as a replacement for the other bulbs.I trust Melevs recommendations with his experience and trials over the years.

[ducklabdad]

Put in a T above your valve and only direct part of you flow into the area with the Chaeto and divert the other section to the main part of the sump,and add another baffle after your skimmer. (hope that makes sense without a pic)

[saltyboy84]

get a long sponge to stop the cheato from flowing out just silicone the sponge onto the weir heads on both side and your set