Filtration Question Adding a hang on back refugium worth it?

[1dbancroft]

Hey guys, My name is Darin Im new to Reef Central!!!.....Anyways I have been running a successful 100 gallon mixed reef sumpless system for 4 years now. I run it with a good hang on back skimmer, a canister FX 5 (I have 0 Nitrate, No nitrate issues:)) which I run chemi-pure in and filter padding for mechanical filtration, 2 little fishies phosphate reactor and 3 powerheads. My question is do you think it would be beneficial to add a hang on refugium to the back of my system, or is this a waste of my money to buy one. Will it help out at all with my phophates by adding a hang on back refugium??? Or would it be more beneficial to add on a U.V. Sterilizer? Just wanting to add one of these to help reduce my algae that I get (nuisance brown algae.)

F.Y.I...... I do a 15% water change weekly and am religious on keeping on top of my water changes, esp since I don't have a sump.
Thanks guys for your time. :)

[photobret]

I am a firm believer of refugiums and its a nice addition to your system, make sure you get the largest one you can get. UV sterilizers are being used less and less and I would definitely go the natural route.

The algae issue could be from your source water, are you using a RODI system with a TDi meter? So you have 3 powerheads but how much total flow? Also a factor to consider and finally do you have a clean up crew that may help with algae issues?

[1dbancroft]

yeah i get my water from the l.f.s. My cousins actually own their own tropical fish store called Aqua Realm in Thousand Oaks. I know their water is R.O. treated. I have about 20 hermit crabs plus, and have about 20-30 snails, plus a lawnmower blenny, sand sift star in a 100 gallon. Do you think I should have more snails, hermits?

[stevie-o]

uv sterilizer will definitely help a lot with getting rid of nuisance algae, but will kill off some beneficial nutrients. I would suggest adding the refugium, and uv sterilizer because the refugium will replenish whatever the uv sterilizer takes away that's good both will help control algae plus refugium cuts down on nitrates, and phosphates plus balances ph. check your nitrates, and add the uv sterilizer if you can only add one for right now, or refugium if nitrate is high

[photobret]

I have been out of the hobby for a while and am just getting back into it with a simple but efficient system. Have you seen the Bio-Pellets and reactors from BRS? This guy has had an amazing amount of luck and is skimmerless, after a lot of reading and as an option I would also consider going the bio-pellet route over UV and a refugium.

http://www.sreef.fi/sReef/sReef.html