fairladyZ
06/09/2013, 07:51 PM
So my tank has been up and running for almost 3 months, nitrates have never been detectable and i don't really have to many issues other than some cyano right now.
The questions i have are about the refugium and the macro algea that is in there, i believe it's feather calupra and cheato. I have 2 chunks of rock and about a 2 inch sand bed in the refugium that is the middle compartment to my sump. Drains into first bay where skimmer is, then flows over into middle refugium and then over bubble traps into return section. Flow is not very fast thru it at all, you can barely see the water move across the top of the refugium, the output for the skimmer does move the sand directly under it after awhile but doesn't blow it around like crazy at all. Skimmer is a Vertex IN100.
I have a 18" T8 zoomed reef sun 50/50 over the fuge on 24/7 light cycle. i'm just curious how to care for the refugium. WHen i do water changes should i vaccuum out the sandbed like i do the DT? WHat should i do about the algea as the top layer of it that floats on the water has turned a brown/red. Should i pick it all out or even replace the algae? Will it disrupt the pods that play around in the algae? Should i put some hermit crabs in the refugium to help keep it picked up and clean?
The Cyano in the DT has slowly been getting better as i do weekly water changes, and there was some in the fuge but it is also almost completely gone now. Asfar as whats growing in the fuge, Pods, Pineapple sponges, barnicles, asternia startfish, and stomatella snails so far that i've seen!
Here's a couple picks
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q615/spoolinse-r/20130609_194709_zpsc393634d.jpg (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/spoolinse-r/media/20130609_194709_zpsc393634d.jpg.html)
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q615/spoolinse-r/20130609_194720_zpsefc66018.jpg (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/spoolinse-r/media/20130609_194720_zpsefc66018.jpg.html)
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q615/spoolinse-r/20130609_193114_zps01a604f8.jpg (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/spoolinse-r/media/20130609_193114_zps01a604f8.jpg.html)
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q615/spoolinse-r/20130609_193150_zpsa4e1f61b.jpg (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/spoolinse-r/media/20130609_193150_zpsa4e1f61b.jpg.html)
thanks
The questions i have are about the refugium and the macro algea that is in there, i believe it's feather calupra and cheato. I have 2 chunks of rock and about a 2 inch sand bed in the refugium that is the middle compartment to my sump. Drains into first bay where skimmer is, then flows over into middle refugium and then over bubble traps into return section. Flow is not very fast thru it at all, you can barely see the water move across the top of the refugium, the output for the skimmer does move the sand directly under it after awhile but doesn't blow it around like crazy at all. Skimmer is a Vertex IN100.
I have a 18" T8 zoomed reef sun 50/50 over the fuge on 24/7 light cycle. i'm just curious how to care for the refugium. WHen i do water changes should i vaccuum out the sandbed like i do the DT? WHat should i do about the algea as the top layer of it that floats on the water has turned a brown/red. Should i pick it all out or even replace the algae? Will it disrupt the pods that play around in the algae? Should i put some hermit crabs in the refugium to help keep it picked up and clean?
The Cyano in the DT has slowly been getting better as i do weekly water changes, and there was some in the fuge but it is also almost completely gone now. Asfar as whats growing in the fuge, Pods, Pineapple sponges, barnicles, asternia startfish, and stomatella snails so far that i've seen!
Here's a couple picks
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q615/spoolinse-r/20130609_194709_zpsc393634d.jpg (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/spoolinse-r/media/20130609_194709_zpsc393634d.jpg.html)
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q615/spoolinse-r/20130609_194720_zpsefc66018.jpg (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/spoolinse-r/media/20130609_194720_zpsefc66018.jpg.html)
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q615/spoolinse-r/20130609_193114_zps01a604f8.jpg (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/spoolinse-r/media/20130609_193114_zps01a604f8.jpg.html)
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q615/spoolinse-r/20130609_193150_zpsa4e1f61b.jpg (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/spoolinse-r/media/20130609_193150_zpsa4e1f61b.jpg.html)
thanks