Filling refugium with Live Rock?

[CodeBlueMedic]

Hey all,

I've had zero luck growing macro over the last year, so I'm thinking about filling my refugium with live rock to perhaps grow some nitrate eating bacteria. Has anyone done this? I have about an inch of sugar sand in there now, should I pull that out, place rock on top or add more sand?

[ReefCowboy]

Why can't you grow macros? I personally don't like LR filled sumps/Refugiums since you can't clean them properly.
I truly believe the excess LR mith is over these days with so many successful simplistic clean aquascapes out there. I've seen articles that also state unless you have dense population of macros and a big enough Refugiums in proportion to your tank, it isn't going to make a noticeable difference. I have the most successful sps tank of all the ones I've had previously, and have the lowest nitrates with more fish and no Refugium. I am more attentive to flow and maintenance.

[billdogg]

I, for one, can't grow macro algae because there just are not enough nutrients in the system to feed it. Consequently, the "refugium" area of my sump is filled with extra live rock. It is also teeming with life, including several different species of sponge, mini brittle stars, and more pods than can be counted.

[CStrickland]

I've had zero luck growing macro over the last year, so I'm thinking about filling my refugium with live rock to perhaps grow some nitrate eating bacteria. Has anyone done this? I have about an inch of sugar sand in there now, should I pull that out, place rock on top or add more sand?

What are you trying to grow macro for?
Depending whether it's to look at, to reduce nutrients, or to culture critters, or something else, there's other tools you can use for each job.

[ca1ore]

Must confess that I don't really see the point of a pile-of-rocks in the sump. In the unlikely event that there is insufficient biomedia in the display fine, but otherwise it just seems like a variation on the 'if two pills are good; four must be better' faux logic. Not saying there may not be certain cases where it's desirable, just not in most cases I'd wager.

[snorvich]

My refugium has all sorts of life including mysis, mini brittle stars, asterina, various small shrimp, etc. No live rock, no sand. I do have a cryptic zone, however.

[CodeBlueMedic]

I don't know why I can't grow macros, otherwise I would fix it...0.o

As for why I want to add LR: This tank has pretty much always had nitrates in the 20-40 range and I've read that the only way to really build up nitrate eating bacteria, is to have surface area for it to grow on that isn't exposed to a lot of free floating O2 molecules. My thought process is, if I pack my refugium with live rock, there will be plenty of anaerobic areas for it to go. Yeah, it may detritus, but my sump is already doing that anyway. At least this way, maybe I would build up enough critters in the sump that they would help keep it down.

Steve, how is yours setup?

My other option is, pull everything out of the refugium area, place the skimmer there, which would then leave room for some filter sock mounts in the drain section. Thoughts on that idea?

[ColinAbi]

I have a dsb in my refuge. I also grow some dragon macro algae. All the extra room I have is taken up by live rock since the sand was not live.

[pledosophy]

Not sure if I read that right but do use a skimmer. If you are having nitrate trouble and just want to build anaerobic bacteria population for nitrate carbon dosing is likely your best and easiest option.

So if your sump is accumulating detritus it might be part of the problem. I'd vacuum it out. Wet Vacs work great for that if it is to low to get a siphon. I was amazed at the difference.

[codyreed29]

I keep one large piece of liverock in my sump its covered in calepra and cheato.

I also have a wet dry section with ceramic media bioballs and live rock rubble.

I go into my sump every 2-3 months and remove all of the media into old water from water changes and rinse shake all the detritus out.

I also clean out my sump bottom every 2-3 month removing the piece of live rock and macros and siphon the bottom out.

Just get a tub fill it with your water change water and give it a shake rinse and clean your sump every 2 months.

When I clean my sump it's never really that bad. But with cleaning it would be pretty bad by now and the tank is only 6 months old. Due for another cleaning on my next water change in a couple days.

[greaps]

Run an empty sump, sock, skimmer, heater, and return pump. Works fine. Clean. If there was any detritus down there I could shop vac it out during a water change.