Can/How Do I Turn A Sump Into A Refugium?

[PatMayo]

Are these two distinctly different things or can I turn my sump with a skimmer into a refugium with a skimmer?

If so how would I go about doing this and is one really better than the other?

My tank has been up about 6 months now and I am getting a brown hair algae attack that has been going on for about 45 days now. I am struggling to get rid of it. I was contemplating turning the sump into a fuge if that could help with the algae problem.

I use a Rowaphos reactor, a carbon reactor and only RO/DI water with zero TDS. I only have 2 clowns, 2 plate corals, some frogspawn and mushrooms.

If some of you experts out there can give me some advice on this I would be grateful. I am assuming that the refugium would work better to help rid the tank of algae.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Pat

[akrimmel]

is the sumo divided out into sections?

[PatMayo]

Yes it is. The first section is where the skimmer sits and where the water enters the sump.

The second section is the largest and I have a clump of cheato in there. It's growing and was quite large. I harvested the cheato once and I think I harvested too much. My clump is small. I had some pretty good algae growing in the sump but now it has disappeared and the sump is pretty clean. It moved apparently to the main tank.

The third section is quite small but that is where the return pump sits and the pump for the reactors.

Does that make sense?

Regards,

Pat

[akrimmel]

so where you have the cheato do you feel you would be happy putting some LS and some RR to create what you want?

[PatMayo]

I suppose so. It's really the only area available.

But also my question is is the refugium that much better than just a sump for solving algae problems in the main tank. I would hate to go to all the trouble of making a fuge, (which I need help on as well) and then it not get the desired result. I hope I am making sense to you.

Regards,


Pat

[akrimmel]

by adding what i said it will improve the overall of the tank.

[Dubbin1]

Pat the second section IS the fuge. Just toss in a little LR and keep the macro algae growing.

[akrimmel]

as well as some LS to give your pods a staging area as well before they enter the display to grow out.

[PatMayo]

Thanks guys, I will get to it. I may add some more cheato as well, hopefully this will help with the algae problem.

Regards,

Pat

[neotekz]

u might want to turn the third section into a fuge instead of the second. u don;t need much flow through a fuge, just put a T on your return to your fuge so that u can limit the flow.

[akrimmel]

if you do just dont let the flow from the return cause too much of a disturbance in the fuge to well slowly release pods to the display.

[povsan]

I have a similar question to this post. I was thinking of the same thing and I've seen some sumps with LR, LS and some other baggie stuff???? Does that make sence? Can I put live rocks "cured" of course in there? Whats the benifit?

[akrimmel]

no cycling effects from the cured LR as well as the LS if it is already seeded and not from a baggie as there will be die off from the LS from the baggie stuff.