Refuge getting Nasty

[falconut]

My setup has been running for over 1-1/2 years. The Chaeto in my refuge was growing really great, but the last couple of months it's gotten covered by a cyano type algae and it isn't growing. The cyano seams to grow completely around the Chaeto. Does anybody have any idea what could be causing this?

I have a 24" long 20 gal. refuge with a 1" inlet (trottled back) and a 1" drain line through a screen. There are two 65 Watt Lights of America PC fixtures above it. One bulb is about 1-1/2 years old and the other is about 1 year old. Could this be the problem?

[Keiths_Reefs]

Do you periodically clean and thin out your chaeto ball?

[DSMpunk]

I am going through the same thing. I increased the flow in the refugium and Ive been cleaning it out daily. It doesnt seem to make a difference the cyano always grows right back the next day in there. My bulbs (power compacts) are also about a year old so Im thinking thats the problem.

[Conceyted]

same problem here but my refugium isnt that old. Its not cyano though but some sort of clear brownish slime type. I have been trimming the chaeto regularly. For a month it grew great. Then this algae came and its been downhill. I might try adding some snails down there.

[650-IS350]

yup add some CERTIHS, TURBO's and astrea's... you can also put some conchs in there...

[techreef]

there's a thread on RC now saying that mollies (sailfin, black, etc.) are great algae-eating machines. maybe toss 1-2 of them in there.

[falconut]

Keiths_Reefs - Yes I was periodically cleaning out my Chaeto. Ripping out large portions of it, now I don't have to. It isn't dying or growing.

techreef - I read the Molly threads and got two for my frag tank. So far nothing. They don't seam to be eating the hair algae I've got.

I did put a few Ceriths, Astreas & Nassarius in my refuge, but they don't seam to be doing much.

Any other ideas?

[Slickdonkey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8561228#post8561228 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by techreef
there's a thread on RC now saying that mollies (sailfin, black, etc.) are great algae-eating machines. maybe toss 1-2 of them in there.

I think putting fish in a refugium defeats many of the benefits, i.e. allowing a "sub-ecosystem" without higher-order predators to eat the critters that are beneficial.

[neotekz]

when i had a cyano outbreak i turned the lights off for a 2-3 days and teh cyano cleared up without killing my cheato

[falconut]

I finally was able to modify the plumbing to increase the flow into the refuge back to where it was in the beginning when I first set it up. So, we'll see if that helps. I believe that Cyano likes low flow areas. If it still keeps coming back I'll try replacing a bulb.

[kryppy]

I find shutting out the lights for three days every once in a while makes all that disappear like magic.

[Slickdonkey]

I had hair algae (not cyano) survive a month of "lights out" in my garage tank...