What's never really mentioned is that you have multiple macro algae options besides Chaeto. Personally, I prefer sea lettuce. It grows faster, I feel like it targets and reduces phosphates more, doesn't necessarily need to tumble, and doubles as a food for my herbivores. Usually comes with fewer hitchhikers, too.
Agree! I use Ulva as well since it doesn’t create a mess when I try to harvest it, my tangs will eat it and I believe because of its larger surface area, creates more oxygen?
Yup, I’m on the no water change schedule and just realized I DO have a refugium! I forget it’s there, and just if I don’t check the nutrients, typically nitrates will reach single digits and sometimes close to zero. Phosphates will usually be close to or under 1 PPM. Reason I don’t do water changes (tank is close to two years old) is I have no need to add or remove anything (this was my ENTIRE plan since the beginning!) Dosing All-For-Reef for minerals, alkalinity, and trace elements and nutrients kept in check. Have acros and they’re THRIVING! 😎👍🏼
I’ve always ran a refugium in my nano AIO tanks without a skimmer. My latest set up I thought I’d give the nutrient export a boost and added a protein skimmer. It would be interesting for you guys to test out skimmers vs a refugium for nano tanks and large tanks as well
I would love to see you guys replicate that copepod test you did on the 12 tanks but give them some chaeto and see how the results change. I'm setting up a new system at the moment and considering chaeto as a means of filtration and to see if it can help out compete those nuisance algaes we get when starting a new system but equally wondering when would be the best time to add it. I don't want to bottom out the nutrients in the tank early on. What would you advise?
Thanks for all of the videos, I've learned so much! If you had a small sump, which would you choose a skimmer or refugium? I'm guessing this will be a case by case decision but just wondering 😊
How about an Investigates on how to optimize an algae scrubber? I have an algae scrubber installed to help with sump space management, but it has never performed as well as my fuge with chaeto did.
Thanks for today’s video. Very informative. I just started my fuge 2 weeks and after added 3 different lights (a Tunze refugium light, Fennex RL12 and an old Fluval I had laying around) I’m finally starting to see some growth in the Chaeto. My nitrates are over 100ppm today. But also growing in the fuge across the glass and bricks is a ton of brown or very dark algae. I will remove it but do you think once the chaeto removes the nitrates this bad algae will stop growing?
No and no , just move it around with anything stick like when you change your filter socks or pads, so twice a week to b safe and harvest monthly or every 2week depending on growth
When I get a larger tank, I’m tempted to just go with a sizable refugium, some filter floss or socks and some biomedia. Would a skimmer even be necessary if you kept up on floss/sock change and water changes?
No, it's actually the other way around, the macros work TOO well, I only use filter socks and a refugium with macro and I'm even considering dossing nitrate and phosphate because they are always pretty near 0s, and I don't really like cyano if you ask me XD
Can you talk more about what kind of lights we can use? I am hoping that you can talk about some of the cheaper options so that we can spend our money on our fish and inverts rather than $250 lights.
Been waiting for algae barn to have chato in stock for months now. I put some red ogo in the fuge that taking forever to grow & phosphates levels are still high.
What about having macro algae in the display? The look I’m going towards is a photo of a reef I took years ago and had a small area of macro algae (not sure what kind) in it. Would herbivores decimate it if I put it in the DT as opposed to only in the fuge?
Can a refugium completely take the place of a skimmer? I currently have a filter roller and a skimmer, but I feel like my skimmer isn't as effective as it should be. My phosphates are at or near zero, but my nitrates stay around 30ppm
Keep in mind you don’t want algae getting into your pump intakes. I’d put it after mechanical filtration but something to strain out bits of algae is a good idea 👍
I wasnt cracy then when I was running my tank with refugium, no almost no nitrates without water change for. 3 months. Topmoff with kalkwasser and minerals.
They never seem to work for me. I've tried chaeto about 10 times over the years with various lights and flow patterns. It always just slimes up with cyano and withers.
Definitely refuge since it still gets nutrients as low as you want but also creates a habitat for pods and a place to store a fish or coral you don’t know what to do with
What's never really mentioned is that you have multiple macro algae options besides Chaeto. Personally, I prefer sea lettuce. It grows faster, I feel like it targets and reduces phosphates more, doesn't necessarily need to tumble, and doubles as a food for my herbivores. Usually comes with fewer hitchhikers, too.
Agree! I use Ulva as well since it doesn’t create a mess when I try to harvest it, my tangs will eat it and I believe because of its larger surface area, creates more oxygen?
Do u have it floating ? Or do u have it secured to rubble
I find it more widely available as well. Finding chaeto in stock from a trust source is difficult.
Yup, I’m on the no water change schedule and just realized I DO have a refugium! I forget it’s there, and just if I don’t check the nutrients, typically nitrates will reach single digits and sometimes close to zero. Phosphates will usually be close to or under 1 PPM. Reason I don’t do water changes (tank is close to two years old) is I have no need to add or remove anything (this was my ENTIRE plan since the beginning!) Dosing All-For-Reef for minerals, alkalinity, and trace elements and nutrients kept in check. Have acros and they’re THRIVING! 😎👍🏼
Love it honest and down to earth as always
I’ve always ran a refugium in my nano AIO tanks without a skimmer. My latest set up I thought I’d give the nutrient export a boost and added a protein skimmer. It would be interesting for you guys to test out skimmers vs a refugium for nano tanks and large tanks as well
Do you have a side sump ?
I would love to see you guys replicate that copepod test you did on the 12 tanks but give them some chaeto and see how the results change. I'm setting up a new system at the moment and considering chaeto as a means of filtration and to see if it can help out compete those nuisance algaes we get when starting a new system but equally wondering when would be the best time to add it. I don't want to bottom out the nutrients in the tank early on. What would you advise?
Thanks for all of the videos, I've learned so much! If you had a small sump, which would you choose a skimmer or refugium? I'm guessing this will be a case by case decision but just wondering 😊
Seems like a refugium is all around better. I would think a fuge and physical detritus removal via floss/socks would be sufficient
How about an Investigates on how to optimize an algae scrubber? I have an algae scrubber installed to help with sump space management, but it has never performed as well as my fuge with chaeto did.
Love your videos
Thanks for today’s video. Very informative.
I just started my fuge 2 weeks and after added 3 different lights (a Tunze refugium light, Fennex RL12 and an old Fluval I had laying around) I’m finally starting to see some growth in the Chaeto.
My nitrates are over 100ppm today.
But also growing in the fuge across the glass and bricks is a ton of brown or very dark algae. I will remove it but do you think once the chaeto removes the nitrates this bad algae will stop growing?
Great Video,, 2 Questions,, 1,, does the cheato need to tumble,, 2, Do you need to add a small wavemaker or powerhead in with the cheato.
No and no , just move it around with anything stick like when you change your filter socks or pads, so twice a week to b safe and harvest monthly or every 2week depending on growth
When I get a larger tank, I’m tempted to just go with a sizable refugium, some filter floss or socks and some biomedia. Would a skimmer even be necessary if you kept up on floss/sock change and water changes?
No, it's actually the other way around, the macros work TOO well, I only use filter socks and a refugium with macro and I'm even considering dossing nitrate and phosphate because they are always pretty near 0s, and I don't really like cyano if you ask me XD
Can you please provide the link for those baffles Ryan was taking about that stop thr algae from getting into the display?
Can you talk more about what kind of lights we can use? I am hoping that you can talk about some of the cheaper options so that we can spend our money on our fish and inverts rather than $250 lights.
How well do you think these benefits apply to display refugiums with different types of algae other than chaeto?
Been waiting for algae barn to have chato in stock for months now. I put some red ogo in the fuge that taking forever to grow & phosphates levels are still high.
does dosing live phytoplankton effect the cheato in any way? thanks in advance
What about having macro algae in the display? The look I’m going towards is a photo of a reef I took years ago and had a small area of macro algae (not sure what kind) in it. Would herbivores decimate it if I put it in the DT as opposed to only in the fuge?
Can a refugium completely take the place of a skimmer? I currently have a filter roller and a skimmer, but I feel like my skimmer isn't as effective as it should be. My phosphates are at or near zero, but my nitrates stay around 30ppm
Following same here
You should seriously get Thomas to help you with these vids.
What would be the ideal placement for a uge? After or before filter roller and skimmer? Or before?
Keep in mind you don’t want algae getting into your pump intakes. I’d put it after mechanical filtration but something to strain out bits of algae is a good idea 👍
it's so important IMO that even biocubes have a spot for a fuge
Wait wait wait... So your telling me plants clean water better than all that non-nagural cleaning methods???
I wasnt cracy then when I was running my tank with refugium, no almost no nitrates without water change for. 3 months. Topmoff with kalkwasser and minerals.
They never seem to work for me. I've tried chaeto about 10 times over the years with various lights and flow patterns. It always just slimes up with cyano and withers.
Does Refugium lights needs to be on 24hrs??
i find my refugium only drops nitrate and not phosphate. am i doing something wrong ?
How much do the H.O.B refugiums cost?
Refugium verse Algae Scrubber, which is better?
Definitely refuge since it still gets nutrients as low as you want but also creates a habitat for pods and a place to store a fish or coral you don’t know what to do with
Didn't you already do this same exact video?
I thought the same thing about a lot of the videos they posted this week
We are just moving some videos from the other channel to this one to consolidate.
And it’s not Monday or Friday 😭
07:04 what was that hahahahha u are not normal
High nutrients, dead Chaeto. Every Time!
Why are you guys repeating the same videos you did with the other guy ? Also where is 52 week of reefing season 2?
Thought the same thing, i think he said 52 weeks part 2 is coming soon
Working on 52. Trying to make it something special. We are just moving some videos from the other channel to this one to consolidate.