question about flow in fuge

[salt210]

A few weeks back I set up a fuge for my tank. recently Ive noticed that there is detrititus accumalating(sp?) on the bottom of the tank. I have a aquaclear 10 in there for flow but it keeps getting build-up of chaeto on the intake and I installed a tank divider to cut down on the chaeto getting into the DT. What should I do to up the flow in the fuge?

 

[salt210]

no suggestions?

 

[mkzimms]

try a small power head in the fuge to move the water around in there... a mj 400 or small rio. i picked up a crappy zoo med 180 degree swivel power head for like $20 and it just sits in the fuge and agitates the cheato.

 

[salt210]

I currently have a aquamedics 10 in there its rated at 80gph, but it has to sit on the other side of the divider thats in the tank due to the chaeto clogging the intake. what could I do about that? Or do I just need to buy a bigger ph?

 

[wattsupdoc]

what size is the fuge? How much flow is it getting from the DT? Does it have a sand bed?
Refugium design is one of those many areas where opinions are many. Debritous falling out of the column as it passes through the fuge is to some a desirable effect. The "slow flow" fuge incorporates this function. It is not necessarily a problem as it provides a place for it to settle to be consumed, likewise is often a chance to easily syphon it out if desired. So adding the extra flow is not necessarily necessary.

If the extra flow is to make the cheato tumble, then it would be desired. Tumbling the cheato has been reported to speed the growth of it, however to no avail have I been able to get mine to tumble. It does grow pretty well though just sitting where the flow has to move through it. I have no way of knowing if the cheato would grow faster if tumbled myself, as I have never been able to get it to reliably. "Fast flow" refugiums usually are based on the tumbling of cheato. I would estimate mine has about 6-700gph flowing through a 29 gallon fuge. Debritous still falls out as it passes through it. Having a power head(IMO) blowing directly on the cheato can prevent some of the particulate matter from being collected by it. As well as the intake surely becomes clogged by the cheato as it sucks it in. A powerhead like the koralia's or a modded maxijet would not be plugged by the cheato, but still would blow matter out of the cheatos grasp.
Hope that helps.

 

[salt210]

it does help. as of right now I have a 10g fuge bare bottom with a piece of LR in it. as for flow from the DT Im not quite sure the water coming into the fuge is split off of one of my overflows. from the ph its only getting 80gph. I would assume(we know what they say about assuming) that the total flow is around 300gph. I just did some water testing and my params have not changed since I started using the fuge.

 

[mkzimms]

for reference, my fuge is turning over water at the same rate as the DT since its directly inline, so i move about 600gph and detritus still settles. you could always throw some nass snails in there to turn the sand. before i put the power head in i would a few times a week manually turn the cheato and shake it up. i also run a filtersock on the drain pipe which must be cleaned two times a week. i have a few of them and i just change them out and throw them in the washing machine by themselves with no detergent.