Refugium looking kind of nasty...

sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
The title says it all. I went and took a look at it and it has red algae against the glass. I decided I would scrape it all off and then it all found its way on the chaeto. I eventually got it off of that and now it's just floating around. Any tips on the refugium? Or is this just natural not to really be able to see in it because of all the algae on the glass?
 
lil.guppy

lil.guppy

Active Member
Have you been feeding or adding anything to the water recently? Do everything you can to siphon that nasty stuff out.
It sounds like cyno from high nutrients in the water
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by lil.guppy http:///forum/thread/381803/refugium-looking-kind-of-nasty#post_3328188
Have you been feeding or adding anything to the water recently? Do everything you can to siphon that nasty stuff out.
It sounds like cyno from high nutrients in the water
I never feed anything down there... I don't even have anything down there! haha. It seems like it may have killed off my brittle starfish :(... I don't see ANY in my chaeto anymore :( It used to be FILLED up.
 
lil.guppy

lil.guppy

Active Member
How often do you feed your fishies? Do you add anything for your corals?
Its a process that will take awhile of siphoning that algae out and keeping it clean
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by lil.guppy http:///forum/thread/381803/refugium-looking-kind-of-nasty#post_3328192
How often do you feed your fishies? Do you add anything for your corals?
Its a process that will take awhile of siphoning that algae out and keeping it clean
When I first bought the fish (about 2 weeks ago) I fed every day for about 3 days. Then someone said that was way too much and I kicked it down to 1/3 of a cube of mysis shrimp every 2 or 3 days.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Do you have any water movement in the fuge? Cyano is not an algae but a bacteria.....there are many causes....lack fo flow...too much nutrients....too much light....etc...etc
DEFINITELY siphon it...do not scrape it.....you do not want it free flowing into your dt...remember...all water is the same. you may want to think about some snails in the fuge.....even tho you do not feed it...food and stuff will get down there
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Coralline can be red too. If it's hard algea then it's not cyano. If that's the case then why would you want to clean your refugium? Let it get as nasty as it wants. That's kind of the point. To have a designated area for that stuff to grow so that it doesn't take over the tank. I don't think algae kills bristle stars...does it?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/381803/refugium-looking-kind-of-nasty#post_3328213
Coralline can be red too. If it's hard algea then it's not cyano. If that's the case then why would you want to clean your refugium? Let it get as nasty as it wants. That's kind of the point. To have a designated area for that stuff to grow so that it doesn't take over the tank. I don't think algae kills bristle stars...does it?

True about the coraline, but when he said "floated" away...I figured light ole cyano...LOL
I do not clean my refugium....lol....if you have ever seen pics that's obvious....BUT if there was cyano....I would want it out so it would not get into the dt.....
I still recommend snails in the fuge
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Agreed, Meow...Sparty, we need more details on this algea you're talking about. Is it hard and crusty or soft and mushy?
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Meowzer, yes, I have flow in there I placed a K1 in there to push the water around a bit based on recommendations others and you have told me when I started the refugium.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/381803/refugium-looking-kind-of-nasty#post_3328213
Coralline can be red too. If it's hard algea then it's not cyano. If that's the case then why would you want to clean your refugium? Let it get as nasty as it wants. That's kind of the point. To have a designated area for that stuff to grow so that it doesn't take over the tank. I don't think algae kills brittle stars...does it?

Yep, it's hard algae. I just assumed you're supposed to see the inside of the tank
... I could be wrong. I'll leave it be from now on and let it just build up I guess. I'll also do what you suggested and pick up a few snails and put them down there. I didn't think it would, but I don't see them anymore :(... However, they could be hidden away in the chaeto.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Excellent, yeah just let it grow, it's fine. If you want you can lightly scrape it every now and then to help spread the pores up to the tank. You'll need to maintain the right calcium levels in order to keep it thriving. How is the cheato doing? Have you been rotating it on a regular basis...or needed to cut it back yet?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Sparty....hard is most likely coraline.....which means maybe it floated into your dt and will spread ..yay
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
It actually could be cyano based on pictures I've seen. It shows up in clumps and and looks like hair at times but when I scraped it off the wall it was more like a layer almost like a film...
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/381803/refugium-looking-kind-of-nasty#post_3328233
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/381803/refugium-looking-kind-of-nasty#post_3328230
It actually could be cyano based on pictures I've seen. It shows up in clumps and and looks like hair at times but when I scraped it off the wall it was more like a layer almost like a film...
lol...soft and filmlike is most likely cyano then

make up your mind
Ugh, I was in denial and didn't want it to be! It's already cleared out of my refugium... hopefully my skimmer picked it up... I haven't seen it floating around inside the DT yet...
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
What do I do in this case since it might be in there now? Also what is the cause for it and how can I prevent this in the future?
 
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