Refugium Question

[justpeachy36]

I have a question on my refugium I have red Gracillara and Chaeto in there an have noticed a green slime algae growing on the plants. The plants don't seem to be growing?


I usually turn on the light about 9pm and turn it off the next day around noon when I turn on the display tank.
The first pic is the outside of it and the second pic is looking from the top of the refugium down in. Am I on the right track? Also doesn't this help reduce the algae in the display tank?

 

[bang guy]

Yes, you're on the right track in my opinion and it should definately reduce the amount of algae in the display tank.
The green slime looks like Cyanobacteria to me but it's difficult to tell with the picture.
I need a couple of questions answered:
How much waterflow do you have in the refugium in terms of Gallons per hour?
What lighting do you have?
What are the water parameters, especially Salinity, temperature, Alkalinity, Phosphate and Nitrate?

 

[justpeachy36]

I just did a water change about 7 days ago.. MG 1320 PH 8.0 Ca 440 KH 6 (107.4) yikes low .25 PO4 15 Nitrate. My nitrate in this tank have always run very high all summer long last year (I'm talking about 80) and never phased anything in the tank they are all still alive and doing great. With the exception to the new plate coral which I added in March. Oh, Salinity 1.024. I just tested everything about an hour ago.

 

[beaslbob]

I agree with Guy and you are in the right track.
You might cut down the refugium lighting a bit but who really cares if the cyano is in the refugium not the display tank.
I also dose very low levels of ferris gluconate available from your local drug store. Just a 240 mg (27mg iron) pill/capsule dissolved in an old 12-20 oz soda bottle then a capfull added each week. It is supplosed to help prevent macros from becoming iron starved. While being so low a dose to not affect corals.
my .02

 

[justpeachy36]

Okay I'm doing something wrong. I have now added Chaeto to the refug. three times in the last three months and it keeps dieing off why? Also I started a new refug. on another tank I added Chaeto and red Garcillia to it and with in a week the garcillia had all disappeared why? What am I doing wrong? I'm using an LED 60W 3000K running from about 9pm till 8am

 

[bang guy]

What is the flow rate through the refugium?

How much and what type of lighting do you have on the refugium?

What is the water temperature?

 

[justpeachy36]

The light is an LED from Lowe's 60W 3000K. The temp is 77 to 78. I run the lights about 10 hours on the refugiums. Not sure of the flow rate in there. How do I figure the flow rate...sorry for the dumb question

 

[justpeachy36]

The light is an LED from Lowe's 60W 3000K. The temp is 77 to 78. I run the lights about 10 hours on the refugiums. Not sure of the flow rate in there. How do I figure the flow rate...sorry for the dumb question

 

[bang guy]

The light & temp are fine so that leaves the flow rate.

You can approximate the gallons per hour by timing how long it takes to fill a gallon jug. You can use the input or output side whichever is easiest.

 

[btldreef]

Gracilaria will starve without some sort of iron. I've learned this the hard way a few times. They also like light, and I don't think your light is cutting it for them. I've learned to treat my gracilaria like a SPS coral in regards to lighting - intense. Different flows didn't really matter. Your low alk is not helping either. Every time my alk has every dropped below 8, I have issues with my macro.

I don't like that you have all this macro, even the "slime algae" and still have nitrate and phosphate readings. What test kits are you using?

How old are the tanks?

To figure out flow there's really two ways: Do you have these fuges in sumps where the overflow is feeding into them, or are you pumping water out of your tank/sump into the fuges and then draining back into tank/sump?

My chaeto really doesn't like very much flow. I'm currently only growing chaeto, grage caulerpa, caulerpa prolifera, caulerpa rasmosa, halimeda and hair algae (I let it grow in my fuge) I also have a red fuzzy, hair algae- like macro that grows in my fuge, but I have no idea what it actually is....

My fuge is a 55G, connected to my 180 reef tank with a 1300GPH Triton 5(deep blue) pump that pumps out of my sump and into my fuge. My fuge is set up as a frag tank/display refugium and really runs more as an attached tank that shares the same sump as the 180. BTW: the triton pump sucks, don't buy one.

Every time I have every tried to run a fuge that is less than 1/3 the tank volume, I have issues. I don't know why, but I do.

 

[justpeachy36]

IThe light & temp are fine so that leaves the flow rate.
You can approximate the gallons per hour by timing how long it takes to fill a gallon jug.  You can use the input or output side whichever is easiest.
[/quote Oh my I think my husband would shut me if I tried that but I would say it would fill up very fast

 

[justpeachy36]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///t/395527/refugium-question#post_3530546
Gracilaria will starve without some sort of iron. I've learned this the hard way a few times. They also like light, and I don't think your light is cutting it for them. I've learned to treat my gracilaria like a SPS coral in regards to lighting - intense. Different flows didn't really matter. Your low alk is not helping either. Every time my alk has every dropped below 8, I have issues with my macro.

I don't like that you have all this macro, even the "slime algae" and still have nitrate and phosphate readings. What test kits are you using?

How old are the tanks?

To figure out flow there's really two ways: Do you have these fuges in sumps where the overflow is feeding into them, or are you pumping water out of your tank/sump into the fuges and then draining back into tank/sump?

My chaeto really doesn't like very much flow. I'm currently only growing chaeto, grage caulerpa, caulerpa prolifera, caulerpa rasmosa, halimeda and hair algae (I let it grow in my fuge) I also have a red fuzzy, hair algae- like macro that grows in my fuge, but I have no idea what it actually is....

My fuge is a 55G, connected to my 180 reef tank with a 1300GPH Triton 5(deep blue) pump that pumps out of my sump and into my fuge. My fuge is set up as a frag tank/display refugium and really runs more as an attached tank that shares the same sump as the 180. BTW: the triton pump sucks, don't buy one.

Every time I have every tried to run a fuge that is less than 1/3 the tank volume, I have issues. I don't know why, but I do.

I have an eshoppers 150 sump/refugium with a Mag drive 5 return pump to my display tank with is a 55g. The tank is 1yr and nine months old the test kit is API (I think? I'm at work) That nitrate reading was from May I have tested a lot since then and it barely reads 2.0 on the Seachem tester and on the Red Sea Algae control kit. The Phosphates are tested on a Hanana checker. Do you have a problem with caulerpa? I have heard bad stuff about it and Halimeda. I like the garcillia mainly to feed my tang and its such a pretty red.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by justpeachy36 http:///t/395527/refugium-question#post_3530549

I have an eshoppers 150 sump/refugium with a Mag drive 5 return pump to my display tank with is a 55g. The tank is 1yr and nine months old the test kit is API (I think? I'm at work) That nitrate reading was from May I have tested a lot since then and it barely reads 2.0 on the Seachem tester and on the Red Sea Algae control kit. The Phosphates are tested on a Hanana checker. Do you have a problem with caulerpa? I have heard bad stuff about it and Halimeda. I like the garcillia mainly to feed my tang and its such a pretty red.


I have the gracilaria for the same reason. But I have found all the red algaes to be more difficult than the greens.

I love caulerpa. Sure, there's more of a risk because it can go sexual, but honestly, as long as you harvest, you're fine. And caulerpa gives you a warning as if to say "Hey, trim me back or you're going to wake up to a cloudy tank." The grape caulerpa goes sexual more often than the others in my experience. BUT, again, you have a lot of warning before you have a full on event.

I've had it go sexual on me once and it made my tank really cloudy. BUT, I did a water change, changed the carbon, pulled it all out and it was fine. The water cleared up in less than an hour. Nothing died or seemed stressed.
My halimeda grows and dies as it pleases. It's in my display tank, rooted deep into one of my favorite rocks so I just learned to deal with it. I never wanted it. I do not harvest it. I have white leaves that happen here and there and I just let it do it's thing. As it starts to spread to other rocks, I do pull it back, but I never have harvested from the main plant section.

I'm not really afraid of the whole "macros go sexual" warning. I've had it happen and things were fine. And I've heard from other senior members of the hobby that they've experienced the same thing.

Currently I harvest the chaeto and caulerpa's about once a month and give them all to my local fish store.

 

[beaslbob]

Did i read this correct.

your nitrates test at 2.

and your chaeto is not growing.

If so sound like you need more fish. LOL.


my .02

 

[justpeachy36]

Hello BTLDreef looks like you are helping on both of my tank questions for my two different tanks. I would love to be able to harvest the plants like you do, not sure if my local store would take it they don't have any live plants for saltwater. I think I'll order the caulerpa when I re order the Chaeto (again) and watch for the warning signs to cut. I checked the Nitrate this morning and down to 8.0. The green slime stuff on the sides of the refugium I started to wipe away this weekend but I noticed a lot of my copepods/amipods where hanging out around it and I'm not sure if they are eating stuff in it. I think I quite trying to grow the graciliara and just order it in now and then for my Hippo Tang.

@ beaslbob no my nitrates were around 15, today they are down to 8.0, this is my 55g tank with 2 blue damsels, 1 yellow tale damsel, 1 hippo tang, 1 dwarf coral beauty angle, 1 royal dottyback, 1 cucumber, 1 hermit crab (from my local bay) 5 mushroom corals & 1 gorgonian. ( I think I have too many fish in it lol and I have tried to get some out to put in my bigger tank but boy do they hide well from the net) No my chaeto doesn't seem to grow for me & the graciliara just flat out disappears.

 

[sweatervest13]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///t/395527/refugium-question#post_3530546
Gracilaria will starve without some sort of iron. I've learned this the hard way a few times. They also like light, and I don't think your light is cutting it for them. I've learned to treat my gracilaria like a SPS coral in regards to lighting - intense. Different flows didn't really matter. Your low alk is not helping either. Every time my alk has every dropped below 8, I have issues with my macro.

I don't like that you have all this macro, even the "slime algae" and still have nitrate and phosphate readings. What test kits are you using?

How old are the tanks?

To figure out flow there's really two ways: Do you have these fuges in sumps where the overflow is feeding into them, or are you pumping water out of your tank/sump into the fuges and then draining back into tank/sump?

My chaeto really doesn't like very much flow. I'm currently only growing chaeto, grage caulerpa, caulerpa prolifera, caulerpa rasmosa, halimeda and hair algae (I let it grow in my fuge) I also have a red fuzzy, hair algae- like macro that grows in my fuge, but I have no idea what it actually is....

My fuge is a 55G, connected to my 180 reef tank with a 1300GPH Triton 5(deep blue) pump that pumps out of my sump and into my fuge. My fuge is set up as a frag tank/display refugium and really runs more as an attached tank that shares the same sump as the 180. BTW: the triton pump sucks, don't buy one.

Every time I have every tried to run a fuge that is less than 1/3 the tank volume, I have issues. I don't know why, but I do.
Sorry to hijack Justpeachy...

BTLD,

I have the same Red fuzzy hair algae. I have read on the big forum that it is kinda bad. There are a few threads over there that talk about how to get rid of it. What are your thoughts??? I am on the fence on it. It grows pretty fast and I harvest the heck out of it. It is only in my fuge and not a trace in the DT (125g with 67g sump). I was putting together a plan to nuke my sump and restart it fresh. But if you have had it for a while and don't see any issues... I may change my plan of attack. You can PM me if this is too much of a hijack to the OP.

Justpeachy, Sorry again...And we would love to see some pics of your DT... If you got some.. Post em up!!!!

 

[snakeblitz33]

red algaes actually prefer a lot of blue light, since they live in deeper water. Green algaes prefer red/yellow/orange spectrum since they live in a lot shallower water depths. Red algae stays red because of the blue light that it absorbs. It can not absorb the red spectrum like green algaes can, and therefore reflects it. Adding in some blue lights to your fuge lighting scheme will (hopefully) let you keep more red algaes.

That red algae, BTLD, if you could get a pic of it, I'm sure we might be able to ID it somehow. Could it be red turf algae by chance?

 

[beaslbob]

He's also using LED 3000K lights.
Might try a 6500k spiral cheapie light from wall mart of 20w or so.
Just a thought.

 

[btldreef]

I believe mine is: Callithamnion aka Cotton Candy Algae
I know some people dread it, but I don't find it to be that terrible and it's only in the fuge so I just leave it be.

 

[btldreef]

Justpeachy, where are you located? Before you spend $ on macros, you may want to see if there are local reefers that need to harvest.