should I start over with my refugium?

[spyderreef]

I have posted recently about the problem that I am having getting grape caulerpa to grow. Please be patient, I still have not found the problem. I started this refugium because of this board and I believe in the benefits but I am frustrated and almost ready to give up.
I have a 29 bow with an overflow box that I am using for a refugium. I have about 3" of live sand on the bottom with a few pieces of LR. I am using a mag 7 to pump the water from my sump to the refugium. My first attempt to grow grape caulpera was very successful. After removing about half of it it started to slowly die. The roots would turn red and then the caulerpa would turn to a brownish/clear.
I found a variety of other macro algae in my newer tank and I moved some to the refugium, (feather, red grape, razor).
These seem to be growing fine but much more slowly. The glass was getting full of algae so I put in a couple of astrea snails to help maintain the tank.
I bought a 55 watt PC and I am also using the 15 watt strip light that came with the tank.
All water tests have been fine. I have periodic trouble raising the calcium could this be the problem? CA 380

 

[bang guy]

golfish - have you tried any of the sea grasses yet? I set up a few clumps and the only one I could keep alive is sitting under MH. I could use some pointers if you have any.

 

[wrassecal]

I don't think the calcium is the problem. I have grape growing in my stand alone refugium and never add calcium or test for it. I don't add anything to it. Other than that I don't have much to offer.

 

[reefnut]

You system could be to clean... Are the areas that are dying off shaded from the light?
I never had the problem of having a tank that was to clean but I've read that w/o nutrients that caulerpa could die off.

 

[spyderreef]

I don't have enough to shade. Right now it is pretty thin.
Wrassecal, tell me more about your refugium.

 

[wrassecal]

It's a 20 gal with a dsb, lots of reef rubble, an old cannister filter I got at a garage sale for 2 bucks, 1 maxijet 600 ph and 2 ho lights of which I can not remember the wattage, maybe 20 each or so. In it I grow lots of pods, grape caulerpa, stomatella snails, bristle worms, ceriths. Here it is....don't let it's beauty underwhelm you..

 

[wrassecal]

I recently raided the sand bed to seed my 135, so I'm in the process of building the bugs back up.

 

[finland]

Just a thought, but you might want to slow the flow down a bit. Doesn't a mag7 pump 700gph? 700gph on a 29g seems to quite a bit for a refugium. I know my grape grows a lot better with less current.