First time setting up a refugium.

[loweryphil]

Hi all. Any advice would be much appreciated. The bellow picture is what I currently have, ten times turn over in a 525l system. The algae is a mixture of cheato and caulerpa. My concern is the flow through it is moving it about breaking some pieces off at times. Also I'm running the light 24/7 and not really seeomg much growth as yet. The light is a cheap version of a fresh water kessil. But is very strong!

 

[Justice4u2]

Hi all. Any advice would be much appreciated. The bellow picture is what I currently have, ten times turn over in a 525l system. The algae is a mixture of cheato and caulerpa. My concern is the flow through it is moving it about breaking some pieces off at times. Also I'm running the light 24/7 and not really seeomg much growth as yet. The light is a cheap version of a fresh water kessil. But is very strong!

I cannot speak to caulerpa, I have never used it before. However, cheato likes high flow. I probably have a lower water turn over rate than you do, so I made a spray bar in my refugium for the cheato. The spray bar also helps keep the floor of the refugium clean.

I would think that your light is plenty strong enough. How long has your cheato been in the tank? What kind of bio load is your display tank supporting? If it were low, then that would create slow growth. Do you have any algae in your display tank?

 

[Suohhen]

Caulerpa doesn't like high flow and chaeto does best when tumbled. The solution I use to consistantly tumble chaeto is to point a small powerhead pointed under it. It can take a while for algae to settle in though and it can be hard to notice growth at first as the algae might bulk up rather than expand so you may wish to wait a while before making any changes.

 

[loweryphil]

I cannot speak to caulerpa, I have never used it before. However, cheato likes high flow. I probably have a lower water turn over rate than you do, so I made a spray bar in my refugium for the cheato. The spray bar also helps keep the floor of the refugium clean.

I would think that your light is plenty strong enough. How long has your cheato been in the tank? What kind of bio load is your display tank supporting? If it were low, then that would create slow growth. Do you have any algae in your display tank

I cannot speak to caulerpa, I have never used it before. However, cheato likes high flow. I probably have a lower water turn over rate than you do, so I made a spray bar in my refugium for the cheato. The spray bar also helps keep the floor of the refugium clean.

I would think that your light is plenty strong enough. How long has your cheato been in the tank? What kind of bio load is your display tank supporting? If it were low, then that would create slow growth. Do you have any algae in your display tank?

It has been in 4 days so far, I notice micro bubbles been produced from it and let off which must be a good sign. A lot of it broke up because of the flow but I assume that was the unhealthy tissue anyway as most of it has stayed together.

Bio load wise I have a picasso trigger, emperor angel, regal angel, regal tang, fox face and two clowns.

Nitrates sit at about 35/40ppm and phosphates at 0.25.

 

[Justice4u2]

It has been in 4 days so far, I notice micro bubbles been produced from it and let off which must be a good sign. A lot of it broke up because of the flow but I assume that was the unhealthy tissue anyway as most of it has stayed together.

Bio load wise I have a picasso trigger, emperor angel, regal angel, regal tang, fox face and two clowns.

Nitrates sit at about 35/40ppm and phosphates at 0.25.

You have the right conditions for high algae (cheato) growth. It may take a few weeks before the cheato takes off. I agree with the reply from Suohhen, it is good advice. Give it a few weeks, if you are not seeing changes, add a small power head or something to create some flow.

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[loweryphil]

Thanks. I will leave it be for a few weeks. I'm hoping it outcompetes a slight dusting of dino on the sand bed which creeps back every few days.

 

[fg_aquariums]

i like to run my lights when my main display shuts off. i have mine running for 12 hours overnight. At the start i ran it for 8 hours and works my way up. It give it time to adjust to your lighting.

 

[loweryphil]

Do i not need to worry about adding plant firtilizer such as cheato grow to my system? Does it need calcium and magnesium to grow?

 

[loweryphil]

i like to run my lights when my main display shuts off. i have mine running for 12 hours overnight. At the start i ran it for 8 hours and works my way up. It give it time to adjust to your lighting.

Will 24/7 harm it? Should I reduce the period?

 

[Suohhen]

I don't add any iron or other chaeto supplements and my chaeto doubles in mass every 2 weeks but I do have a calcium reactor. But even if the chaeto is growing well it is possible that it is stripping certain trace elements down to unacceptably low levels so it is something to be mindful of.
Chaeto doesn't seem to need calcium, but it does seem to have the ability to use calcium and carbonate so it is important to keep an eye on, but then again isn't it always. Caulerpa on the other hand is definitely calcium carbonate based.
I have never run a refugium 24/7 but there are certainly people who do, it just seems overkill and a waste of power.
It's interesting, I don't think chaeto really has limitations. It really is a miracle plant!

 

[fg_aquariums]

Will 24/7 harm it? Should I reduce the period?

It wont harm but i would watch out with it reducing a lot of trace elements and nutrients.