Keithcorals refugium

[Keithcorals]

A few things that make it different from some other refugiums
It uses a 30w led floodlight that gives the algae right around 500par directly under the light. I believe most refugiums are extremely under lit. I've run mine this way for what I believe is at least two years and never had a problem with the algae getting burned from this amount of light. Even when it's not spinning and the light is constant for the entire photo period it has still shown no negative effects from this intensity of light.

The algae slowly spins allowing light to get to all sides of it also this lets it grow less dense allowing light to penetrate deeper into the middle. It is very important to note that the algae spins it does NOT tumble. If the algae tumbles bouncing off the sides of the refugium it doesn't grow the same and actually does more harm than good if I had to choose between a refugium where the algae tumbled and one where it simply stayed still I would prefer the latter.

There is a baffle placed in a particular spot in the tank to create the flow needed to keep the algae spending without actually bumping into the sides I'll get some pictures of where the baffle goes and explain why it goes there to keep the algae spinning sometime soon

 

[Keithcorals]

Another thing that's nice about the high flow inside the refugium is that it doesn't allow detritus to settle in the fuge and there is almost no need to clean the inside of it. I haven't cleaned it in over 6 months. I take out about half the chaeto once a month and that's about it for maintenance

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So that is chaetomorpha you grow in it?

 

[Keithcorals]

Triton test results for phosphate

 

[Keithcorals]

So that is chaetomorpha you grow in it?

Yes and some sort of odd red algae that got in there a few months back. It doesn't seem to hurt anything and I've never seen it in my main tanks

 

[Grant]

What size is the display tank and what size is the fuge? It looks like you only have macro algae and a light. Anything we're unable to see from the photo angle?

 

[Keithcorals]

It's a 10 gallon and all it has in it is a circulation pump a baffle and chaeto. I am using a 30w led floodlight for the light. It filters 2 80gallon tanks. It's not full of stuff like sand and rock because that would make it more trouble and less effective as a filter.

This is what it's filtering

 

[Aqua fire/medic]

It's a 10 gallon and all it has in it is a circulation pump a baffle and chaeto. I am using a 30w led floodlight for the light. It filters 2 80gallon tanks. It's not full of stuff like sand and rock because that would make it more trouble and less effective as a filter.

This is what it's filtering

Uh.... You don't happen to have any extra frags laying around do you

 

[BlueZreef]

How does it stay spinning without hanging up on a wall or getting pushed into a corner? Video would be cool.

 

[Keithcorals]

Uh.... You don't happen to have any extra frags laying around do you

Sorry all mine I do share frags with friends but I don't ship so only friends that are driving distance

 

[Keithcorals]

How does it stay spinning without hanging up on a wall or getting pushed into a corner? Video would be cool.

The baffle helps create water pressure around the algae. I'll get a video up as soon as I can figure out how to post a video.

 

[ewelch]

This has about as much info as the Triton Method thread lol

 

[Keithcorals]

This has about as much info as the Triton Method thread lol

I'll have better pics by tomorrow. I'll even take some new photos just for this thread

 

[buddythelion]

Interesting thread! Looking forward to the updates and more specific details.

If there's no rock in your display and refugium, where do you keep it?

 

[tyler1503]

Following. Sounds almost similar to the plan I have for mine. Minus the chaeto

 

[Keithcorals]

Interesting thread! Looking forward to the updates and more specific details.

If there's no rock in your display and refugium, where do you keep it?

Rock ? What's rock? I over time started using less and less live rock. In the 180gallon system there is only around 30lbs of rock and almost all of it is in the sump.

 

[KoleTang]

What do you mean by rock/sand making your refugium less effective?

Any info on the skimmer and feeding regimen?

Link to this 30w flood light? What kelvin rating is it?

 

[Keithcorals]

Following. Sounds almost similar to the plan I have for mine. Minus the chaeto

I'd love to know more about what you're planing I'd like to use ulva but haven't played with it much. Maybe I'll give it a try in my new system

 

[Keithcorals]

What do you mean by rock/sand making your refugium less effective?

Any info on the skimmer and feeding regimen?

Link to this 30w flood light? What kelvin rating is it?

Rock and sand in a refugium cause a buildup of detritus and wouldn't allow my algae to spin. I have a reef octopus 3000 I think is rated for 300 gallons. In feeding mostly rods food and mysis I'd say around the equivalent of 6-8 cubes a day maybe a little more sometimes.

 

[Keithcorals]

I think the floodlight is a 10k. It came from ebay and if you search for 30w led floodlight on there you will find a lot of them. The price has gone down a lot for them over the last few years making it a very cost effective way to light a fuge. Should be around $30-40