Refugium help/ guidance for aio I need options and opinions

[Gichigami.reefer]

Green hair algae is unavailable. I mean it, the idea that you did something wrong triggers me. Bad information is everywhere. The thing at fault is the idea that you can prevent it. It's something that needs to be managed.

If you want to do a refugium for fun and learning, you should. However I seriously doubt it solves the green algae problem.

Try an urchin and a Conch (more snails as others have suggested) if you want to manage it.

As someone who's had refugiums, I'd recommend spending money on coral. My logic is simple - Grow an awesome underwater garden IN your display v.s. growing green weeds not in the display.

I agree but it didn’t help i invited it in ya know haha

 

[Gichigami.reefer]

Green hair algae is unavailable. I mean it, the idea that you did something wrong triggers me. Bad information is everywhere. The thing at fault is the idea that you can prevent it. It's something that needs to be managed.

If you want to do a refugium for fun and learning, you should. However I seriously doubt it solves the green algae problem.

Try an urchin and a Conch (more snails as others have suggested) if you want to manage it.

As someone who's had refugiums, I'd recommend spending money on coral. My logic is simple - Grow an awesome underwater garden IN your display v.s. growing green weeds not in the display.

Do you think I should add more coral I don’t really have much in there basically a couple mushrooms and some zoas that almost got snuffed out. Basically all that survived the algae and giant salinity swing when I hurt my back i neglected tank for like a month and now I’m trying to fix my screw up got surgery in a few days

 

[Rhetoric]

Do you think I should add more coral

I'm a coral fanatic! I don't have a fish tank, I've got a coral tank with some fish.

Look into some easy sps to start, monti's, birds nest, digitata. Can always go for some movement with duncans, trumpets, candy canes, Hammers.

I'm a huge fan of tried and true aquarium cultured corals. They are tough, usually grow out, and helps build confidence.

Is there such thing as enough zoas??

 

[Gichigami.reefer]

I'm a coral fanatic! I don't have a fish tank, I've got a coral tank with some fish.

Look into some easy sps to start, monti's, birds nest, digitata. Can always go for some movement with duncans, trumpets, candy canes, Hammers.

I'm a huge fan of tried and true aquarium cultured corals. They are tough, usually grow out, and helps build confidence.

Is there such thing as enough zoas??

I recently rented a par meter and this is my plan starting with monti cap and montipora setosa. My plan is a sps dominated tank with LPs and zoas on bottom gsp on back glass

 

[dangles]

Now having seen those photos of your algae I would also suggest a solid CUC. A refugium won’t necessarily help with that (maybe a little but not a ton). I just ordered 150+ snails/hermits from ReefCleaners for a similar algae issue (maybe not as thick as yours) in my 120 gallon.

Also, you might consider turning your lights down by like 30-50%. No need to run that high PAR with so few corals, especially if you’re not doing SPS yet. The algae would have come with or without the corals you introduced. Especially with high nutrients and high lighting. Those two issues are almost certainly the main culprit.

 

[Gichigami.reefer]

Now having seen those photos of your algae I would also suggest a solid CUC. A refugium won’t necessarily help with that (maybe a little but not a ton). I just ordered 150+ snails/hermits from ReefCleaners for a similar algae issue (maybe not as thick as yours) in my 120 gallon.

Also, you might consider turning your lights down by like 30-50%. No need to run that high PAR with so few corals, especially if you’re not doing SPS yet. The algae would have come with or without the corals you introduced. Especially with high nutrients and high lighting. Those two issues are almost certainly the main culprit.

Lighting isn’t up that much yet just made a preset

 

[Gichigami.reefer]

Now having seen those photos of your algae I would also suggest a solid CUC. A refugium won’t necessarily help with that (maybe a little but not a ton). I just ordered 150+ snails/hermits from ReefCleaners for a similar algae issue (maybe not as thick as yours) in my 120 gallon.

Also, you might consider turning your lights down by like 30-50%. No need to run that high PAR with so few corals, especially if you’re not doing SPS yet. The algae would have come with or without the corals you introduced. Especially with high nutrients and high lighting. Those two issues are almost certainly the main culprit.

How many snails would you suggest in my size of tank 40 cube but only 36 ish gallons I’ve got 4

 

[dangles]

How many snails would you suggest in my size of tank 40 cube but only 36 ish gallons I’ve got 4

I don’t know. I reached out to the folks at ReefCleaners and they made some suggestions. They also have pre-made “packages” for different sized tanks.

 

[Gichigami.reefer]

I don’t know. I reached out to the folks at ReefCleaners and they made some suggestions. They also have pre-made “packages” for different sized tanks.

Awesome thank you I will have to check them out

 

[Justfebreezeit]

At least 20. You have a decent amount of rockwork. If you are picking up locally id start with 20 and add more if needed. If you are getting them shipped in then maybe 40 so its not a hassle

 

[Gichigami.reefer]

Well the light came early decided to send it and see how it goes got it hooked up and tested it out gonna turn it off until I get some chaeto or macro of some sort hopefully this weekend. Wish me luck will post update after a while

 

[Gellisjr1]

Going to attempt to add refugium in one of my aio chambers of my nuvo 40 don’t wanna spend the 80$ on Im Chatman light so I’m opting for this cheapish full spectrum submersible hygger led light with timer from amazon as a “test” for my five before I go “balls deep” If you will

. My plan is to strip off a section of the black stuff on back of tank and tape it in place and make it so there is no light bleed behind the tank . My plan is to set up built in timer. Or to just turn the light on when I feed at night so it runs opposite of my display photo period.

Then my plan was to set it to the pinkish purple how other refugium lights look or should I just use regular light ?

Not too sure about it or maybe there’s another option that’s cheapish this one’s only 20$ basically. Don’t wanna spend too much on it as it’s an experiment and if it works good i might upgrade night down the road. who knows ? any input would be appreciated my plan is to put chaeto in chamber that I have rubble rock in and then I’m going to put a small mesh section glued to baffle so it doesn’t spill out over into the return pump chamber but I don’t want to go the route of the media fudge basket thing I think I wanna send it in the chamber with rock rubber and it to the rock so it anchors down. My main reason behind all this is I’m having a gha issue I can’t seem to solve and I’m hoping this will help lower nutrients in the tank.

The water will go through sock then into chamber with rock and chaeto with light shining through back glass

Side note is there anything I can do to cut back on these spiroid things they are so annoying

As an alternative to implementing a refugium. I would suggest putting together a DIY Chaeto reactor instead. I have a 35 gallon nano cube tank with a very small 10 gallon DIY sump. My sump does not have room for a refugium. My solution was to go with a DIY algae Reactor instead spending the stupid money that Tunze and other companies get for theirs. I used a centrifugal DC pump to control the water flow through a Aqua Ready HOB reactor. I bought some water proof grow light spectrum LED lights. I wrapped the LED lights around the outside of the reactor and use a amazon smart outlet to control the length of time the LED stay on. (Photo Period) This makes the algae reactor Tunable for controlling nutrient up take. The longer the light is on the more nutrients that get absorbed by the macro algae out competing the algae in the tank for nutrients. It's a heck of a lot less of a mess and can be put inside the cabinet to hide it while the pinkish purple light is on so It doesn't bother anyone that's in the same room with it. I run mine opposite the tank lighting schedule. This helps keep your pH level up in the tank over night a nice little side benefit as well. The centrifugal DC pump will drop nicely inside your AIO compartment in the back of your tank and hang on return nozzle is what I use to get the water back inside the tank. It grows Chaeto like no tomorrow. A refugium is ok but they are messy and need to be sizeable to make an impact on nutrients. The reactor is a refugium on steroids.

 

[reneeL]

I got caught up reading this. Agree with getting an Urchin and Conch snails. Also add CUC that eat gha and copepods eat extra left overs. My Urchin took care of some really tough algae or it could have been my Lawnmower blenny. Conch snails my need sand as they like to bury themselves when not eating.
I have also put macro algae in a small box to act as a refugium's in the tank itself.
Recently had 3 tanks going while waiting on a new tank. A Rubbermaid trash can with rock that I kept circulation on. 2 aquariums that were 40 gallons 1 a 20, hang on filters, hang on protein skimmers, lights, jets. I was able to keep my livestock alive. I used the boxes in the tanks. All coral survived. The sand was moved but cleaned. I had a lot of live rock to keep alive. This went on for about 3 plus months. I got lucky and avoided the ugly phase. Almost had an algae break out but the above mentioned critters came to the rescue. I did add copepods when the cyno tried to show up.
Good luck and you have beautiful purple rock.

 

[Gichigami.reefer]

Ordering a algae barn chaeto refugium starter pack tonight

 

[dangles]

Ordering a algae barn chaeto refugium starter pack tonight

*whispering in your ear*

Try gracilaria

 

[Gichigami.reefer]

Got my free tester frags grafted monti cap, monti spongodes , Bali green slimer , no name acro , no name hammer

 

[dangles]

Got my free tester frags grafted monti cap, monti spongodes , Bali green slimer , no name acro , no name hammer

Free??

 

[Gichigami.reefer]

Free??

Yep a buddy of mine hooked me up

 

[dangles]

Yep a buddy of mine hooked me up

I need some new buddies

 

[Gichigami.reefer]

I need some new buddies

I need more buddies