refugium questions

[dei2183]

i have 42 gal salt i added a refugium to it 400 gal hr return and kent marine bio sediment 2 inches in the bottom of it . then i let it settle for a week with a air pump, and let it run in the system. i added algae to it the 5 weeks later it was slowly disappering from the sump. now its all gone . why? i bet there are some good people here that can help me figure this out. thanks

[DeLgAdO]

you got any fish in da tank? what kind of algae you use?

oh yea almost forgot

WELCOME TO MFK!!! :welcome:

[guppy]

Algae fairies? :22_yikes: ..., how much light does it get? It might just be breaking down into sediment. laver type algaes breakdown like that very quickly even in a fairly well it tank as they are shallow water full sun type growths. by the way. hiya and welcome. :)

[repair]

I'm no help with salt but thier is a guy in Terre Haute Indiana that is great with saltwaer alge and plants.

I'll try to come up witht the name of the shop

[dei2183]

one tomato clown and a zebra damzel at the moment 20 lbs rock and 1" of crushed coral in the bottom.

[dei2183]

tank gets 35 watts one blue one 10,000 k light for 10 to 12 a day the sump gets 10 hours of the same light during the night

[dei2183]

the algae was that coarse green string lookin stuff good hand full or more at one time

[Miles]

So I am assuming you have a sump that sits below your Aquarium? Not your typical refugium that hangs on the back?

Is your pump sucking up the Culerpa (coarse green string lookin stuff) and shooting it back into your tank? If this is the case, the Damsel or Clown fish could be eating it, and that's why you are not seeing it. Damsels LOVE this stuff.. If it is simply disappearing in your sump, what else did you add to the sump? Any live-rock or other creatures? That's a tough one..

[reefman]

if its in your sump your return is putting it in you tank and you don't notice you should divide them with some type over flow wall

[dei2183]

sump pump has a filter on it it did not get restricted with any of the stuff from the sump, sump is in the closet behind tank it is bigger than the stand. now it has some nasty lookin green and brown floating algae in the top floating around in it. fish have always looked good since i put it in good color never poor looking they always eat reguraly. i have no other things in the sump no fish or inverts.

[Miles]

Was the tank that is being used as a sump ever copperized? See if you can keep an invert alive in it..

I am no saltwater expert, you might want to take this to a reef forum.. :(

[dei2183]

so far i have not been able to keep any shrimps alive in it. my tomato clown either kills it or they die and the clown carries it around after eating it . the sump is a acrylic have not tried any shrimps since i put the refuge on the tank have been watching the algae grow in it and havent decided to add any thing else to the tank. salt is not my strong point at this time, still a experment and on going one. all tanks are i see after doin this for so long. would like to add more in the sump the green hair is comming back in the tank slowly now. or would like to throw the whole mess out the door....

[floridaguy]

Hey guys i's easy to make a refugium. I have a 25 gallon reef tank with more than enough light. A 110 watt compact florescent and a 150 watt metal halide. I decided to make my own refugium since I heard lots of great advantages for have one. My nitrate is 0, My phosphate is non existant also 0. It was the best thing I've done in regards to filtration. I used a regular 10 gallon tank. Imade baffle throughout it so it worked correctly. I added live mud as my substrate, caulerpa which I had in my tank, and chaeto which I also had in my tank. For lighting I use a compact florescent that I purchased at the local fish store. It was a light fixure small enough to fit right on top of the plant area perfectly. The compact consists of 2-9watt 6,700 kelvin bulbs. It work great and I'm very happy.

[Dr Joe]

Welcome to MFK. :headbang2

Did you notice this is a 3 yr old thread? :D

How about starting your own thread and posting some pix of your set-up?

Dr Joe

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