Critique/Help my Display Refugium

[d2mini]

I'm struggling and perplexed by my refugium.

I added/tied it in to my system a few months ago and it's been a bit disappointing. My main display tank is a 200g mixed reef. My main goals were pod production and nutrient export. Most things either don't do well at all or they barely hang on. The only items doing fairly well are the halimeda and the red fuzzy stuff on the right and my mangrove plants. The red bubble algae doing the best is the stuff stuck to the powerhead and mangrove roots so I'm assuming it likes more light. Everything else seems to slowly degrade or even disappear as quickly as overnight. I'm also wondering if anything in the tank munches on any algae. I have two Bangaii Cardinals, a red mithrax crab, a red brittle star and a serpent star. Other than the cardinals, everything was just leftovers from the main display tank so i through them in the refugium. I've lost gracilaria, dragons breath, sodium, caulerpa, and various others.

My lighting is a 200w full spectrum daylight grow lamp.
http://www.hpsgrowlightstore.com/hps1510/system-comp-fluorescent-200w-day.html
Been thinking of replacing it or supplementing it with that gen 1 Radion that is over the frag tank on the other side to get more blue spectrum.
This lamp runs for about 10 hrs/day.

I have two small koralia powerbeads creating a bit of a circular flow but not a lot.

The substrate is Walt Smith's Fiji Mud.

The rock and gorgonians came from Tampa Bay Saltwater.

Any ideas why I'm struggling with it and why new items decline so rapidly?
Anything different you would do?

 

[d2mini]

Nothing, eh?
Ya'll are gonna make me repost this in the Reef Discussion forum?

 

[tektite]

Tough one, macros can be frustratingly difficult! Have you checked the tank throughout the night to see if you have hitchhiker nighttime inhabitants going after the algae? First thing I would try is more flow, a lot of macros like surprisingly high flow. Some like dragon's tongue should do OK in low flow if other parameters are in line. You know what your nitrate/phosphate levels are?

 

[d2mini]

Phosphates are around .09-.1 and nitrate is around 4ppm.
Not exactly a low nutrient tank.

 

[d2mini]

Look at this other thread I had to start just now... after doing a bunch of tests today.
Maybe the answer is here! :hmm4:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=22222789#post22222789

 

[Plantbrain]

Look at this other thread I had to start just now... after doing a bunch of tests today.
Maybe the answer is here! :hmm4:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=22222789#post22222789

1st things 1st, did you make a Standard Reference solution for the test?
If not, then do not trust the test readings.

This is basic stuff for any research based water measurement.
Does not matter if you use an EPA method and have 30,000$ spectrophotometer. You would be wise to do before deciding any course of management based on said test kits.

For macro algae, this range you listed, assuming those no#'s are correct, is fine, actually pretty good. Tank needs some cleaning, but otherwise.

Some of the other macros might be a bit more aggressive than you might be willing to deal with, you'll need to cut and trim and remove the excess and invading growth. Corals are much slower by comparison.

Some of the smaller Caupleras would cover the rocks, some of the reds etc also. Cympolia is a nice little green.
There's a few Root specific sponges and macro algae you can use on the mangroves also.
Some are crazy cool. Grasses might work, but high light seems to be the trick there.

 

[d2mini]

1st things 1st, did you make a Standard Reference solution for the test?

How do I do that?

For macro algae, this range you listed, assuming those no#'s are correct, is fine, actually pretty good. Tank needs some cleaning, but otherwise.

Based on my coral and macro response, i don't think the high phosphate numbers are correct. But I'm not positive.

Some of the other macros might be a bit more aggressive than you might be willing to deal with, you'll need to cut and trim and remove the excess and invading growth. Corals are much slower by comparison.

I don't care, i just want anything to start growing.

Some of the smaller Caupleras would cover the rocks, some of the reds etc also. Cympolia is a nice little green.
There's a few Root specific sponges and macro algae you can use on the mangroves also.
Some are crazy cool. Grasses might work, but high light seems to be the trick there.

I've tried some Caupleras and they disappeared.
The root specific stuff sounds cool. I love sponges.

 

[dppitone]

First, the best fuge/macro success IME is to run the lights almost all day. At least 18 hours if not 24 hours.

Second, I looked at the link for your lighting. It doesn't really have good info on the specs. The 200w says maybe it's "warm," which is the wrong color for best macro growth, expecially combining it with only 10 hours per day. So, my first reaction is that the problem lies somewhere in these two factors. That said, I don't understand the description on the lighting website and I wish it had more info.

So aside from Nitrates being kind of low, they need to be around 10 minimum (phosphate is good), I'd look at lighting. The best way to run is 5500k and a color rendering index of at least 90. You should ask the vendor what the specs are on color and cri.

I'm very confident that the solution lies in (1) increasing duration, (2) lighting, and (3) nitrates.

These are what we're using now, one every 12 inches or so, and if you were to ask me to recommend lighting I'd suggest these - http://www.ebay.com/itm/171117195163?var=470283762706&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

Please note: there are very few right and wrong answers with this stuff. My remarks above are based on our experience and successes. Other folks may have different experiences. And you'll probably have your own method in the end that works best.

 

[drunkenmonk]

When you are adding your macros are you just plopping them in there and leaving them or are you doing any acclimation to your lighting? The new plants may not have been under LEDs and if your getting them mailed to you spend some time in the dark.

Sometimes Macros are a pita to get started and you have to just keep trying. Once established it can be one of the most beautiful tanks.

 

[d2mini]

dppitone, thanks so much... very helpful.
I'm not sure on the exact specs of the light either. It's definitely a yellowish white "daylight" appearance. This doesn't give more info but this is the actual bulb, the "full spectrum daylight" version.
http://www.hpsgrowlightstore.com/hp.../200-w-compact-fluorescent-bulb-daylight.html

Do you think my Gen 1 Radion light would be better? I've been planning on moving that over.

I'll definitely up the time the light is on. An hour a day increase ok?

Drunkenmonk... yeah.. ummm... no, i haven't been light acclimating.

 

[tektite]

Light acclimation usually won't nuke macros though. Most kinds of macros prefer a bit more blue color than 5500k, but your mangroves do like more yellow. My money's on your tank not having enough phosphate.

 

[d2mini]

My money's on your tank not having enough phosphate.

Yeah, I've been trying to work on that.
Did another phosphate test the other day, using more suggestions from my other thread in the chemistry forum, especially the one about using just the one test tube and making sure to align it in the hanna 736 tester the exact same way for both parts of the test. I got .06
Do i trust that result? Not really.