Growing algae in sump

[Mick Callaghan]

Hi all,

Iv got a spare light that i use on my QT Tank. Iv seen people using lighting on their sump and growing algae in their sumps.

Tge question is what do people grown in their sumps, hows this done and what are the benefits.

Cheers.

Mick

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Most folks put macro algae in their sumps to help soak up excess nutrients like nitrate and phosphate.

 

[Ron Reefman]

There are lots of reasons for using a refugium. I won't try to list them all, but I have links to some good reading and watching material for you.

My old system had a 180g DT and a 75g DT tied together by a 180g tank (8'x2'x16") that included a 100g sump, a 40g refugium and a 40g DSB (Deep Sand Bed). It used natural biological means to filter out not only ammonia and nitrite, but by harvesting macroalgae from the refugium and by bacteria in the DSB, I could remove all my nitrates and phosphates without doing any water changes. Now water changes include other benefits beyond just removing nitrates and phosphates, and there are reactors that can remove nitrates and phosphates chemically as well. But the refugium does it naturally and then provides other advantages like a place for pod production.

I feel strongly enough about a refugium that when I bought my new system, a CADlight Artisan 125 which came with a 125g tank, a stand, a nice 40g glass sump, a return pump and a skimmer... I felt the need to add a refugium. So I built a 50g (2'x2'x20") and added it to the system. My old system had a refugium that was just about 10% of the total volume. If you included the DSB it was about 20% of the total. Even the refugium, DSB and sump total was about 40% of the total volume. The new system's refugium is 23% of the total vs 10% in the old system. And the refugium and sump together is still about 40% of the total system volume.

http://www.peteducat...6+2148&aid=3043

https://www.youtube....h?v=jJOylnZWWGo

http://www.saltwater...ef-system-3184/

http://successfulree...learn/refugium/

Here is a pic of the new system with the 50g display refugium on the right..

 

[JBarnes]

What LED are using on the refuim?

 

[Ron Reefman]

What LED are using on the refuim?

Over the display refugium in the photo?
It's a Reef Breeders Photon 16 V2 set with 100% red and green, 80% white and 20% both blues and violet. It hasn't been set up for long so I can't say how well this spectrum is working for the various algae, but at 1 month, so far, so good.

Over the refugium in the sump under the stand in my other system I use a very old Reef Breeders basic fixture with just manual dimmers and run the white channel at 90% and the blue channel at 20%. It has proven to grow chaeto very well for several years now.

 

[JBarnes]

Thankyou for the update. I'm putting a 150 together and a 40 gallon refugium and have used T5 daylights but I'm trying to avoid the heat of the T5's this time and move to LED.
Appreciate you assistance with the light selection. Jerry.

 

[yraveh]

Ron,
I am confused. some people use simple fluorescent bulbs in non-display refugium and report excellent algae growth. why invest in expensive lighting if cheaper work well?

I am about to annex a refugium to my sump and trying to decide what lighting to use.

 

[JBarnes]

In my case my refugium is a 40 gallon breeder with a 36" span. I have two tube fluorescent I can use but it generates heat and consumes at least 80 watts. The LED solution has a reduced heat and watt consumption. Whether that is worth the cost of the LED is probably up for grabs but I'm really trying to keep the heat down since I don't have a chiller.

 

[Ron Reefman]

In my case my refugium is a 40 gallon breeder with a 36" span. I have two tube fluorescent I can use but it generates heat and consumes at least 80 watts. The LED solution has a reduced heat and watt consumption. Whether that is worth the cost of the LED is probably up for grabs but I'm really trying to keep the heat down since I don't have a chiller.

All true. I have a chiller but it may go away soon as my new system runs so much cooler than my old one did. I'll keep, but turn it off unless things get out of hand. Like a power outage and therefore loss of A/C in 95 degree Florida heat!

Ron,
I am confused. some people use simple fluorescent bulbs in non-display refugium and report excellent algae growth. why invest in expensive lighting if cheaper work well?

I am about to annex a refugium to my sump and trying to decide what lighting to use.

My choice was first about quality of light and ability to vary the spectrum since I'll have algae and soft corals in the refugium. But almost as important was aesthetics. I wanted this new system to be as modern, classic and stylish as possible. Having 2 different kinds of fixtures just wouldn't look as good.
Call me vain. :lmao: