Macro in high flow sump/fuge

TIGER SHARK

New member
I am trying to divide my 29Gallon into a sump/fuge because I think the fuge needs low flow. It would be much easier to combine them together to have the same flow for my 100 Gallon tank. My return pump is rated at about 700gph so the flow would be fairly high. Is there any macro that would do well with this flow if I provided it with enough light? Would the macro still be able to efficiently export nutrients from the passing water?
 
Many/most macro's enjoy very high turbulant flows.
Export should be fine either way. Perhaps better at the flow rates you mention. The rate of removal is not that greatly effected say at 200gph vs 700 gph in your tank's case.

Blade morphology may change with increased flow rates(Less wavy and frilly etc). I run 600GPH in a marine planted tank. Something to break up the current helps for some species(eg a piece of rock blocking flow etc).
Some species such as non attaching algae may get swept away(eg Ulva) by the current but often start growing out from rock crevices etc later that they were lodge into.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
Any thoughts on using chaeto in a high flow area in my sump? My design is becoming too complex for a sump/fuge so I am thinking I will have my skimmer on the left near the inflow from the overflow, chaeto in the middle, then an eggrate wall before the return pump.
 
High flow is fine as long as it's evenly distributed(this will provide the best optimal growth). Try it and see, I'd imagine it'll do well.

As the biomass of the algae increases, you should see a decline in the amount of foam production.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
I will make sure the flow is evenly distributed, maybe throw in an extra powerhead also to keep any dead spots from forming.

How do you think 2-LOA 65W lights would do this macro?
 
Light is like the throttle on a car, the faster(more intensity) you go, the more nutreints it will remove, but this has limits, each tank produces only so much nutrient waste, too much light will grow th algae very fast for a few weeks then the algae will start dying after it's removed everything from the water.

The goal with a refugium is not zero ppm on everything, it 's maintain a low level nutrient load and a balanced ecosystem. So the light and the nutrient load needs to be balanced. Sometimes less light is better and provides better healthier growth.

More is not always better.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
Maybe I'll start with one LOA and see how that does. I will probably just have a small piece of macro to start with anyways. Thanks for your help!
 
goldengrl001

goldengrl001

Plantbrain said:
Many/most macro's enjoy very high turbulant flows.
I have always read that for the best nutrient exporting that low flow was the way to go with the macro.
Like that rhyme?

low flow was the way to go with the macro.
Kind of catchy.

Anyway, 4-6 x the volume of your fuge.
 
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