Only Live Rock Rubble in Refugium?

[CodeBlueMedic]

As the title suggest, I have a sneaky suspicion that some sand I got from a fellow reefer is loaded with silicates, because ever since I put it in there, I've had some diatoms.

That being said, I have a TON of rubble...I'm thinking about taking out all of the sand and just filling the refugium with rubble? Thoughts? Would it be a nitrate factory?

 

[cloak]

Depending on the size of the rubble it might be no different than a CC set-up and I think we all know what tends to accompany those. Then again if you clean it on a regular basis you shouldn't have any problems either. This might not be practical for a refugium though. You might be better off just keeping the refugium bare and adding a few baseball sized pieces of live rock along with the chaeto. Keep it simple. GL.

 

[davocean]

I don't like sand in my fuge, too close to pumps and feel no need for it.
I do rubble and chaeto, that's it.

 

[CStrickland]

The best setup for your tank depends on why you're running a fuge in the first place.

 

[CodeBlueMedic]

Rubble is golf ball sized roughly...I haven't been able to get any macro to grow in my refugium since I setup a year ago, it all disappears in a period of weeks. As for why I'm running a fuge in the first place, primarily as a place for pods to breed.

 

[CStrickland]

Have you tried googling "diy pod condos" ?
You can make little... things for them to breed in. Stuff like mesh bags of rubble, or folded up pieces of corrugated plastic. Like little habitats that can be easily moved back and forth to the display, or just shifted around so you can keep detritus from building up in your sump how it does in a crushed coral nitrate-factory. It's a good way to have the best of both worlds

Also, I think the gfo phosphate removers can absorb silicates, at least the aluminum ones do.

 

[cloak]

Rubble is golf ball sized roughly...I haven't been able to get any macro to grow in my refugium since I setup a year ago, it all disappears in a period of weeks. As for why I'm running a fuge in the first place, primarily as a place for pods to breed.

What are your parameters? Not being able to grow macro algae sounds like a good thing to me. Do you have or are you planning on getting a specialized feeder such as a mandarin? If not, I wouldn't even worry about the pods. Your already feeding your fish prepared foods and I have a hunch your probably feeding some of your corals prepared foods as well. Compared to this, pods as a natural food source would be insignificant IMO. They're not really a part of the CUC either, they're just there. JMO, GL.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/1/aafeature1

 

[CStrickland]

@cloak you might get a kick out of this https://vimeo.com/90160649
Can't embed on phone

 

[davocean]

It could be lighting or flow in your fuge, I would doubt you lack nutrients enough to not grow chaeto, but it's possible.
I noticed increased growth of chaeto when I added a small pump that tumbled it slightly, that and a 65k light.
I run a fuge primarily for what it's original purpose was for as well, pods, any nutrient export is just a bonus.

 

[CodeBlueMedic]

In the tank in question, it's FOWLR. Current parameters (with Red Sea) are:

Temp: 79
Salinity: 1.023 (Since it's FOWLR, I've been keeping it at a lower salinity for the past 6 months or so)
Ammonia: 0
Trite: 0
Trate: 10
Phosphate: .02

What's weird, is even when my phosphates were around 0.25 and nitrates around 20-30, chaeto still wouldn't grow...It would just kind of disappear. I've got a 6500k light over it and I even tried adding a power head. Nothing seemed to help. Now I do have some micro cerith snails in there, but I don't think they'd be able to eat all of it.

I've tried red flame macro, grape caulerpa and chaeto...nothing ever last. My main reason for doing it in the beginning was for nutrient export and a food source for my tangs. I tossed that idea after fighting with it for so long.