Refugium?
- Thread starter Warnberg
- Start date
Warnberg
New member
Here is some examples of the growth I have been getting...
Purple rim cap taken Mon Aug 29, 2005, it's about the size of a quarter.
Here is is today, it's about the size of a softball with about 2 inches of new growth in the last 3 months.
Here's another one of a purple digi (I think) that has gone nuts as well... this is the mother colony, I have broke off several pieces trying to clean.
Purple rim cap taken Mon Aug 29, 2005, it's about the size of a quarter.
Here is is today, it's about the size of a softball with about 2 inches of new growth in the last 3 months.
Here's another one of a purple digi (I think) that has gone nuts as well... this is the mother colony, I have broke off several pieces trying to clean.
I love my fuge. That's where I keep all my "fun" stuff. Right now I have a florescent orange serpent star in there healing after an injury, and about 5 nudi's, 2 giant ugly tunicates that my son likes to shine the light on so they squirt water out the top, serveral porcelain crabs, a little rock lobster etc.
As far as maintenance, I don't maintain it at all except to pull some macro's out when growing too well. For the first time ever, I haven't had algae problems in my tank.
My son and I just like to watch the zillions of critters in there. I guess it's just a personal preference. I love mine!
As far as maintenance, I don't maintain it at all except to pull some macro's out when growing too well. For the first time ever, I haven't had algae problems in my tank.
My son and I just like to watch the zillions of critters in there. I guess it's just a personal preference. I love mine!
Sailor_jon
New member
I had a problem not being able to grow an abundance of macro in my fuge...until I saw a article about changing bulbs from CF's to a incandscent - now Im pulling it out by the handfull every week. Nitrates are lowered..and phosphates are lowered since the macro started growing.
hey dave. a little something about phosphates. I think there are either 4 types or 4 groups of phosphates. rowa and phosban only help remove the kind you can test for. you can only test for one kind with a hobby level test kit. so I guess the growth of algea and removal of the algea would help to remove the other kinds that the algea may use.
ReefArtist
In Memoriam
Hey Warnberg, I see that you have 4 Tunze Turbelle stream 6000 but is the flow getting all the way around? I had a problem with algae and it was because of low flow. I had good flow on the front rocks of my tank but I looked at the back and that is where it was starting and then spreading. I've changed my flow and added another pump and it has greatly improved. Just a thought to throw out there and another cause for algae growth.
Warnberg
New member
I changed things around a bit so that I didn't have any dead spots but it doesn't help, I actually did a test and pointed another power head directly at a rock, the algae still grew there. I guess I'll just keep going with the rowaphos and water changes and syphoning and hope I'll get ahead of this beast....
Sailor_jon
New member
Dave - its really hard to say you know? There are so many moving parts to this animal. If you get you phospates low..but cant balance the Ph then it all goes awry anyway..etc.
However - I am a great beliver in more biology-less technolgy, as Dave Bornemen says. So a refugium makes perfect sense to me..and its real easy to get it going. I have noticed the algae doesnt grow like it used to in the main tank, before i installed the fuge. It still does, but I have an overstocked tank - so I deal with my issues (fish keep getting bigger wife, or maybe me, loves too much to let them go).
Its also a great place to keep shrimps, crabs, inverts and pods..and all kinds of other things that the hungry fish would love to snack on. Mine is ahead of my skimmer and filter sock..so any detritus goes right to the fuge. I use an old 10 gal with an ovverflow into my sump, and routed the overflow from the tank to the fuge instead of direct to the sump...it was an easy install. Not ideal, as some folks have other ways of routing, but it worked for me.
Just use an incandescent bulb - easy and cheap grows macro like crazy -great dinner garden! heh heh
However - I am a great beliver in more biology-less technolgy, as Dave Bornemen says. So a refugium makes perfect sense to me..and its real easy to get it going. I have noticed the algae doesnt grow like it used to in the main tank, before i installed the fuge. It still does, but I have an overstocked tank - so I deal with my issues (fish keep getting bigger wife, or maybe me, loves too much to let them go).
Its also a great place to keep shrimps, crabs, inverts and pods..and all kinds of other things that the hungry fish would love to snack on. Mine is ahead of my skimmer and filter sock..so any detritus goes right to the fuge. I use an old 10 gal with an ovverflow into my sump, and routed the overflow from the tank to the fuge instead of direct to the sump...it was an easy install. Not ideal, as some folks have other ways of routing, but it worked for me.
Just use an incandescent bulb - easy and cheap grows macro like crazy -great dinner garden! heh heh
Sailor_jon
New member
Eric Borneman--duh!
lifesworksataol
New member
hey i could use all the macro you guys are throwing out - please pm me when you are going to throw it out and ill come get it please - could really use alot! thanks :-D you can email me at lifesworks@aol.com if my box is full
