Removed my Refugium sand bed!

[cashman95]

I was trying to catch a fish that I had place in my sump for holding, when I noticed how much detritus was down there!

I put a yellow corris wrasse in the refugium after catching it in my tank, in order to hold him for the next trip to the LFS! Yesterday I went to get him out for the "Trade in Trip" and he was burried in the sand. I ever so slightly probed the sand to find him, and was stunned at how much detritus was realeased into the tank! IM talking a great amount, about 10 probes clouded my whole display tank!

I have been having a problem getting my PO4 down, and decided to take out the sand/detritus from the refugium.....So I turned off the return pump, removed all the water from the refugium and clean out all the sand and waste, then put back in the water and small ball of cheato...

Could this have been my problem all along? I have tried everything to get my PO4 low and other than installing a phosban reactor have had no luck, at keeping it low.


This is my 5th tank in 8 years and I have never had a single problem with algea blooms or rising levels, and this IS my FIRST attempt with a refugium...

What do you guys think? I do not run a filter sock, and my refugium did have slow flow, in my opinion creating a detritus trap!?!??!

 

[Hop]

I think you have figured out some of the truth about fuges

Why process waste when you can remove it.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Yep.

 

[K' Family Reef]

is all the water going first thru the filter sock before going to the fuge?

had po4 problems for several mos
tried to unsuccessfully get down by adding 50gal fuge/chaeto etc - finally purchased phosban reactor but havent had a problem since and havent had to replace the media yet either - been about 6 weeks - has made a major difference in the tank and the coralline is really taking off!

how high were your po4 levels? and are you having problems w/ hair algae?

if you were getting that much before you will still need to vac it out!

 

[cashman95]

No I am not using any type of filter sock, but I am planning on setting two up in my sump...and yes they would be before my refugium.

 

[K' Family Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11013230#post11013230 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cashman95
No I am not using any type of filter sock, but I am planning on setting two up in my sump...and yes they would be before my refugium.

hey dude
i dont use a sock but you might make sure you know about the maintanance involved in using them - like they need to be changed out regularly (perhaps some debate as to how often) - but bottom line is if you dont change them out then = polluting your system!

plus you might be filtering out some of the 'good stuff'
that you want feeding your tank! as well as pods which will populate your system if allowed to

etc etc etc

otherwise just be sure to vac out the detritus that accumulates on the bottom of your sump/fuge and perhaps shake out your chaeto if its building up in there - if you are getting it accumulating in your main display try using a turkey baster to blow it off so your skimmer can get it out - or use a gravel vac to vac it out off the surface

 

[K' Family Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11013230#post11013230 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cashman95
No I am not using any type of filter sock, but I am planning on setting two up in my sump...and yes they would be before my refugium.

hey dude
i dont use a sock but you might make sure you know about the maintanance involved in using them - like they need to be changed out regularly (perhaps some debate as to how often) - but bottom line is if you dont change them out then = polluting your system!

plus you might be filtering out some of the 'good stuff'
that you want feeding your tank! as well as pods which will populate your system if allowed to

etc etc etc

otherwise just be sure to vac out the detritus that accumulates on the bottom of your sump/fuge and perhaps shake out your chaeto if its building up in there - if you are getting it accumulating in your main display try using a turkey baster to blow it off so your skimmer can get it out - or use a gravel vac to vac it out off the surface

regards

 

[K' Family Reef]

sorry about the double post - computer glitch

 

[cashman95]

Thanks, in the past I have used filter socks and it seems that they get so clogged up that they stop flowing threw and end up flowing over in about 3 days.

I might not run them all the time either, maybe when I do water changes or when I am vaccuming the sump out, just to try and catch some particles that I might have sent flowing.

The main reason I wrote this thread is to see if anyone else has had trouble with a sand bed in the refugium and after removing it, got positive results?

 

[K' Family Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11013465#post11013465 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cashman95
Thanks, in the past I have used filter socks and it seems that they get so clogged up that they stop flowing threw and end up flowing over in about 3 days.

I might not run them all the time either, maybe when I do water changes or when I am vaccuming the sump out, just to try and catch some particles that I might have sent flowing.

The main reason I wrote this thread is to see if anyone else has had trouble with a sand bed in the refugium and after removing it, got positive results?

iow just shut about the filter sock ay lol !

i am probably not answering your question

but if you have a dsb in your main display
then its probably not necessary to have one in your fuge - i did this but in hindsight i would have done it differently - ( nitrates are always zero!) - and getting good supply of pods throughout the entire system...

perhaps you could try just having a shallow sand bed for pods etc and vacuum it out when cleaning system?

further rambling

added a 50 gal display fuge to my system w/ 4-6" dsb...
(separate from fuge) which handles about 90% of water flow (thru the system) coming from stage1 of my sump (skimmer stage)... there is LR and rubble, tons of xenia, featherdusters, chaeto, urchin etc... originally when set up wanted (like you) slow flow - but ended up turning part of dsb black = very bad! (phosphorus) due to insufficient flow thru the fuge combined w/ dsb... added a rio 600 in there and havent had problem w/ it turning black again but still get detritus accumulation - intend to add another pump or larger one later for added benefit...

point being even if you just have chaeto they recommend having enough flow for it to tumble anyway - with that much flow using a dsb or shallow sand bed then you shouldnt get as much detritus accumulation - AND you get the added benefits of a sand bed

no matter what
you are going to get benefits one way or another so there is not much to worry about!

good luck!

regards

 

[cashman95]

I am with you on the high flow in the refugium, then I could have had a DSB, but its not very fast and the detritus seem to be a magnet to the sand, so out it came and BB it is, I do HOPE it helps!

The only other things is: I only have about 3 inches of sand in the display....? Does anyone see a problem with that?

 

[reefwisher]

I added some nassarius snails in my fuge dsb and a good flow through it . Don't know if it work but I know they are detritivores.