Refugiums do they NEED Chaeto? Need Honest Opinions

[asonitez]

I have a 125 Gallon MIXED SPS reef and I'm about to Tie-in a 25 gallon Frag tank. I have a LOT of fish and just as many corals and I run everything a bit oversized.

Warner Marine K2 cone Skimmer
BRS Dual Reactor
Ozone Generator
180+ Lbs of LR split between Display and Sump + More will be in the Frag Tank
I am also dosing Vodka.



I am running a VERY successful Refugium in my sump.

Skimmer ---> Fuge ---|baffle w/Foam|--Return


I need to know if I would get the same amout of life in my sump if I were to REMOVE the chaeto and replace it all with more live rock or even some Miracle Mud and then make the entire thing completely dark would I loose nutrient exporting ability? Would Bugs and pods still live there for my lepoard wrasse to eat? Here are my problems...


PRO's:

Lots of Pods. Lots of Bugs. A Lot of Life is in there. It grows well. Great nutrient export though I don't know how much of that is due in part to Lots of LR Vodka Dosing and my waterchange and maintenance schedule.


CON's:

I Have to keep it lit 24/7.
If I remove the foam filter pieces will make their way into the display and clog my pumps and overflows.
The Foam gets clogged fast and causes the FUGE section water level to rise and eventually makes my ATO dump more water in throwing off my Salinity.
I have to once a day shift move or rinse the foam partioner.
The Light from the fuge causes Coraline algae a build up in the Sump as well as nuisance algae build up in my Skimmer.


PRO's If I remove it:

No more algae build up in the sump. I could replace all the chaeto and use live rock to make a cryptic sump. I could even Plant a Forest of Mangroves in the sump that wont Clump up. The Foam. No algae would grow down there keeping my pumps clean and looking good longer. I could run filtersocks to reduce particles and the foam to further reduce particles. Does anyone else run a refugium?

 

[boontonbob]

Hi- I currently run a refuge with Chaeto aside from my sump. I also had one for two and half years in my prior system. I had one heck of a lot less problems with nuisance algae in my display when I was running Chaeto vs. just having 'not so' live rock in my sump. I bet you will probably have an increase on PO2 issues without Chaeto going, especially as it was growing so well. If you do take it out, I would drip kalkwater with vinegar which helps your skimmer remove PO2.

This refuge is new. I am not to crazy about how I am going to control the algae build up. Perhaps if you don't run you refuge lighting 24/7, that will help control it.

I think it's interesting you skimmer and then send water to your fuge with chaeto growing well. You may not be moving out much PO2 when you skim (which may work fine and all) Side quetsion - What kind of skimmer are you using? I'm thinking about switching away from my MRC1 which has been pain lately.
Bob

 

[JRWOHLER]

I am all for cheato in the fuge.  I don't think your pod production will be good without some cheato.  My pods are all through the cheato.  I have to assume the live on and in it.  Second I see a change for the better when I harvest the cheato.  I don't think that skimming alone is the best way to go about things.
I like a balanced combination of skimming(mechanical), LR, mud, rubble, and cheato(biological), and I run a reactor with GAC and Phosban(chemical).

Don't know why you have to much breakage of your cheato, and don't understand why the issue with ATO.  My fuge has a wall of egg crate instead of a sponge, my return pump also has the sponge on it which I clean occasional(likely not as often as I should).
Maybe a different barrier would work for without removing the cheato?  Sounds like that is all your work there.

I run on reverse light cycle to balance PH another plus.

 

[reefsandrotts]

I have chaeto in my sump and it only gets light for 5 hrs per day and its fine.
You can cut mesh media bags to create a net to catch the chaeto pieces before they clog your sponge.

 

[curt]

Sounds like you might have to much flow.Try sending less water through it.Why do you keep the light on 24/7?I have some chaeto in the sump but it doesn't grow much.If you take it out the pods will still grow as long as there isn't something eating them.

 

[mr_X]

i would run the refugium light opposite the display lighting. you don't need to light the refugium 24/7.
i would not have a foam pad in the sump at all. if your chaeto is breaking off and clogging it, something is wrong. maybe it's the 24/7 thing, but i don't have anything between the refugium and the return area besides a partition water flows over, and i don't get any macroalgae in the return area or display. i would think macroalgae is dying if it's breaking apart.

if you are getting nuisance algae inside your skimmer your nutrient levels are too high.
why is coralline algae a problem in your refugium?

 

[Nickjr000]

I wouldnt say its a ref if you didnt have cheato in it.. Would just be a sump wit sand or a half of a fuge or a sand bed filter. Pods always hang out in the cheato, id think youll have more pods wit the cheato in there. You need a few pounds of rock and cheato. Sand in my opinion is optional. Def have a reverse lighting schedule of your display

 

[reeferwanabe]

starting to hear possitive things about cryptic sumps. sponges/paddles ect. dont know much about them but they seem to be having a slow comeback.
I am changing my sump soon and already have a fuge installed above D.T. so I'm thinking cryptic fuge. It's harder to get critters that live in the dark but I'll give it a try.
sponges grow in my overflow boxes so they are there already. tunicates can be bought.I'm sure there are alot more things that can be put down there that will export much better than chato.(I think)