How to do Maintenance on Refugium

NikoLover · 03/24/2011, 08:43 PM

So I recently set-up my refugium, it's probably a few weeks old now. I seem to be having a lot of detritus building up on my aragonite substrate. I only have the aragonite and a large amount of Cheato in it. Is this normal? Should I vacuum out the detritus off the aragonite like I would my display?

Should I even be getting a lot of detritus building up in the fuge? From what I know it should just be the cheato growing...Is this correct?

bertoni · 03/24/2011, 10:09 PM

Personally, I just ignored the detritus, but if you see the nitrate level in the system go up, you might want to remove it.

Palting · 03/25/2011, 07:35 AM

I look at the refugium as the "septic tank" portion of the whole system. That's where all the unwanted stuff, the nitrates, the phosphates, etc, get broken down and clean water returned to the system. With that as a caveat, I leave the refugium alone, to break down whatever get's in there, detritus and all. So far, going on a year now, it has worked well for me.

lcs · 03/25/2011, 07:47 AM

+1

My refugium is almost at a year and the only thing I do to it is remove the macroalgae as it overgrows.

T Diddy · 03/25/2011, 07:51 AM

Some go with no substrate at all in th refugium so that it can be cleaned. I personally believe that the refugium is supposed to look like a hot mess...give your algae a nice, safe, low-floww, undisturbed place to grow (along with everything else).

jeff@zina.com · 03/25/2011, 11:13 AM

A filter sock will go a long way to keeping the detritus out of your refugium. As will not putting the detritus in the display tank to begin with.

Jeff

03/24/2011, 08:43 PM	#1
NikoLover Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Tucson/Gold Canyon, AZ Posts: 36	How to do Maintenance on Refugium So I recently set-up my refugium, it's probably a few weeks old now. I seem to be having a lot of detritus building up on my aragonite substrate. I only have the aragonite and a large amount of Cheato in it. Is this normal? Should I vacuum out the detritus off the aragonite like I would my display? Should I even be getting a lot of detritus building up in the fuge? From what I know it should just be the cheato growing...Is this correct?

03/24/2011, 10:09 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Personally, I just ignored the detritus, but if you see the nitrate level in the system go up, you might want to remove it. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/25/2011, 07:35 AM	#3
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	I look at the refugium as the "septic tank" portion of the whole system. That's where all the unwanted stuff, the nitrates, the phosphates, etc, get broken down and clean water returned to the system. With that as a caveat, I leave the refugium alone, to break down whatever get's in there, detritus and all. So far, going on a year now, it has worked well for me. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

03/25/2011, 07:51 AM	#5
T Diddy Slayer of Mice Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Augusta, Ga Posts: 1,338	Some go with no substrate at all in th refugium so that it can be cleaned. I personally believe that the refugium is supposed to look like a hot mess...give your algae a nice, safe, low-floww, undisturbed place to grow (along with everything else). __________________ America's best are not in America. Current Tank Info: 140 Gallon DSA in-wall, foam/rock wall, DIY LED, 40g sump, Precision Marine Skimmer, 100 gallon refugium, NO3, PO4,NH3/4 undetectable, Mg, Ca, KH...eeehhhhhh?

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03/25/2011, 07:47 AM	#4
lcs It's Spring!!!!!!! Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Brockport, NY Posts: 1,370	+1 My refugium is almost at a year and the only thing I do to it is remove the macroalgae as it overgrows.

03/25/2011, 11:13 AM	#6
jeff@zina.com Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 3,345	A filter sock will go a long way to keeping the detritus out of your refugium. As will not putting the detritus in the display tank to begin with. Jeff