Algae outbreak in fuge -- how much should I care?

bamf25 · 09/14/2011, 09:14 AM

Ok I have a 120g dt with a sump which in cludes about a 15g fuge. I have a nice bunch of cheato in the fuge and a DSB. My Dt is relatively clear of algae. There are a few spots of green hair in the DT, and I think I am having a mild diatom outbreak (sand is browing up a little). Coralline is growing well. Water parameters are all good for the basic stuff. I already plan on a little replumbing to add a few reactors for GFO and Carbon, but it has not been done yet.

However in the fuge, I am having a fair amount of red slime algae, which is not growing in the main tank. I have manually removed most of it on two occasions now. How worried should I be if red slime is growing only in the fuge. Especially when I plan to add GFO and Carbon hopefully soon.

thegrun · 09/14/2011, 11:20 AM

Do you have any snails in the refugium? You should have some type of CUC in there.

bamf25 · 09/14/2011, 07:46 PM

A few snails have gotten down there, but I have not put a true CUC in there.

Dre59 · 09/14/2011, 07:51 PM

Just tagging along.. How old is the tank?

Sk8r · 09/14/2011, 09:25 PM

DOn't worry. Algae in the fuge is ok, anything but caulerpa. I do keep a full CUC below, as well.

aandfsoccr04 · 09/14/2011, 09:32 PM

What is wrong with calupera in the fuge in the sump?

thegrun · 09/14/2011, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aandfsoccr04

What is wrong with calupera in the fuge in the sump?

It will spread to the DT.

cloak · 09/15/2011, 10:42 AM

Algae growth in the refuge can be great & all, but don't think that you can just let things run rampant down there and all will be taken care of. It needs to be kept clean just like everything else IMO. There is a point where a refugium can cancel itself out.

windyridge · 09/15/2011, 11:03 AM

Cloak I was wondering that myself. Is there a point where you have to disconnect it from the DT and clean everything?

cloak · 09/15/2011, 01:15 PM

I hope not. As long as you treat your refuge like you do your display tank, I don't think you'll have a problem. It's that simple. Just as an example, I stir up the SSB I have in my DT about once a month to rid it of detritus. There's no way I would let the SSB I have in my refuge go any longer than that...

09/14/2011, 09:14 AM	#1
bamf25 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Central NJ Posts: 1,419	Algae outbreak in fuge -- how much should I care? Ok I have a 120g dt with a sump which in cludes about a 15g fuge. I have a nice bunch of cheato in the fuge and a DSB. My Dt is relatively clear of algae. There are a few spots of green hair in the DT, and I think I am having a mild diatom outbreak (sand is browing up a little). Coralline is growing well. Water parameters are all good for the basic stuff. I already plan on a little replumbing to add a few reactors for GFO and Carbon, but it has not been done yet. However in the fuge, I am having a fair amount of red slime algae, which is not growing in the main tank. I have manually removed most of it on two occasions now. How worried should I be if red slime is growing only in the fuge. Especially when I plan to add GFO and Carbon hopefully soon.

09/14/2011, 07:51 PM	#4
Dre59 Z&P Addict from IL Join Date: May 2008 Location: Laveen AZ Posts: 1,654	Just tagging along.. How old is the tank? __________________ 20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. Explore. Dream. Tank info: Mr Aqua Cube 18x18x18 and 15gal sump.. Current Tank Info: It's to small

09/14/2011, 09:25 PM	#5
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	DOn't worry. Algae in the fuge is ok, anything but caulerpa. I do keep a full CUC below, as well. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

09/14/2011, 09:32 PM	#6
aandfsoccr04 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 3,561	What is wrong with calupera in the fuge in the sump? __________________ 120 gallon mixed reef

09/15/2011, 11:03 AM	#9
windyridge Fish Mother Join Date: May 2011 Location: South Otselic, NY Posts: 1,403	Cloak I was wondering that myself. Is there a point where you have to disconnect it from the DT and clean everything? __________________ 92G Mixed reef, SCA-302 skimmer, 15g sump w/fuge & Eheim Compact Plus @650 gph, AI Sol Blue, Koralia 750 &Tunze Nanostream 6025, Apex Jr,Tomini, 6-Line, Brittle star, damsels, Gramma, RBTA/clown, PJ c Current Tank Info: 92G Corner Bowfront Mixed Reef

09/14/2011, 11:20 AM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Do you have any snails in the refugium? You should have some type of CUC in there.

09/14/2011, 07:46 PM	#3
bamf25 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Central NJ Posts: 1,419	A few snails have gotten down there, but I have not put a true CUC in there.

09/15/2011, 10:42 AM	#8
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Algae growth in the refuge can be great & all, but don't think that you can just let things run rampant down there and all will be taken care of. It needs to be kept clean just like everything else IMO. There is a point where a refugium can cancel itself out.

09/15/2011, 01:15 PM	#10
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I hope not. As long as you treat your refuge like you do your display tank, I don't think you'll have a problem. It's that simple. Just as an example, I stir up the SSB I have in my DT about once a month to rid it of detritus. There's no way I would let the SSB I have in my refuge go any longer than that...

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