Hang on refugium or reactor

[gareth.hubbarde]

My 80g tank has no sump so I'm looking T ways to improve water quality and filtration. In your opinions are there any recommendations you could suggest? I have a Deltec mce600 hang on skimmer that is quite brilliant for removing so much crap. If I went the refugium way what could I run through it? With a reactor I'd be limited to one type of media? Thanks for reading and I welcome your help.

300l (80g) tank
36 kg crushed coral and aragonite substrate
40kg live rock
Deltec mce600 skimmer
1000lph filter pump
Filter floss
1 2800 lph pump,( hydor koralia 3200)
1x hydor koralia 1600 pump

1 algae blenny
1 kole tang
1 Royal gramma
1 adorned wrasse
1 One spot foxface
1 coral beauty


1 strawberry conch
3 nassarius snails
6 small red legged hermits
1 Mexican turbo snail
1 tuxedo urchin
1 tube anemone



Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

[Vinny Kreyling]

A refugium is ALWAYS too small for what we want it to do, especially a hang on.
I would look into something similar to these, or one of these specifically.
https://www.tunze.com/US/en/products...=-infoxober002

[gprdypoo04]

So what's the difference? That reactor will not work either.

[Vinny Kreyling]

Why not?

[gprdypoo04]

Because the reactor didn't work.

[Vinny Kreyling]

So you had one?
There are many brands out there that do.

[Uncle99]

Carbon dose

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by gareth.hubbarde

My 80g tank has no sump so I'm looking T ways to improve water quality and filtration.

What signs are you seeing that indicate you need to improve water quality and filtration?

Phosphate problem?
Nitrate and phosphate problem?
Excessive visual debris/detritus?
Frequent Cyano?
Something else?


And please remind us how old your tank is again..

[gareth.hubbarde]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

What signs are you seeing that indicate you need to improve water quality and filtration?

Phosphate problem?
Nitrate and phosphate problem?
Excessive visual debris/detritus?
Frequent Cyano?
Something else?


And please remind us how old your tank is again..

Green hair algae is prominent. I used a sea hare that quickly got rid of it but it quickly grew back once I returned it to lfs. Am currently 75 hours into a fluconozole treatment, I reinstalled my skimmer after 72 hours. So far not noticed much change. Levels are nitrate 0.25 and phosphate around 0-0.1 although I have been told that figure may be wrong as the hair algae will be masking it.
The tank itself has only been back up since late September, the rock I used was very mature but substrate was brand new as was water. I have had nothing die, the bioload seems well in hand although I could use more snails but lfs is not having many in lately.
I noticed that my glass got dirty really quickly in 3 days without skimmer running, always surprises me how effective they are. I feed the fish about 2 times a day, nothing I regard as heavy feeds, although when feeding frozen food its normally about half a cube. I only enquire about a refugium to try to stop hair algae returning once I get rid


300l (80g) tank

36 kg crushed coral and aragonite substrate*
40kg live rock
Deltec mce600 skimmer
1000lph filter pump
Filter floss*
1 2800 lph pump,( hydor koralia 3200)
1x hydor koralia 1600 pump


1 algae blenny*
1 kole tang
1 Royal gramma
1 adorned wrasse*
1 One spot foxface*
1 coral beauty



1 strawberry conch*
3 nassarius snails*
6 small red legged hermits
1 Mexican turbo snail
1 tuxedo urchin
1 tube anemone*



Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

[hhaase]

When you say reactor, there's multiple things that can mean.

Are you talking about a media reactor? If so, those can run carbon, GFO, biopellets, and really any kind of media. They really are just a way to keep the media fluidized, so that it maximizes surface exposure to the water.

As mentioned above, carbon dosing may be what you need. A lack of available carbon is often the reason that macroalgae's don't succeed, as there isn't enough carbon for them to grow properly. Yet algae's that aren't carbon dependent are able to happily grow to the limit of the available nutrients. This could be why your macroalgae reactor didn't work.

Also, what is your water change routine, and what is your water source for the changes?

-Hans