Wet dry Vs Refugium who wins

vijaym85 · 07/15/2006, 11:17 PM

Is keeping bioballs in a wet dry fashion bad for my reef aquarium. What makes them so bad? What makes a refugium better? Is live sand in a refugium a long term death trap as they build up waste? What to put in a refugium besides chaeto?

xtrstangx · 07/15/2006, 11:29 PM

Wet/dry filters can lead to higher nitrates.
Refugiums can lead to lower nitrates.

Put sand and chaeto in your fuge, possibly rock rubble if you want to.

vijaym85 · 07/15/2006, 11:46 PM

Actually i tested my nitrates today and they are rather high while my nitrites remain low.
Will a combo of first bio balls then a refugium be better than a plain refugium?

RichConley · 07/15/2006, 11:56 PM

Best, IMO would be both. Wet/drys do a phenomenal job processing ammonia to nitrite to nitrate, they just do nothing for nitrate. Chaeto fuges do a great job on nitrate,

vijaym85 · 07/16/2006, 12:04 AM

I wonder why they stop at processing nitrate?

RichConley · 07/16/2006, 12:05 AM

you need an anoxic (oxygen free) environment for bacteria to process nitrate into nitrogen gas.

vijaym85 · 07/16/2006, 12:13 AM

what would you put in a refugium besides chaeto and maybe live rock.
I worry that over time sand will get toxic as it collects various detrius within it unless it constantly cleaned and toped off.

xtrstangx · 07/16/2006, 10:51 AM

All you need for a fuge is chaeto and a light to grow it with. You can add sand if you want or you can leave it bare bottom. If you leave it BB, you may want to siphon some of it out every so often.

07/15/2006, 11:17 PM	#1
vijaym85 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Queens NYC Posts: 1,296	Wet dry Vs Refugium who wins Is keeping bioballs in a wet dry fashion bad for my reef aquarium. What makes them so bad? What makes a refugium better? Is live sand in a refugium a long term death trap as they build up waste? What to put in a refugium besides chaeto?

07/15/2006, 11:56 PM	#4
RichConley Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bostonian in Chicago going to DC Posts: 9,908	Best, IMO would be both. Wet/drys do a phenomenal job processing ammonia to nitrite to nitrate, they just do nothing for nitrate. Chaeto fuges do a great job on nitrate, __________________ NO TANKS!!!

07/16/2006, 12:05 AM	#6
RichConley Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bostonian in Chicago going to DC Posts: 9,908	you need an anoxic (oxygen free) environment for bacteria to process nitrate into nitrogen gas. __________________ NO TANKS!!!

07/15/2006, 11:29 PM	#2
xtrstangx Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shawnee, Kansas Posts: 4,568	Wet/dry filters can lead to higher nitrates. Refugiums can lead to lower nitrates. Put sand and chaeto in your fuge, possibly rock rubble if you want to.

07/15/2006, 11:46 PM	#3
vijaym85 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Queens NYC Posts: 1,296	Actually i tested my nitrates today and they are rather high while my nitrites remain low. Will a combo of first bio balls then a refugium be better than a plain refugium?

07/16/2006, 12:04 AM	#5
vijaym85 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Queens NYC Posts: 1,296	I wonder why they stop at processing nitrate?

07/16/2006, 12:13 AM	#7
vijaym85 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Queens NYC Posts: 1,296	what would you put in a refugium besides chaeto and maybe live rock. I worry that over time sand will get toxic as it collects various detrius within it unless it constantly cleaned and toped off.

07/16/2006, 10:51 AM	#8
xtrstangx Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shawnee, Kansas Posts: 4,568	All you need for a fuge is chaeto and a light to grow it with. You can add sand if you want or you can leave it bare bottom. If you leave it BB, you may want to siphon some of it out every so often.