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I am not looking to start this project yet but have begun researching it. I would like to setup
an area of my sump as a designated refugium. (middle section seen below)
I'm going to wait until the tank is fully cycled and has some stock in it before setting it up ( source of nutrients). I have a great LFS that is very helpful and contrary to most LFS around, is great about not pushing products on me. The owner however is a firm believe in the ecosystem method. He says he has been using it for a few years now with great success. He is using miracle mud as the substrate for his refugiums. I wanted to hear some opinions on here about where or not there is any "miracle" in this stuff (usefull nutrients, trace elements etc) or if Im equally better off using a regular aragoniteDSB. Also what kinds of macro algae should I place in the fuge?
I forgot to ask about the lighting period. My LFS recommends running the fuge light 24hrs. Ive also heard the argument for running the fuge light reversed of what the DT lights run. Any personal experience?
I've never used MM, but I know a couple of locals who have had great success with it. Price is he main deterant for me. Certainly nothing wrong with a plain old DSB, I have them in both of my tanks, and they work, but I think I'd be willing to try MM if it weren't so expensive. I don't know how much nutrients and trace elements it might release, or if it's anything you wouldn't get from regular waterchanges, but it stands to reason that if the elements are in there, and are soluble, they would indeed be released via osmosis.
IMO cheato is what you want in a fuge. Calerpa grows faster, but it has so many drawbacks. I'm STILL trying to get it out of my fuge a year after switching to cheato.
I forgot to ask about the lighting period. My LFS recommends running the fuge light 24hrs. Ive also heard the argument for running the fuge light reversed of what the DT lights run. Any personal experience?
I ran mine 24 hours when I kept calurpa, to keep it from going sexual and dumping nutrients in the tank, but I run the light on a reverse photoperiod now, for two reasons. 1) The vascular activity when the lights are on helps keep the pH from driping at night. 2) It has been fairly well demonstrated that plants do better with at least a short break from photosyntheses. They absorb CO2 and expel O2 during photosynthesis, and do the reverse during lights out. a break from photosynthesis is more natural, and beneficial IMO.
Exactly what deters me from MM is the cost. If i KNEW it would be better for my tank in the long run I'd have no problem shelling out for it. But im afraid it might not do much. Could you help explain me with the drawbacks of calerpa vs. cheato? Anything else I should add to the refugium besides maybe some rock?
I'd use just live rock and/or Chaeto. I can't really tell how big the chamber is, but I'm not sure if mud or sand would be of any benefit. You'd need a deep bed to help. I'd use Chaeto, and reverse your light cycles. When the display is lit, fuge is not. When the display goes dark, the fuge is lit. This will help keep ph swings in line due to photoperiods.
IMO calerpa has several serious drawbacks. 1) if not lit 24/7 and/or pruned regularly, it can "go sexual" and atempt to spawn in your tank. Not only does this dump excess nutrients into the tank, but the calerpa then dies, releasing ALL the nutrients it absorbed while growing, and cloging things up. 2) the stuff is tenacious. It sticks to everything. Glass/acrylic, rock, sand , filter pads. Once it's introduced, it's very, very difficult to get it all gone. God help you if any little bits break off and get ahold in your display. It truly does grow like a weed, which is it's appeal, really. 3) it can release some aleleopathic chemicals into the tank if you prune it in the fuge, and can continue to release them for a while after it's been cut. 4) This is a BIG one, especialy where you live. Calerpa is a very aggressive invasive species. It has been banned in California because it's invading coastal waterways there. It has no problems surviving being flushed down the poilet, or washed into a storm drain and making it's way to the ocean, where it smothers EVERYTHING it comes into contact with.
Cheato on the other hand, just sits there and grows....
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The Following User Says Thank You to Phurst For This Useful Post:
Thanks alot for the responses. I will definetly go with the Cheato then on a reverse photoperiod (thanks for the lesson Phurst). The fuge area is not very big (around 13"x 13"). If its not worthwhile to put any type of sand or mud in there then I'll be sure to leave it out.
Well, people use DSBs in a bucket, and with a DSB it's the surface area that matters as long as it's deep enough. Certainly won't hurt. As long as it's 4"-6", it WILL denitrify, the question is will it do enough to be noticeable.....
Phurst, that is the best post i have ever seen as a detterant to calerpa. Many props my good man
As for the DSB, there isn't really a foolproof way to tell if something worked really well or not, becuase if you did not implicate it, how would you know what it would be like, and vice versa. For the DSB, after a couple months, you can see thousands of critters crawling around, making tunnels, and doing there thing. I just sat in fron of my DT staring at the worm things
It's basically like Santa Claus, you just have to believe
However, chaeto is very easily proven..... Just shake it, then watch the returns to your DT. You will be amazed at all the little bugs and pods that come shooting out of there.
Reasons for this being good:
- You know they are breeding, feeding on detritus, and other harmful waste.
- Can be a source of food for some fish (mandarins in particular come to mind ).
- Many more that i have forgotten due to my lack of sleep
And lest we not forget, the chaeto itself does not only hide, it helps as well. It does its best converting harmful chemicals in the water and making it safer for all forms of life.
