Mud vs. LS and a couple minor Q's

[killogge]

I was wondering, I've had a 20H reef going for about 1 1/2 months now w/ a topfin filter. I have a lot of flow in the tank now, (175gph PH, and 317gph azoo PH on the other end! Thinking on taking one out though) and am starting to get a lot of algae now, so I'm thinking on modding an aquaclear 500 for a fuge.... BUT, I don't know a lot about a fuge, and am not sure what substrate I should get for it. I hear some people using LS, and some "mineral mud." Is there more benefit in the mud, or some slightly seasoned LS from my DSB in my main 20H tank (I think I have plenty to spare). Also, would the sudden change in filter kill my corals/inverts? Tank specs:

corals-Kenya tree, GSP, large xenia stalk, and a large frag of button polyps.

inverts- 5-10 blue-legged hermits, an emerald crab, 3 peppermint shrimp, and a couple snails.

fish- a small yellow damsel i can't catch.

equip- 40lbs LS, 25-30lbs LR, Lee's skimmer (small), 100w hagen heater, 175gph PH, 317 azoo PH, azoo air pump (for skimmer, pretty noisy!), slightly modded jebo 2x55w PC (10k and acentic), and the topfin filter.

I also have a 7w 7200k light from a razzle dazzle tank i don't use, is that enough light? Well anyway, thanx.

[Aiptasia]

If the tank is otherwise stable, you can eliminate the aquaclear altogether and let the LR/LS be your main filtration. Hang on filters tend to produce a lot of nitrate once their bio-section is colonized (sponge, reef carbon, etc.) with beneficial bacteria. Your tank is most similar to a combination Jaubert NNR tank and a berlin tank.

 

As to whether or not you need a refugium, you need to ask yourself what you want it for. My bet is that you'd like to grow macro-algaes to reduce the DOC and nitrate in the tank. This is fine, but you don't need a refugium to do it. You can add a small amount of Caulerpa, such as a 12" length of Caulerpa prolifera, to the main display tank and skip the refugium. Just keep the Caulerpa pruned back by pinching off any new growth once a week.

 

The other reason you wanted the fuge was for another NNR area, using either mineral mud or live sand. Either substrate at about 3"-4" layer should be fine. I'd save money and add sand directly from your existing sand bed to seed it, then add a little fresh replacement sand to the sandbed. By removing the nitrate engine (hang on filter) and letting the LR/LS do it's thing, you might not need the refugium at all.

 

The last reason to have a refugium is one that you did not state, which is a predator free zone for copepods and other zooplankton to breed (or, for macro-algaes that would commonly be eaten to have a safe place to grow). This is also fine, and you should seed the fuge with a few baseball sized chunks of LR to kickstart this process.

[killogge]

Well, I was thinking of just "dumping" some algae in the back after I saw an post about it, but I thought with the emerald, peppermint shrimp, and blue-legged hermies, it would get eaten before it grew, lol. But no, actually, the main reason I have for wanting a fuge is that I read it gets rid of the algae in the main tank and I'm guessing, "stores" it in the fuge? I'm starting to get a lot of green algae, so I thought this and a lot more snails would help. Maybe I'm taking bad advice, but as long as it doesn't hurt the corals/invert/fish in it, then it would be a good (and almost first) DIY project lol. As for the nitrates, I make water changes every other week, and they are usually pretty low anyway with the filter I have, so no real worries there I don't think. And I might, maybe, keep my skimmer for a little extra help.

You said use the LS from my tank and some new? The only problem is that the new stuff, where I'm at anyway, comes in 20lbs bags. No place to put the rest! I've got an idea.....could I mix a little of both, do you think? I dunno, that's why I'm post LOL. STILL READING LIKE MAD!!!

[Aiptasia]

Well, it won't completely get rid of problem algaes, but it will help outcompete problem algaes, thus keeping them in check.

 

Hehe. Caribsea makes 15 lb. bags of aragonite sand and that should be enough for your fuge. What I would do is to scoop a few cups of your substrate sand into the fuge then fill the rest with fresh sand (rinsed in seawater). That, or use strictly sand from your existing substrate and replace the divots with the new sand. You won't use all of your main display substrate in the fuge, so you can add some new sand to it for re-population. Either way.

 

Limit your phosphates (use distilled or RO water for water changes) and set your light cycle to 10/14 (10 on/14 off) and add 1 snail per gallon of water. If your nitrate is good and you have fast DOC loving algae in the fuge (caulerpa species) then you can get your algae under control.

 

Light + phosphates + nitrates = algae! Control one or more of the things in that equation, algae goes bye bye.

 

BTW, there is nothing wrong with using mineral mud, but unless some of it comes to you seeded, it's going to take 4-6 weeks to cycle. As an alternative, think about using some from GARF (www.garf.org). I used their GARF grunge in two of my 20g. tanks and it's a mix of LR rubble and live sand/miracle mud. It comes preloaded with a ton of life and would make a great substrate for a fuge. It's also good for seeding sand to make it live sand. You just put the GARF on top as a surface layer and within two weeks, you'll see tons of life, even with no LR in your tank at all!

[killogge]

So far, I have the 2x55w acetinic and 10k on a timer 10 hours a day, and water change 5 gallons biweekly. I'm not sure how to control the phosphates, except add a media to my filter maybe? I can do that in the aquaclear fuge that I'll mod i guess. As for the substrate, would it hurt the corals/inverts/fish in my tank if I use the uncycled mineral mud? I mean, will the cycle be so big as to kill them? I looked at GARF a few times and didn't see the grunge, but I'll look again. I let my dad know about it so he can setup his new tank and sump/fuge/prop tanks for it. I'll let you know what I do when I get the filter in and mod it. THANX for the advice!!!