Best Options for Nitrate reducing Refugium

[toddseimer]

So if you had 3 chambers of your refugium to fill with things lie cheato or other macro algae, live rock rubble, deep sand bed, or marine pure what would you choose as the optimal nitrate reducing biological filter? Would you choose something different for all 3 or combine all 3 for one large gathering of one item?

[Thrassian Atoll]

It seems like Chaeto is the main macro that everyone uses.  I don't know if it's the best but seems to grow fast and easy.  So do you have a sump or a refugium and a sump?  When I think of a refugium I think of a small tank without any chambers in it.

[CronicReefer]

I'm a big advocate of what is called a Bio-Brick ever since I added one to my tank. There are different brands on the market, but essentially it is a three to four inch thick "brick" that is doped with sulfur and has an enormous amount of surface area vs volume. I purchased mine from Brightwell Aquatics (it is called Xport NO3-Brick) and it works AMAZING. I have never had as much success with my tank until I started using one in conjunction with carbon dosing. I also have a large clump of chaeto in one section of my refugium that is more for growing pods/zooplankton than it is for nitrate/phosphate reduction but it does help as well.

[toddseimer]

That’s what I was assuming also about cheato being the most popular. I have a HOB that has a couple dividers I can leave in or remove. Trying to decide if I should just do all cheato or a couple different options.

[Minmay]

14 hours ago, toddseimer said:

So if you had 3 chambers of your refugium to fill with things lie cheato or other macro algae, live rock rubble, deep sand bed, or marine pure what would you choose as the optimal nitrate reducing biological filter? Would you choose something different for all 3 or combine all 3 for one large gathering of one item?

I have an intank fuge and I have a small variety of macroalgae that weetie gave me, a couple of rubble and sand that gena gave me.  I wanted a variety just because the fuge would be seen so i wanted it to look nice lol. My params always stayed low due to maintenance. In the beginning my maintenance schedule was WC twice a week. Now that my tank is a few days shy of 7mo. I noticed that my params have become more stable and Ive been doing WC weekly now. 

[toddseimer]

1 hour ago, Minmay said:

I have an intank fuge and I have a small variety of macroalgae that weetie gave me, a couple of rubble and sand that gena gave me.  I wanted a variety just because the fuge would be seen so i wanted it to look nice lol. My params always stayed low due to maintenance. In the beginning my maintenance schedule was WC twice a week. Now that my tank is a few days shy of 7mo. I noticed that my params have become more stable and Ive been doing WC weekly now. 

It definitely does look nicer with the sand and rubble. Glad to hear your having success.

[Sjadet]

I use a 5'' sandbed, Chaetomorpha as a top layer. Works good,

I have 3 fish in 12g. I feed alot everyday, but nitrates are always under 2ppm, even after a month right before doing wc when it should be at its peak.

I run no skimmer or anything.. only the refugium.

 

I do think perhaps it takes awhile before it starts working. I seeded with liverock and let it mature for 8 months before I started using it as a sole filtration