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bermudadiver
01/27/2005, 09:33 AM
Quick Q for the group.

I'm running wet/dry (filter and Bioball tower) and a protien skimmer in my setup. It works great for ammonia and nitrites, but causes elevate nitrates, so I'm looking to add a refugium.

I'm looking for a good macro algea for nitrate export. All I've really seen here while diving/snorkelling is grape caulerpa, which has a tendency to go sexual and pollute the tank.

Who else is using macro for nitrate export, and what are you using?

Rick

wnutz
02/19/2005, 02:00 PM
remove you bioballs this will help alot

bermudadiver
02/20/2005, 05:53 PM
wnutz,

My bioball tower is relatively new. I have a T1000 skimmer and about 200lbs of live rock, and was running a DSB, but given my bioload, my ammonia and nitrite would never get to zero.

Since adding the bioball tower with floss as a first stage, my clarity is much improved, and my ammonia and nitrites are zero, so although it is causing higher nitrates, the benefit of clarity and ammonia/nitrite reduction is of value to me. This is not to say bioballs is the way to go (in fact, everyone on RC agrees with you on this).

I think just removing the bioballs won't help as I would be back where I started (less the deep sand bed).

I'd remove them if I thought my existing setup could handle the bioload. Right now they are more of a crutch.

I'm thinking of adding a refugium. If I put a DSB and some macro in there, I may be able to remove the bioballs...

Rick

condor13090
03/11/2005, 02:42 PM
I have a 180 oceanic bowfront with two 100 gallon sumps...one for the equipment including an 830 Aerofoamer and the other sump with a deep sand bed. I added about 100 lbs. of live rock and 3 types of calurpra plus the normal algae. I run 200 watts of compact PC'S for 12 hour a day. A 30 gallon water change every other week seems to help alot. Keeping the fish load down is another factor otherwise most SPS will suffer.
I also use Rowaphos and carbon every few weeks and maintain the temp. within a degree...
I have added a few more fish recently which is starting to show in the sps corals.
Also I've changed my lighting from a 6 ft. Aquaspace light bact to my original duel 20K Raduim high output metal halides. I really think the radiums are so much better for the SPS.
I do run a calcium reactor to keep up on the demands of so many SPS. George Adams