Rethinking My Refugium
 

Your thoughts please~ I have been thinking of tearing down my refugium and restarting it with just macro. The refugium was started in late 03'. The tank was moved a year ago, but the fuge was basicly moved in tact, except the water. It has a 3-4" sandbed, about 30 LBs. of LR, several types of macro, and some really bad algae I have been beating back for quite some time. Lately the sandbed has been releasing lots of bubbles, and it's just plain nasty in there. To me, I think the LR and sandbed in there are shot. I would like it to flow free, and have the macro only. I would have to find homes for a few critters, but would finally be free from the fw's,red algae, and the mantis I think has always been in there.{I hear him snap occasionally}. My fiance' questions what will I do if when I tear it down I realize it was doing more good for our filtration than what I think. It just seems like all my problems come from there...that dang red cotton candy algae is trying to take a foothold in the main tank again...

Dude, I have like EXACTLY the same problems and was considering doing the same. I'll be tagging along on this one.

This is the algae I have been beating back & forth from the fuge to my main tank....for years.
:rolleyes:
[url]https://www.marineland.com/seascope/ss2003_issue3.pdf[/url]
It started in the fuge, and it eventually takes hold in my main tank. The only thing that ever successfully removed it from the main was a onespot foxface. Might be time to get another, because this week I noticed it is back.:(

I say go for it.

I'm building a 90 gal system and intend on a lil LR and and some fat pods and a ball of Chaeto.

I see threads on this a lot actually, you certianly are not the only one. I ripped mine apart 2 years ago.

What did you change when you tore it down, and did you set it back up?

you will be happy with the change! All I have is a basketball sized wad of chaeto in mine, it's BB but I have a bunch of live rock rubble which I use for mounting frags... the thing is full of pods, and it's much easier to keep the refuge clean without the sandbed b/c you can turn up the flow in there to keep the chaeto tumbling nicely... go for it!

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11095254#post11095254 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by waterfaller1 [/i]
[B]What did you change when you tore it down, and did you set it back up? [/B][/QUOTE]

Took the sand and rock out, and turned it into a frag tank with some cheato in it. Eventually I took the cheato out too because it never grew.

i went bb with my fuge, only rubble and chaeto. love it.