How many of you add extra flow to your refugium on your SPS tanks?

[MarineGirl411]

Hi,
I would like to know how many of you add extra flow to your refugium on your sps tank? My refugium is in my sump. Separate compartment. The water flows through quite slowly and I have detritus that is collected in there. I am worried about it being disrupted and causing havoc. Should I add an extra powerhead in there? Should I vacuum out the detritus? I'm getting into SPS more. I don't have a very large system like some of you, but it is still very important to me. I want to try more rare SPS, but I'd like this question answered first. Thank you. =)

[BLKTANG]

siphon it out,too much flow in your fuge is not a good idea.

[dukes707]

yeah suck it out. i think the idea with a fuge is to have the water run slowly through it so phosphate and nitrate uptake can occur. an extra powerhead would just add heat and hinder nutrient uptake. HTH

[bad badger 1]

siphon it out but i mite still add a power head or bigger return pump id run at least 15x turn over in the fuge.

[rawbomb]

As has been said it is better to have low flow through the fuge to help with the nitrate uptake.

[TacoKing]

This answer is actually kind of relative to what kind of macro algae you're keeping in your refugium. If it's cheato you want to keep a pretty good amount of flow going through your refugium. Calurpa and other algaes require a little less flow.

[SDguy]

I use chaeto and I have good flow through the fuge....keeps the chaeto tumbling and detritus free.

[Hendersonracing]

I have cheato & a few other algaes and I use a seio 2600 for flow its a 56 gallon fuge, that keeps everything tumbling all the way across

[rkl303]

I think the TOTM has a filter sock on his sump/refugium inlet to help remove extra deitruis.

[gasman059]

I have both cheato and culerpa and two socks.

[MarineGirl411]

I have Chaeto and Culerpa. I always thought as well that with a fuge you want things running through there slowly. I've recently seen some fuges on RC though that have added powerheads to their refugiums, even saw a seaswirl. Just didn't know how much I should have, if I'm getting more into SPS. Or if my water should still run the way it does. I have a ton of Gammara Shrimp, Fanworms, and Pods in the fuge. I just don't want to disrupt the good guys. I have the pump matched with the Bulkhead hole I drilled for my overflow. It doesn't make a slurping noise at all which is what it was doing before I matched it. What is another type of algae I should have with SPS to help with Phosphate and Nitrate uptake? Please let me know. TY very much.

[MarineGirl411]

Oh ya,
I will get the nasties out. I also have debated the extra head a PH would create. Not a good thing. Just looking to you guys to help. Thank you.

[MarineGirl411]

Heat* sorry I meant Heat* not head. oye!

[samsfishnchips]

I vote for more flow,

my understand more flow = better in general

and I don't mean more flow through the sump, etc, I mean more flow in that area

I keep a few power heads to keep a nice flow in the sump and everything stays in suspense,

I feel low flow is bad whether you have BB or sand, it allows for stuff to fall down, stay down, and decay

sam

[Malakas07]

Originally posted by samsfishnchips
I vote for more flow,

my understand more flow = better in general

and I don't mean more flow through the sump, etc, I mean more flow in that area

I keep a few power heads to keep a nice flow in the sump and everything stays in suspense,

I feel low flow is bad whether you have BB or sand, it allows for stuff to fall down, stay down, and decay

sam

I've heard this too from a couple of seminars that I've been to.

I vote for more flow as well.

Like you said. Keep Everything in Suspense.

[MarineGirl411]

What PH would put the least amount of extra heat in my tank?

[Bax]

I added a Tunze 6025 nano stream in my fuge and really like it, it is great flow for a fuge.

[samsfishnchips]

Originally posted by MarineGirl411
What PH would put the least amount of extra heat in my tank?

I mod a few power heads I had laying around with a shroud and bigger propeller, just like maxi jet mods that way the flow is wider and more flow as opposite to a limited narrow stream like default

sam

[MarineGirl411]

My refugium isn't as big as some of yours. It's about 18 gallons. I need to make sure it won't add too much heat. I set up a QT tank and had a regent PH in there. It made the tank incredibly hot. I couldn't believe it.

[samsfishnchips]

MarineGirl411,

since your refugium is small choose a small pump,

oh and whats your return pump, QO 3000 = Quiet One 3000?,

haven't use them but hows the flow, maybe you can redirect some and improve flow in the sump, as you don't need much flow through sump (tank --> sump --> tank)

sam

[MarineGirl411]

I just tried turning up my flow by opening up the pump line a little more. My skimmer went crazy and overflowed. So I don't know what to do honestly. This is how my sump/ref is set

overflow into first chamber w skimmer-refugium-return area. Return area and the refugium are in the same compartment.

[JB NY]

I've always used high flow with my refugiums. I get much better results than low fow, meaning less micro algae, no red slime and the tank itself stays cleaner.

[MarineGirl411]

Ya I have cyano in the refugium. =/ I'll try to turn up the pump again today. Hopefully it won't freak out again.

[Bax]

I used to have about a 10 g fuge section in a 30 L sump below my old 75 g, I used a small Rio PH (very little temp) and really helped me kick the cyano I was having in the fuge at the time.

Now the 75 is my fuge and I have a CL feeding my chiller from the fuge with a Pan World 50 PX and the Nano stream 6025 for internal flow. Plus, it is fed with a line off my return pump. I keep it BB with lots of LR and a woppin ball of chateo it's a very happy place. For me, it's almost as much fun watching my fuge as my tank.

[SALTWATERSIG]

i placed a maxijet 1200 in my fuge at one corner so that my cheato rotates clockwise , otherwise it does'nt rotate and red cyano builds up.