Running a fuge and a phosphate reactor together?

[20 20]

Is running both together overkill? Will the reactor remove enough phosphate so that the macro in the fuge won't have enough to survive? I'd like to hear opinions on this, who runs them both on their systems, how does it work, who runs one and not the other, etc. Any opinions/experiances would be greatly appreciated!

[KMP]

i'll tag along to hear from the pros; however, i've seen lots of folks run both together. many run carbon also in the phosban reactor.

[20 20]

Not a hot topic, eh?

Any opinions greatly appreciated!

[seagirl]

i run both, haven't had any chaeto die off. i just bought a new reactor to run carbon too, but i'm not sure how often, i'm going to run it.

[stuccodude]

i run both and still have .5 phosfates

[gary faulkner]

Started with a fuge growing chaeto.

Added Phos reactor.

Chaeto growth much slower than before but still growing.

Will keep fuge.

Also run carbon.

HTH

[Davidb6]

Agree, reactor does not stop the chato from growing...only slows it down.

[snorvich]

I run a refugium, phosphate reactor, and remote deep sand bed. Phosphates are about 0.01 but the chaeto keeps growing albeit slowly

[20 20]

So, if the cheato is growing more slowly after the addition of a phosphate reactor, is the overall effect of adding the reactor zero? Is the same amount of phospate being removed from the system, just now it's being done by two methods?

For example, is this the effect of adding a phosphate reactor::

'Before' - Cheato only, phosphate removal at 75%
'After' - Cheato AND phosphate reactor, phosphate removal at 90%

OR is this the effect of adding a phosphate reactor:

'Before' - Cheato only, phosphate removal at 75%
'After' - Cheato AND phosphate reactor, phosphate removal at 76%

(Those numbers mean nothing, just trying get a gauge on the effectiveness of running both, as opposed to one).

[The Saltman]

Originally posted by 20 20
So, if the cheato is growing more slowly after the addition of a phosphate reactor, is the overall effect of adding the reactor zero? Is the same amount of phospate being removed from the system, just now it's being done by two methods?

For example, is this the effect of adding a phosphate reactor::

'Before' - Cheato only, phosphate removal at 75%
'After' - Cheato AND phosphate reactor, phosphate removal at 90%

OR is this the effect of adding a phosphate reactor:

'Before' - Cheato only, phosphate removal at 75%
'After' - Cheato AND phosphate reactor, phosphate removal at 76%

(Those numbers mean nothing, just trying get a gauge on the effectiveness of running both, as opposed to one).

I am a firm believer in the more ways you can export nutrients, it can only be helping you. Its really tough to gauge just how much one is helping out over the other, but both of them are have the same objective of exporting nutrients from the tank. One may be more effective in your tank than the other, but it can only be good in the end. I plan to run both a phosphate reactor and have a refugium on my new system.

[20 20]

I'm a firm believer in exporting nutrients in ways that have a material effect. Don't get me wrong, right now I run both a fuge and a reactor also (along with another reactor with carbon in it), for the same reasons you plan on doing it. But while trying to do 'stuff' to my system in my crowded stand, I got to thinking, is running both really doing anything materially better than running just one? I have no idea, I just always figured better safe than sorry. But, is it, in reality, materially helping?

[o.c.d.]

How about a fuge seperated into 3 overflowing baffles 1stage razor calerpa LR &DSB 2 stage Chato & DSB 3rd grape with phos reactor, carbon reactor,then gravity fed back into main. The overflowing baffles are to help get more Oxygen into the system.I run no sump,and do notice less growth in the last baffle.

[bhdmc]

I running refugium, PO4 reactor, protein skimmer and carbon with no problem with caulerpa prolifera and cheato growth.

[gary faulkner]

I think that the chaeto has less phosphate to use because of the reactor. That is what is limiting its growth. It still removes some phos. and it continues to remove nitrate as well.

Also I like the chaeto for its ability to house pods. So I don't use it strictly for nutrient export.

I will continue to grow chaeto and run GFO and carbon. This is the best my system has done by doing so.

HTH

[PogoMonogo]

I was always under the impression that the chaeto would grow and use nitrates much more than phosphates.

[gary faulkner]

Originally posted by PogoMonogo
I was always under the impression that the chaeto would grow and use nitrates much more than phosphates.

I agree with you. I think that the slower growth we are getting with running GFO has to be limited phosphate. Only thing that makes sense.

[carlso63]

Can you run both together? Absolutely.

Before my plenum matured I ran a fuge and a PO4 reactor and carbon as well... my chaeto grew like crazy - and still does!

Now with the plenum I don't need the pO4 remover any more, but still run carbon and I just culled a basketball sized ball of cheato out of my fuge... I'll have another 'basketball' within 2 months the way mine grows...

Also, the pO4 remover is not going to "limit" your chaeto growth significantly; one if the things that does is lack of organics in the water. If your chaeto grows poorly or not at all - and you have sufficient lighting for it - trying dailing down your skimmer to skim a little "drier" and leave just a little organic material in the skimmer output... your chaeto (and any other macros) will thank you for it.

[20 20]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I figured that would be the general concensus, but the thought crossed my mind, and being anal like I am, I just had to ask.

[mflamb]

I have a 40 gallon fuge with cheato and various culerpa. I have a 6" x 24" reactor with 1 gallon of GFO.