fuge plants...

[mr_X]

ok. i have my fuge set up and running. i used miracle mud and threw a single LR in there for now, which i pulled from the display tank.
now for the greens.
calerpa? mangrove? gracillaria?
is one better than the other?
someone told me if calerpa dies in your fuge, it can send harmful pollutants into your display tank. any truth to this?
anyone have an overgrown refugium and want to get rid of any greens?
:wink:

 

[TheJGMProject]

That's an excellent question, I am wondering that myself for my fuge. I have been reccomended to use cheato, however. It's a bit hardy (grows fast) but gets the job done. I'm wondering what others will say too....

 

[shavo]

hey I don't know either, I wonder if there is anything in the library on this site, I'll look and try a google search and see what turns up.

hey we post alot here did you see my last one I did something stupid

 

[mr_X]

i just looked at the "miracle mud" thread...ugh...disheartening.
oh well..hope it works like a charm!

 

[shavo]

found an article for you guys to read, check it out and see if it helps you out

http://www.reefland.com/rho/0105/main2.php

 

[mr_X]

thanks.
so far i am leaning towards chaetomorpha, gracilaria, and possibly a mangrove.
check this out:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004- ... /index.php

 

[shavo]

hey you know you need a light for the growth of the plants for the refugium, right? I am sure you do, you are on top of your game so far.
hey are they different wattage lights on your tank?
in the picture it looks like one is brighter than the other.

 

[mr_X]

yeah..it's a temporary setup, 400 mh on one side and 150 compact flourescent on the other, and 2 actinic blues. the cf and the mh are rotated every other day. the 2 blues are tubes.
i have plenty of hydroponic suppliers for lighting..lol

i'm not too concerned with display tank lighting yet, cause i don't have anything that needs light yet. when the time comes i will be prepared.

 

[shavo]

going to use the 400 on the 125?

 

[ChrisRD]

I would stick to non-toxic stuff that's easy to harvest/control like the chaeto and graci. I've never had them, but the common wisdom among many who have is that Mangroves look nice but aren't very useful for nutrient export (slow growers).

 

[mr_X]

2 400's i think, and the 2 blues

 

[mr_X]

the common wisdom among many who have is that Mangroves look nice.

actually, that's what i was thinking...cool looking plant sticking out of the top of the fuge. 8)

 

[cindre2000]

As far as I have researched caulerpa is the #1 refugium algae, since it is one of the few algaes that does photosynthesis 24/7. However, if it goes sexual, you have problems. Also there is a mild toxin in caulerpa, but it is mainly a deterent for herbivours (rabbitfish and some sea slugs are about all that eat this algae).

Chaeto is a common second choice, however, it does not have the same nutrient export capabilities since it grows much slower.

As for most other algaes, they are not usually 24/7 when it comes to photsynthesis and are therefore less commonly used. However, I like to grow some of these "other" algae's for herbivours in the main display.

As for marine plants, they are usually a no-no. Only one species of mangrove can actually survive in saltwater and it is the slowest growing. You just cannot get the same amount of export with mangroves; not to mention the fact that you need to dose them with chemicals to keep them happy; which is never a good thing when they are supposed to remove chemicals from the water.

 

[mr_X]

ok..here's what i have so far. seems to be working well. i was alittle concerned about the 350 gph pump being too weak, but it's just what i needed. i will be adding various other macros in the next few days, but:

 

[mr_X]

oh..almost forgot...after i read the miracle mud thread, i decided to add 10 pounds of LS as well....just incase.

 

[cindre2000]

Do you have a protein skimmer?

 

[mr_X]

nope. not yet. there's nothing really in my tank yet. i'll be getting one soon.

skimmer will go in intake compartment of fuge i am thinking.

 

[MiniPigg]

Mine is a display refuge. I have a 20L as my main nanoreef and using a 10aga as the display refuge. They sit side by side and I pump water from the main display over to the nano and then it spills back into the main tank. In my refuge I have these items for now:

1) Red Sea Berlin Airlift Skimmer
2) 1" of substrate
3) 3lbs of LR
4) 50W heater
5) Baseball sized Cheato and a small golfball size Cheato
6) Caulerpa racemosa
7) Caulerpa mexicana
8) Caulerpa serrulata
9) A number of small pineapple sponges
10) 3 blue legged hermits
11) A few snails

I will be adding some more plants to the refuge. There are a ton of copepods, isopods, amphipods, cumella's, etc growing in the refuge and in the main tank. I clean and harvest the refuge on a regular basis.

In the main display I placed one Shaving Brush because I like the way they look. I also placed one Mermaids Fan which has now become 7 Mermaid Fans. Some Botryocladia. I have just over 40lbs of LR and 20lbs of LS.

I also belive in a regular weekly water change in conjuction with my manual tank cleaning. My water chems are all good. I fully enjoy my nanoreefs. For me it has become a welcomed stress relief at the end of a hard day at work. So spending time with my nano's has become an important part of my life. I don't believe in being lazy and trying to have an unrealistic mindset that if I have the right kind of cleanup crew and plants my tanks will balance by themselves.

 

[mr_X]

i have 3 kinds of macros from what i can tell. i got them from 2 different stores. last night i was at a store for the first time, and i bought a bunch of assorted macroalgae, and after it was in the fuge for a while, i decided to have a closer look. i believe i have a Tube Anemone hitchhiker!
he's less than an inch tall right now, but seems healthy and accepted food. cool huh

 

[Anonymous]

Are we sure its not aptasia?