Refugium or Power Filter

[JoeJawz]

I have a 75 gallon LPS and soft coral reef tank with a Remora Pro protien skimmer, emperor 400 power filter and UV. I do a 10 gallon water change every week- every other week I had nitrate problems and now it is down to 5-10ppm because of a new hair algae problem. New I have 2 solutions:

1)Get a biopellet reactor and keep the power filter

2) Replace power filter with a hob refugium with mangroves and/ or microalgae.

I cant do both. Which would you do? Pics would be nice

 

[viplok]

option two will be the best


but for me i will get a better skimmer and remove the power filter and add biopellet.

 

[JoeJawz]

Now would mangroves outgrow the hob or could i prune the roots?

 

[Cu455]

You can put biopellets in your HOB filter. This works for me. If you go the fuge route will you have enough biological filtration? You can also set up a fuge in your filter. Why can't you do both?

Not really sure what you want pictures of but here is a picture of mangrove s on my HOB filter.

 

[JoeJawz]

Im on a budget. Would a power filter be big enough to hold a significant amount of mangroves?

 

[Cu455]

If you want mangroves just grow them in your tank. They won't take over or mess with your corals light for the most part. You can keep a bunch of mangroves in the filter if you start of with pods. Once they start to root you will have to move them. Cheato will be a better choice for nutrient export.

If I was you I will get the hang on back fuge over the biopellet reactor. I am not really sure how the fuges are set up but maybe you can add a deep sand bed to it.

 

[JoeJawz]

what kind of lighting would you recommend?

 

[Dan_P]

I have a 75 gallon LPS and soft coral reef tank with a Remora Pro protien skimmer, emperor 400 power filter and UV. I do a 10 gallon water change every week- every other week I had nitrate problems and now it is down to 5-10ppm because of a new hair algae problem. New I have 2 solutions:

1)Get a biopellet reactor and keep the power filter

2) Replace power filter with a hob refugium with mangroves and/ or microalgae.

I cant do both. Which would you do? Pics would be nice

I assume when you say you have nitrate problems that you mean you have an algal bloom and that you assume lowering nitrates will solve your problem. Don't forget that phosphate is also considered a algae stimulant.

What about adding an animal that eats algae? Do you have a clean up crew?

I ask about the clean up crew because I am having doubts about the wisdom that lowering nitrate and phosphate levels is a cure for nuissance growth. I have a saltwater aquarium with Long Island Sound fish, shrimp and crabs. My macro algae and pink and green hair algae started growing after my nitrates and phosphate levels went to zero (colorless Salifert test solutions) and I started using GAC. For me that is fine because where I collect, algae growth is normal.

The tank has about two inches of silica sand and granite rocks. So, I doubt this material is capable of accumulating and then leaching nutrients to feed the algae, the usual explanation for nuissance algae growth for systems with low nitrate and phosphate levels. I cannot offer a plausible explanation for this counter intuitive situation.

Do you really need another piece of equipment or refugium or do you need something to eat the algae?

 

[Cu455]

Cleaning

 

[JoeJawz]

What about cleaning?

 

[JoeJawz]

I just ordered a 75 gallon quick clean up crew from Reef Cleaners along with 5 mangroves that i will put in the power filter under the T3 desk lamp.