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This tank will have to go next to my tank in my living room so it has to be somewhat not an eye sore either.
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china economy
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china economy
I haven't read this thread closely so I apologize if any of this is repetitive. Sounds like you've got good flow and plenty of clean-up critters that would normally eat hair algae.
Have you tried throwing a bag of Phosban in a high flow area of your sump? That might turn the tide quicker (although if you haven't eliminated the source of phosphate it would just be a bandaid).
Also, have you thought about taking half of the rock out and letting it sit in a separate, covered container with a heater and powerhead - no light. This would give the rock a chance to purge itself. I would think about a month should do it. Then, you could switch out the clean rock with the stuff in the tank and repeat the process with the remaining rock.
Have you tried throwing a bag of Phosban in a high flow area of your sump? That might turn the tide quicker (although if you haven't eliminated the source of phosphate it would just be a bandaid).
Also, have you thought about taking half of the rock out and letting it sit in a separate, covered container with a heater and powerhead - no light. This would give the rock a chance to purge itself. I would think about a month should do it. Then, you could switch out the clean rock with the stuff in the tank and repeat the process with the remaining rock.
I thought about that Chris.
Wouldn't that leave the tank with not enough bio-filtration?
I have read that you can put them in a dark tub but performing water chanegs adn adding a skimmer to the tub. I do not have a spare skimmer.
I have phosban in a filtersock in the sump but its only making the LPS corals not open up and stay retracted all day.
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Mercedes 35 hp
Wouldn't that leave the tank with not enough bio-filtration?
I have read that you can put them in a dark tub but performing water chanegs adn adding a skimmer to the tub. I do not have a spare skimmer.
I have phosban in a filtersock in the sump but its only making the LPS corals not open up and stay retracted all day.
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Mercedes 35 hp
Nah, I wouldn't worry about having enough rock in the system. IMO the amount of rock required to provide enough biofiltration is generally overstated in the hobby.
Also, I think you could just leave the rocks in the covered tub with no skimmer, filtration, etc. I don't really see why you'd need it. I'd probably blow all the dead/dying crud off the rocks about once a week, let it settle, and then syphon it out (might as well do a water change too) but I'm not sure you'd really even have to do that. I think you could just leave the rock sitting in the dark for a month, blow it off, and put it back in the tank.
Also, I think you could just leave the rocks in the covered tub with no skimmer, filtration, etc. I don't really see why you'd need it. I'd probably blow all the dead/dying crud off the rocks about once a week, let it settle, and then syphon it out (might as well do a water change too) but I'm not sure you'd really even have to do that. I think you could just leave the rock sitting in the dark for a month, blow it off, and put it back in the tank.
You can setup a refugium for a lot less than that. 
18 gal Sterlite tub: $4 @ Walmart
Lights of America PC: $25 @ Walmart
Bulkheads: $8-$9 @ Marine Depot, etc
You don't *need* sand in the refugium or rock for that matter. There's some things I missed I'm sure but that gets you 90% there.
Check w/ your local reefkeepers for macroalgae. Many just harvest it and pitch it in the back yard compost pile...
Shane
18 gal Sterlite tub: $4 @ Walmart
Lights of America PC: $25 @ Walmart
Bulkheads: $8-$9 @ Marine Depot, etc
You don't *need* sand in the refugium or rock for that matter. There's some things I missed I'm sure but that gets you 90% there.
Check w/ your local reefkeepers for macroalgae. Many just harvest it and pitch it in the back yard compost pile...
Shane
Shane,
You might have missed this on one of my posts from page 3.
I tried to make a refugium out of a 10 gallon green rubbermaid with a 65 LOA light about a year ago. I didn't like the heat factor of that light on the rubbermaid do I ditched the idea. The black constuction paper on the tank would work but will need to get a real refugium and light.
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British Forum
You might have missed this on one of my posts from page 3.
I tried to make a refugium out of a 10 gallon green rubbermaid with a 65 LOA light about a year ago. I didn't like the heat factor of that light on the rubbermaid do I ditched the idea. The black constuction paper on the tank would work but will need to get a real refugium and light.
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British Forum
after skimming this (and therefore missing a lot), my very strong input is for you to get plant life you desire going. Sure in a refugium, but the key is the plant life. After all an in tank refugium would only cost $10 for some egg crate light diffusers from home depot or lowes. Macros you could probably get free from other hobbiests.
once the macros (or marine plants) are handling the nutrients, the uglies will be gone for good.
once the macros (or marine plants) are handling the nutrients, the uglies will be gone for good.
Well when I got home tonight I really looked at the tank area. There is no real area to put a refugium. That means the refugium idea is probably out.
There is no room in the sump for it either. If I got a custom sump made the refugium area would only be about 5 inches by 12. Probably not enough to make a difference.
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history of economic recession
There is no room in the sump for it either. If I got a custom sump made the refugium area would only be about 5 inches by 12. Probably not enough to make a difference.
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history of economic recession
Hi Rob,
I read this whole post and think the advice everyone is giving you is right on.
I understand the situation of it looking bad in your living room but there is a saying for that. DRASTIC TIMES CALL FOR DRASTIC MEASURES.
I think an aquarium full of hair algae looks a whole lot worse than a make-shiff refugium in the living room for a few months.
If you still don't want to put it in your living room: How far away is the nearest closet or bedroom? A long hose will also work.
Good luck,
Brian
I read this whole post and think the advice everyone is giving you is right on.
I understand the situation of it looking bad in your living room but there is a saying for that. DRASTIC TIMES CALL FOR DRASTIC MEASURES.
I think an aquarium full of hair algae looks a whole lot worse than a make-shiff refugium in the living room for a few months.
If you still don't want to put it in your living room: How far away is the nearest closet or bedroom? A long hose will also work.
Good luck,
Brian
I appreciate all the help and advice people have offered me. Just tryign to do what I can.
Nothing is near where the tank is.
The problem is I dont want to light in the living room all night long. A tank with black paper on it with light still coming out of the top will look horrible in the living room. The refugium would have to go on a reverse light cycle due to the fact that there is not enough electricity available to run it during the day with the tank lighs on.
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Asthma Forum
Nothing is near where the tank is.
The problem is I dont want to light in the living room all night long. A tank with black paper on it with light still coming out of the top will look horrible in the living room. The refugium would have to go on a reverse light cycle due to the fact that there is not enough electricity available to run it during the day with the tank lighs on.
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Asthma Forum
Rob,
A fluorscent bulb doesn't get that hot to set something on top of it. Just not directly touching it. Use some wood to build a frame over it and then cover it with the paper or cloth or whatever. If you build the frame strong enough, set a plant on top of it. No one will even notice that the plant stand is the refugium.
BTW, you don't need that much lighting/wattage for macroalgae anyway.
Good luck,
Brian
A fluorscent bulb doesn't get that hot to set something on top of it. Just not directly touching it. Use some wood to build a frame over it and then cover it with the paper or cloth or whatever. If you build the frame strong enough, set a plant on top of it. No one will even notice that the plant stand is the refugium.
BTW, you don't need that much lighting/wattage for macroalgae anyway.
Good luck,
Brian
Rob_Reef_Keeper":32iylg3s said:
I understand completely. You can get black eggcrate which will be basically unnoticable. a 2'x4' section was $14.00 on line. What I did was place my home depot white egg crate ($10) about 3" in front of the back glass. Then place the rocks in front of it. With chaeto and two 4' NO fixtures facing forward about 6"behind the back glass, the chaeto filled the area between the back glass and egg crate. And the egg crate is now darkened and blends in with the rest of the tank.
Any return lines, powerheads and the like are between the back glass and the egg crate. And covered by the chaeto.
The back lights follow the same period as the top lights so at night the tank is totally dark. Nitrates dropped to 0.0. A doubling of the bioload showed no ammonia, no nitrItes, and nitrAtes bumped up to 10ppm in a couple of days then over two weeks returned to 0.0. The nightly ph drop (to about 7.5 or so) does not affect any of the live stock. Additionally, by circulating the tank water through a diy filter box with a calcium source (crushed oyster shells) I maintain calcium at 400-450 ppm. Daytime ph is 8.4.
All with no water changes and no additives of anykind.
>>by circulating the tank water through a diy filter
>>box with a calcium source (crushed oyster
>>shells) I maintain calcium at 400-450 ppm
I don't understand how that's possible. Even with such a ghastly drop in PH at night, I don't see how calcium can be maintained at that level without some kind of additive,,, especially as you say you never do water changes. How are you testing the Ca level?
Maybe I'm missing something, but a full 1-point swing in PH daily doesn't sound good.
>>box with a calcium source (crushed oyster
>>shells) I maintain calcium at 400-450 ppm
I don't understand how that's possible. Even with such a ghastly drop in PH at night, I don't see how calcium can be maintained at that level without some kind of additive,,, especially as you say you never do water changes. How are you testing the Ca level?
Maybe I'm missing something, but a full 1-point swing in PH daily doesn't sound good.
Juck":98ccgp11 said:
Don't worry I get this all the time. It is fully understandable in the world of DSBs and reverse photo periods.
I test the calcium with the seachum test kit. The reference tests right at 400ppm. Calcium rose from 250-300 (red sea -+50ppm test kit) to 400 over a 6 week period after I added the crushed oyster shells. Calcium has stayed at 400 for ~5 months now. Most recent test last week was 435-445 (two tests) and the reference was right at 400ppm.
the filter box with the crushed oyster shells is in an external refugium/sump powered by a mag5 pump pumping about a 4-5' elevation.
I am also not sure of the precise ph drop as I am using the aquarium pharm**** test kit.
Another tank for macro algae culture using the same tap water, same evaporation rate and same play sand has remained at 250-300ppm.
What I think is happening is that the oyster shells, in an aerobic environment and with the water flowing through them, have setup a system where the steady state condition is 400-450ppm calcium. And the system just takes the calcium it needs to reach that state.
The system is also maintained by macros mainly chaeto. There is a 2'x2'x3" section of the main tank full of chaeto. Tank is a 55g.
Your idea sdounds good but in my small 58 gallon tank it would take up allot of room.
Would a 5 gallon refugium tank do anything? Possibly an eclipse 6 with its built in light.
* Six-Gallon Aquarium,
* 2" Fluorescent Lamp (12" T5-8Watt lamp)
Thats about the size I can squeeze on top of my sump. Doing this totatly eliminates me doing anywork in the sump/stand though.
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Would a 5 gallon refugium tank do anything? Possibly an eclipse 6 with its built in light.
* Six-Gallon Aquarium,
* 2" Fluorescent Lamp (12" T5-8Watt lamp)
Thats about the size I can squeeze on top of my sump. Doing this totatly eliminates me doing anywork in the sump/stand though.
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obama stimulus package
just a(nother) thought. Have you thought of a mangrove forest? refugiums do not have to be some ugly thing we try to hide. A mangrove forest could easily be mistaken for household plants from a distance. Just that inside the pot is a tub with water and a couple of water tubes comming to it. If you could find a window with sunlight to set it near you wouldn't even need extra lighting. Just a thought.
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