Refugium question

[polarbear]

So I want to know if I should suck the debris out of my refugium. I have a build up in the first chamber where the skimmer sets. I use a mesh filter sock to catch the big stuff but some still gets through. When I add top off water it stirs up the debris. Also I have some red looking bubble algae growing on the baffle coming from the first chamber to the second. Ive heard that some people don't mess with their refugiums but I want to know opinions of others. Thanks.

[Sherita]

I usually clean out the built up "stuff" every few weeks. Otherwise you get a build up of nitrates and phosphates from that grunge. I don't normally fool with algae in my sump, since it's exporting things I don't want in my tank. Algae isnt' allowed in my display, but it can do whatever it wants in the sump as far as I am concerned.

[polarbear]

What do you do about the build up stuff thats in the middle chamber with the live rock, sand and cheato? Do I take the cheato out and rinse with clean saltwater? Also to I suck stuff off the sand in there or do I leave that chamber alone?

[CoryDude]

I stir up my detritus every few weeks which clouds up the main tank for about 30 minutes. The corals seem to like it and the LPS throw out their sweepers to catch the particulate food. Just make sure you turn off your skimmer since it will go crazy trying to skim out the crud.

I've also got the slimy red bubble algae too. It collectes near the baffles but hasn't seemed to spread much past the sump.

Personally, I try not to mess with the sump too much other than the afore mentioned food cloud created ever few weeks.

[Sherita]

I usually just siphon out any crud that has settled. I don't rinse my chaeto, I shake it in the sump and let the pump send the particles to the main tank. Basically the same thing Cory is doing, only I'm not stirring up the main tank, but rather the sump. My corals go nuts too, LPS will puff up huge and send out monster sweepers, chalice have their sweepers out, and my filter feeding cukes go bonkers for it. I normally shake it out at night, since that's when my corals are really ready to pig out.

Like Cory said, but sure to shut the skimmer down when you do this. Mine goes absolutely insane if I forget.

[Mr Cob]

or.....syphon detritus out and the best way to export the bad stuff is to harvest your macro algae...just pull a little out from time to time and offer it up to other members looking to start some macro off or put in a dry plastic bag and trash it properly.

[allan]

I have a monster size hermit in there and a few snails. They don't take care of everything but I like to think of them as my sump CUC.

I do the shake out, main tank coral frenzy thing as well although I've not done it at any particular time. Just when ever I check the algae to determine whether it's time to export or I'm looking for a rock or something.

[polarbear]

Thanks for the advice from everyone. I was just worried when I saw the stuff heading for the return pump. I just finished battleing a huge hair algae problem and really dont want to go through it again. I wasnt sure if letting that stuff into the main tank would hurt. Also I have harvest my cheato about a month ago becuase it was going wild. I dont think I need to do it again but ill look closer when I get home.

I have a lot of build up in my refugium so I think at my next water change ill suck up as much as I can and will start doing the shake out once a week after that.

[allan]

Another aspect of the shakeout is that your pod pop in the sump is part of that cloudy mess to your main tank.

Goodness abounds.

[polarbear]

So do you think it would cause phosphates to rise in my tank? Im so scared to try this becuase of the hair algae battle that I have been fighting for so long. Which is over now thank god but something I do not want back.

[Sherita]

I wouldn't expect so, since technically the stuff is already in your tank (since the sump and tank are connected).

[polarbear]

Thats true. I just didnt know if mixing it up was bad.