Today’s Refugium Techniques: 10 Questions to Guarantee a Controllable, Clean, High Performance Fuge

Is it really worth tumbling the chaeto in your refugium? Are purple grow lights over your reef tank's fuge better or just more EFFICIENT? Today, join Ryan and Randy as they answer all of the refugium questions that you didn't know to ask.
#BRStv
00:00 Open
00:11 Introduction
00:19 Are Purple Grow Lights Better?
00:58 Is There Any Benefit To Full Spectrum Lights?
02:18 Is Spinning Chaeto Worth It?
03:47 Can You Stop Chaeto From Becoming A Detritus Trap?
05:24 What’s The Best Real Time Measurement Of Refugium Performance?
06:38 What’s The Best Way To Track The pH Effect?
07:51 Is A Scrubber As Good As A Refugium?
08:43 Is The Fuge Sucking Up Trace Elements A Legit Issue?
10:32 How Many Pests Can I Get From Adding Dirty Chaeto?
11:42 Should I Turn On My Refugium Day 1?
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[@g.k.1669]

I have been using a refugium for 15 years that is set up in a 29 gallon tank below my 90. The only light I have been using is curly florescent screw in lamp, nothing special and it is just fine. You mention grabbing a bristle worm and I have done that more times than I can remember, but here is a great way to remove the bristles: Don't touch the affected area, just let it air dry or use a hair dryer if you are in a hurry to dry the skin. Then light a candle that has a hard wax (birthday candles work best) and drip the wax on the area that the bristles are in and allow it to cool and harden. Just peel off the wax and the bristles will be removed with the wax.

[@marcustharonjim814]

I have a 45 gal with 15gal sump so very little room. I used a reactor with leds wrapped around it and had worked great

[@madshepsreef282]

I’m spinning Chaeto and the way to do it is, if you have a manifold tee from the manifold with a pipe into a ball valve to control the flow and run the pipe to the bottom of refuge with a 90degree elbow facing the Chaeto with a duck bill and there you go spinning Chaeto and a clean refuge bottom. Cost a few pound/dollar

[@TheChemisch]

Thank you, I'm planning re-doing some of my plumbing. This look like it'll get the job done? Then secure it down to the bottom of the tank with a suction cup zip tie thing from amazon. 3” Flare Nozzle for 3/4” Modular Hose - Loc-Line Elbow Fitting for 3/4” Modular Hose - Loc-Line Female NPT Ball Valve for 3/4” Modular Hose - Loc-Line 3/4” Schedule 80 Straight Barb x Male Thread

[@madshepsreef282]

@@TheChemisch it’s easy and can be cheap to do.

[@jdamommio]

Inexpensive powerhead + store-bought or DIY spray-bar = spinning chaetomorpha on a budget. You're welcome ;)

[@alexisnphan9675]

Uh-huhUh-huhbon

[@modotd3885]

$200 bucks for a gyre. For chaeto. C'mon guys.

[@RIC2102]

If you have a manifold, just plug in some pvc and drill some holes on it, you're welcome.

[@bubblebaath7840]

But when you own an online store, tell everyone you need a $300 power head bc more profit

[@tleekauai]

Good review! I still use Ecosystem Miracle Mud, which must help with trace element replenishment.

[@winstonclyde]

In order to start a refugium, i now need a freshwater kessil or prime ($250-450). A gyre pump ($100-300) An apex to monitor ph ($500-3,000) A dosing pump to dose Chaetogrow ($50-500). Anything else may need BRS? Maybe some complimentary lube or reward points?

[@SuperFischboy]

can you do a showcase on the mangrove tank in the background ?

[@squidarcherb9707]

I would say using dirty chaeto from a trusted system is good as it helps add lots of beneficial biodiversity.

[@Mark-hb2zy]

I think getting the right strain of chaeto for your lighting is quite important, I find the thick strains hate high par and grow in on themselves and even melt under strong light.

[@Whosever]

That's true ... I put a way too powerful light in the refugium and even give the time to acclimate but it end it end up melting the thick one ... while the slim one I just throw it in and it grows like weed XD

[@Merknilash]

I think you're onto something - the thick kind of Chaeto I got from Algae Barn is finnicky and doesn't like to grow Probably because it helps Algaebarn sell more. I got another kind from another reef website, and it explodes.

[@deborahcollis9814]

This is a very good video

[@brandonschlund8089]

I know this is an older video but how about one setting up a remote or display fuge? Just a thought.

[@karennation3580]

I knew there had to be a catch and thats it sucking out trace elements! I was just switching to AFR for the essential elements, now what? is dosing cheato grow the same thing as dosing essential elements? If it is then I could just dose that to tank couldn't I? My main goal is ph uping. My nirtaes are 15 but people on reef2reef said thats fine but I have very slow coral growth so my plan was dose ALF, up ph and dose red seas ab plus!

[@camerongarcia3128]

Does the Cheatomorpha; has to be continually in the water, or can it be exposed to the air, but with a sprayer kept contantly wet; like a wet grass

[@modotd3885]

BRS. What's your view on macroalgae in the display. Effective? Definitely colourful and natural.

[@BRStv]

It'll largely come down to how big of a mass of algae you have vs the water volume as to whether or not it'll help with nitrates and phosphates. That said, there are some really stunning macro algae out there that makes for a unique and beautiful addition to the display tank, regardless of how well it reduces nutrients.

[@modotd3885]

@@BRStv Sounds like it would be a great addition. If it does something it'll only go towards the solution.

[@jonathanrichards5024]

If I have a lot of detritus in my refugium (or wherever) but my my phosphates and nitrates are near zero, why do I care about removing it? So many people see an ugly mess somewhere and they need to remove it, but I just don't really see the point if everything in the tank is going well- it's just a destabilization event

[@reefaddict5314]

@BRS do you have a view on if there a difference in trimming/ cutting the chaeto when you harvest vs just pulling strands out? Does it cause any difference to growth?

[@BRStv]

Great question. We haven't done any sort of BRStv Investigates test on that, but it's an interesting thought!

[@JohnSmith-zp5oo]

Hey ChaetoSabe, is this Chaeto the only plant you can use in the Refugium ?

[@wendysthomas1]

There is no spare space in my sump! Can I add on a tank and refuge? So set up a 10ft gal nest to sump w a small pump to circulate in and out of sump????

[@BRStv]

You can definitely do that. Just have a couple holes drilled in the remote refugium so that the water can gravity feed back into your sump. We recommend also drilling an emergency drain, just in case your macro algae clogs the primary.

[@jules2545]

Is there anything I could apply to my glass refugium that can block out surplus light, so I dont get algae growth in places I dont want algae to grow?

[@Sammy31Dee]

Make a bucket refugium....then you can physically remove this chamber for cleaning....if your sump is large enough to handle it...

[@redneckgearheadgarage495]

When did bristle worms become a bad thing?

[@lowellbentley]

Chaeto spinning products are out there.

[@mmagscott]

What are they? I use a cheap jeabo pump, but it get clogged with cheato all the time.

[@lowellbentley]

@@mmagscott Here it is Mike. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnnEnJ6Hlq2sidE

[@lowellbentley]

@@mmagscott Here is the same, but with a demo

[@mmagscott]

@@lowellbentley thank you, I’ll have to look into these.

[@colinkiester5410]

0:29 what light is that?

[@marcosherrera675]

Can I use my old prime 16hd to light my 10 gallon cheato fuge. I had a separate acrylic 10 gallon tank made that I want to plumb into my main sump.

[@BRStv]

The reef version's spectrum isn't ideal for macro growth, but will certainly work to grow chaeto.

[@LAMMROD_]

Could you replace a slimmer with a refugium? Setting up a new tank and planning on buying a Red Sea 170 G2 or the AF ocean guard 275. I like the idea of organic solutions to filtration. Is it possible?

[@odoylerulez1427]

Yes, I'm currently running a mixed reef 55 gallon with 2 HOB filters. I plan on making one of my HOB a mini refugium, though.

[@OCReventsAndbuilds]

🤙

[@dancoulter2377]

Didn’t the Death Star explode

[@dancoulter2377]

Love y’all’s videos. Thank you so much for such a wide range of great information.

[@felixlufkin7636]

please compost the algae

[@JohntheHalloweenguy]

Scrubber instead of cheato for frag tanks good. ?

[@BRStv]

Scrubbers definitely work well! Especially in cases where you're short on space.

[@xanderjones2747]

Question: if I want to cultivate pods in my refugium, but my skimmer is plumbed after the fuge, will the skimmer remove all my pods where none will make it to the display tank?

[@BRStv]

Pods reproduce quite quickly, so while your skimmer may remove/kill some of them, I wouldn't let this stop you from starting a refugium.

[@xanderjones2747]

@@BRStv Thanks, was worried none would make it past the skimmer, but didn't know how to alternatively plumb my build.

[@fishpony1211]

So can u still use vibrant biweekly while trying to grow chaeto?

[@BRStv]

Vibrant won't differentiate between good and bad algae, so it's wise to remove your macro algae from your sump while you're dosing Vibrant.

[@tashfiqmannan]

Thinking of setting up an oversized fuge to raise ph - or will that strip trace?

[@BRStv]

Macro algae does consume some trace elements, so in your case, it would be smart to dose something like Chaeto Gro from Brightwell to help add them back into the system.

[@falcolf]

Suggestion: instead of throwing the chaeto in your garbage, throw it in your compost and grow some food from it!

[@flammableelmo4966]

Bucket refugium inside your sump....enough said

[@sayyidhashim4544]

Do that algae need co2 injection for photosynthesis

[@BRStv]

Not at all. Actually, in a saltwater system, it's common to have too much CO2 (low pH), so macro algae usually does fantastic in this environment with just some flow and light

[@donabjbs7597]

How long a light on for best way?

[@BRStv]

For a refugium, we usually suggest to keep the light on opposite of the display tank's lighting schedule.

[@wetwaterfish]

If you run UV 24/7, won't that cancel the whole PH thing with the light in the refugium?

[@BRStv]

Are you referring to a UV spectrum on your lights, or a UV sterilizer? I'm not sure I completely understand the question.

[@wetwaterfish]

@@BRStv Hi, the UV sterilizer, wont that light have an effect on ph aswell?

[@jdamommio]

@@wetwaterfish No it will not. Lights affect pH by inducing photosynthesis in organisms in the display or refugium, which take up CO2, affecting pH. The UV sterilizer is not used for photosynthesis, and thus will not influence the tank's pH. Hope that helped.

[@travisfrrll1]

Bullshit, I have my chaeto spinning with the small sicce wave maker from petco. Light is a full spectrum fluval light for a 13 gallon tank. All in all I have $15 into my refugium chamber.

[@andreweftink2303]

Had nuisance algea show up after using clean cheato, pods, and phyto in a coral free tank with dry rock and sand

[@jdamommio]

That's perfectly normal. Algae spores are single cellular, and can easily come in with any of those. When they say "clean cheato" they mean not having any multicellular pest organisms, not free of any microscopic algae spores. You really can't prevent those from entering your aquarium any more than you could prevent beneficial bacteria from growing in your tank. It's only us hobbyists who label it "nuisance algae", to nature it's just algae, and supposed to be there.

[@mvku3218]

how can i clean wild chaoto?

[@BRStv]

We've done some experimenting with freshwater dipping and it seems to work well!

[@mvku3218]

@@BRStv thx how long do i dip it for?

[@andibandi1190]

One should keep in mind that red algae do not absorb red light, and that green algae do not absorb green light. A white light lamp will work with most types of algae🤡

[@jeremy87turbo87]

The green spectrum is the only truly not so good almost worthless light spectrum. I am a grower and that is the color light. We use to go in our budding room when we're budding. Because the plants don't see it, and it doesn't mess up the cycle.