Refugium last chance?

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

I got a refugium question.

My 58 gallon tank i having a bad hair algae outbreak for the past 3-4 months that I cannot beat.

Phosphates are 0
Nitrates are 0
I use RO water

Anyway, maybe adding a refugium will help. If not the tank will be gone soon. Corals are getting smothered.

I have a eclipse 6 sitting around.

If I out some bulk heads in it I might be able to fit it under the stand with the existing sump.

Will that be enough to make a difference?

Will the standard 9 or 13 Watt light be enough for the refugium?

[Toadfish]

A 6g probably wouldn't do a whole lot for ya. By the time you put in a sandbed, filter media and caulerpa, there wouldn't be much room for water. I would reccomend a 20L as the fuge. A refuge will make a huge difference if setup properly. A couple of 13w PC lights should suffice for illumination.

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Problem is I have only a 20G H under the stand (biggest that can fit) and that takes up alot of room.

[Toadfish]

If the 20h is already there why not use it? What are the dimensions of a 58g?

[Prismaco]

How about a Hang on ?? Or you may haveto put it on the side of the tank..Thats what I am going to do with mine since my 10g sump take the whole cabinet up.


-Paul

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

36x18x21

The 20GH has a skimmer, skimmer pump and return pump in it already

Tank is tight to the wall. So a hang on probably wont work.

I dont have alot of power left to run the skimmer and alot of refuge lights.

[yardboy]

I was a bit surprised, since I had my refugium hooked to my main tank and sump, that it wouldn't have to cycle like a "normal" tank. Return out of sump and overflow into main tank. Main was stable, hadn't ever had any severe algae problems, small cyano- at cycling, cleared up on its own. But when I put in refugium, cyano got quite bad in fuge, and now I'm seeing some hair algae in a few spots (though I noticed the tang finally taking an interest this evening.) Problem spots in main are right where refugium pours into it, so I figure that's the cause. Long and short of it is don't think refugium will immediately eliminate algae problems.
This evening I finally staked down the spaghetti algae since it had cyano on it so bad it was floating from trapped air and threatening my overflow. I'm sure everything will calm down eventually, but I do wonder how it happened. I use RO/DI with non-detect on nitrates, phosphates and only 5ppb silica.