Refugium Question

[zanymaster]

Just started a small cpr with Lr and cheatomorpha and some red grape.How long before I see some water quality results?

[Wiskey]

When the algae aclamates to your system and starts to grow you will see results. This may take a week, it may take 4, but assuming it is provided with the light and space it needs it will happen.

Whiskey

[phiberop840]

can i ask what the water was like before this.

Mike

[Mako56]

Me too, What are you trying to fix?

[zanymaster]

Trying to get the nitrates down to zero if Possible.Need to get rid of most of my live sand.I'm skimming a cup a day.

[plack]

Did you try vacuming the sand if it is a shallow bed or getting nassarius snails to help :-) I have a sand bed and have for 18 months mostly sps very sucessfull and zero nitrates with a sump I had alot at first when I only had a hang on aqua remora but then when I went to a sump it dropped and stayed :-) hope that helps.

[zanymaster]

Doing the siphon thing in little stages and noticed little results.Got the remora too.Great skimmer.Got like 75 nassirius snails and some margaritas too.I need to do some serious siphoning to get a nice low level of sand and getthose darn nitrates to zero if possibleThen I can add SPS.

[Geoff]

not to sure a refugium will help this. what are your nitrate levels. if they are below 20 i would not worry about them. if you are planning on going SPS than you can get a clam and it will do a better job on your nitrates than the silly algae.

G~

[zanymaster]

A clam?really?I've never heard of them doing that except I do have fresh water clams in my little freshwater setup and the are known to do that.I do need to get rid of whatever is causing the nusiance algae and it's not the phosphates.I think it's the water I'm using from a DI unit.I'm waiting for a pump to boost my R/O unit.Weak pressure you know.

[Geoff]

why do you not think that it is phosphates. i would bet that it is. phosphates will not show up on test kits if there is anything in the water column that would uptake them. any algae would quickly uptake phosphates before you can test for them.

what are your nitrate levels.

G~

[zanymaster]

It's not phosphates because I'm running a phosreactor with rowaphos.The nitrates are hovering just above 20 which to me is too high.I'm in the process of ridding a few inches of sand to get it down to 1/2 or so and let the snails do their job.The skimmer is doing a cup a day.