[scotty]

Hey all,

Just finished putting up my 100 g reef and all went well. Thanks to many of you here. (Especially Lise at Underwater Creations for helping with my pump dilemma). Anyway, the way my tank is set up now, the water enters a water flow box, down to a wet dry filter with bioballs, to a skimmer (only used very occasionally), to a refugium, back up to the main tank.

Here's my thought. Given that my tank is so bacteria-laden with my LR and LS, not to mention the stocked refugium (and also not to mention the lameness of bioballs compared to LR), I am thinking of pulling out the bioballs completely.

But once they are gone I feel I have this wasted opportunity/space to do something. So... Could I possibly keep my refugium an unlighted LR/Deep sand bed refugium and possibly use (with minimal modifications) the wet dry filter box for a floating species of caulerpa? Or could I put LR in there (or would the flow make such an option ineffectual?).

Thanks in advance for helping me think it through.

 

[wanareef]

Get rid of the bio balls- just a nitrate factory. Use your skimmer 24/7

No, your LR and LS is great for "filtration" and that's what you want. The skimmer will take out all the " nasties" and most run it 24/7 (I do). Put your fuge on a RPP and drip alk at night to keep ph up.

hth

 

[thefatman]

agreed.

some people also put in a few small pieces of lr where the bi balls were, but i'm not sure that this is necessary.

now ..... ahem..... let's see some pics

 

[squid]

I wouldn't remove ALL the bio balls at once. Yes, take them out, but do it like 1/3 to 1/4 at a time. Yes, it's a little time consuming, but you will be better off doing it this way rather than all at once.

Lets see what others say.

 

[scotty]

Okay, see, I was planning to remove the bioballs. I was basically trying to see if I could put caulerpa in there and if anyone else has tried. Mainly, I want to do this because with my DSB I don't have too much room left in my refugium. Also, it is my goal with my refugium not to run the skimmer 24/7; it would somewhat defeat the refugium's purpose...

 

[Ray1214]

I have been removing my bio balls about 10 at a time on a every other week baisis. I have been replacing the balls in my tower (Wet/dry) with a batch of homemade live rock as I remove the bioballs. (Mainly cause the homemade stuff is ugly as sin but in a sump, who cares.)

Ray

 

[squid]

OOPs sorry I mis read...

as for putting caulerpa in your sump...hummm this could cause a problem.

the caulerpa could clog things up...if it gets in your pump, or if it goes thru your pump, then it could clog up your lines going to the refugium. I don't know of any that has put caulerpa in their sump without dividing the sump for the above mentions reason.

If you want ot divide your sump, you could do that, and divide it with egg creat...home depot 8.95 for an 8' x 4' sheet. You still run the risk but it is way less.

 

[Ray1214]

Justin (my kid) used one of those tank divider things reinforced with egg crate to seperate out his sump. I am receiving one of those amiracle things with the skimmer, and Justin is going to remove his divider on his refugium, use the amricle thing on his 20 gal refugium with a pump in the HOB wet/dry filter.

Ray