refugium help please

im_a_tidyman

im_a_tidyman

AC Members
Mar 15, 2007
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London UK
tonight im going to order one of those HO refugiums from ebay.

1. do i leave the light over it on for 24 hours? or opposite to the DT lights?
2. do i need a DSB or can i get a bit of LS from the LFS, would this "miracle mud" be better?
3. Is chaeto is better than calphura (however u spell it!!)
4. If i use the return from my fluval 205 for the intake, will this be too much for it to handle and my "life" in there just flow into the DT.
5. Why do you put snails/ crabs/ shrimp in there? Will these not eat the copepods or other life and algaes?

i know these have probably been asked a thousand times, but im not finding no specifics.

Also i know these HO refugiums are not great (especially for the price!! (just a peice of perspect) but im going on the lines of "a small one is better than not having one at all:
 
1. Doesn't really matter. At least on alternating schedules, but 24 wouldn't hurt anything. How do those not spill light into the tank at night though?

2. I think it would be hard to get a DSB that would do enough on that small of a setup. I would not use any sand, just lots of little pieces of rock for the bottom.

3. Each have their pros and cons.. I like calupra becuse it grows so fast. But it does go sexual and can cause problems if you don't trim it regularly.

4. I think that may be too much flow, unless you can restrict it, just have to try it out and see.

5. I just have a few small snails for cleaning, no crabs or shrimp in my fuge, other than lots of tiny copepods.
 
How exactly do you trim calupra? Cut off the 'leaves' or chop it up?
 
I assume you are talking about a hang on fuge. When your macro starts growing just cut it back so its not packed in. The best way to keep caulerpa from going sexual is to keep it lit 24/7 IMO. If you see calurpa turning white then you need to trim it off because that meens it is going sexual at least from what I have been told. This is the caulerpa that I am useing mostly with a little grape caulerpa because I was told it was the least likely to go sexual

http://www.saltcorner.com/sections/guest/algaepage/Green/caulerpa/Cserrulata.htm
 
im going to use chaeto i thought that was best...with some live sand. do i need a starter culture?
 
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