refugium contents

[Jarrett]

when i acquired my 75 gallon tank from my friend he also gave me his 20 gallons sump with refugium. i put it under the tank and now about 3 months later the algae that was originally growing in it is growing back nicely. i haven't touched it or disturbed it in anyway and don't really plan to but the glass is covered in algae and i am not sure do i put snails and hermit crabs in their? or do i just leave it be. i have a lot of snails in my DT that i can transfer down their but just wasn't sure if i was suppose to have that kind of stuff in their. thanks for the help.

 

[Imbarrie]

What kind of algae is on the glass?
If it is nuisance algae then scrape it off and siphon it out. Probably best to shut off all flow.
The planned macro will outcompete the nuisance it just takes a little while.

 

[Jarrett]

should i just throw a ball of chaeto in their? and what about the hermit crabs and snails should i put those in. their is no sand bed.

 

[Imbarrie]

They may eat the beneficial algae.
Cheato is great to have calerpa also.

 

[Jarrett]

do you put any snails in your refugium imbarrie?

 

[Imbarrie]

No but there are a lot of hitchikers in cheato so you could end up with some.
You are trying to grow macro that may get eaten by snails so most stay away from that.
I do have some stromatellas in there but they are not affecting macro growth.

 

[Jarrett]

yea thats what i figured. but i see so many people having fish and snails and all sorts of stuff in thier refugium. seems like they are just going for the aesthetic purpose and not the real purpose of a refugium maybe. ill just leave it alone and let whats growing growing. theirs like 5 differant types of stuff growing i guess just let it be and see which algae wins lol.

 

[Imbarrie]

How is that stuff I gave you growing?

 

[Jarrett]

didnt grow in my DT or my refugium it ended up losing all of its red color. i think the stuff that is growing now out competed it.