What kind of algae is in a refugium?
When it comes to algae, I recommend Chaeto or Chaetomorpha. This is the standard algae for refugiums, which is for a reason; it is easy to care for, grows fast, and is very effective. You can choose a different kind, but for a beginner, Chaeto is the way to go.
Can fish live in refugium?
Fish, snails, shrimp, corals, crabs, corals, and copepods can all be put in the refugium. Though all of these animals can live in the refugium doing so could impact the goals you may have for your refugium.
Does a refugium reduce nitrates?
One of my favorite methods of nitrate reduction is a refugium. Macro algae (typically chaetomorpha or caulerpa) growing in the refugium consumes ammonia, nitrates and phosphates as it grows. This naturally reduces your nitrates and phosphates.
Does Chaeto eat ammonia?
No it does not absorb ammonia. Bacteria breaks down ammonia into nitrite and other bacteria break nitrite down into nitrate. Nitrate is then a source of nutrients for algae and other things.
How fast does Chaeto remove nitrates?
As far as how much nitrate and phosphate drops, it’s hard to say. Without knowing what’s being put in. If you’re adding food and its increasing nitrate by 2ppm a day and your chaeto is able to remove 2.5 to 3ppm per day it’s going to take a while to notice a difference.
Does Chaeto increase pH?
Keeping Chaeto in an algae reactor such as a Pax Bellum ARID is a great way to control nutrients and increase water clarity in a reef tank. It also balances pH by taking up excess CO2 and increases dissolved oxygen. To take advantage of these benefits it is very important to keep Chaeto alive and well.
Will activated carbon remove phosphate?
Phosphate removal by granular activated carbon. Several studies have reported the phosphate removal by iron and lanthanum modified granular activated carbon (GAC).
Does protein skimmer remove nitrate or phosphate?
The answer is a definitive no! Protein skimmers do nothing to remove nitrate within the water.