question about FUGE..

[hammy]

hihi i am relatively new to the marine hobby , like 6 - 8 months ...

can someone tell mi whether is it necessary to harvest the algae as my FUGE has become forest and what is the rationale behind it ....

or just leave it as it is ??

please advice thanks a lot ....

hammy

[kschew1498]

Brother, check this out.......

Some advise from AT........http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=18141&st=30

[blueheaven]

you should harvest it so as to ensure that the algae does not go asexual and pollute the tank

[hammy]

humm... i think AT's advice is

thanks kschew1498 for pointing it out to mi .....

so FUGE is not gd ar ??

hammy

[blueheaven]

you cannot discriminate refugiums saying them "not good"

many people have spent long hours researchign on the dynamics of the fuge and many people have benefitted from it.

but it all depends on you to keep the fuge successful

if you think that you can just dump in some sand and throw in some algae and expect it to work wonders, then you are wrong

IMO a fuge is just like another tank and you will have to take good care of it like you do on your main tank

some stuff like iron supplementation can be achieved on accurate dosing and frequent pruning and 24hr lighting can prevent the macroalgae from going asexual and releasing toxins to your tank

as for DSB, you will have to read it up yourself as there are many different ways to set it up

here's a link to start http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm

so in conclusion, its up to your own preference to choose whether or not to set up a fuge

[hammy]

hee , actually i have a FUGE and i somewhat attribute my good water parameter to my FUGE ... just that i dun really understand why constant pruning and harvesting is a must ...

thanks bro blueheaven ofr ur detailed explaination ... learn a lot hee .... that's what SRC is for ...

is iron supplement really a neccessity and what is the use for it ??

thanks again !!!!!!!

[ervine]

My fuge has been with me for quite some time liao.. but so far only one hitchhiking species of macro algae has thrived in it... sea lettuce, usual big leafed calpura all slowly died off... leaving only this unkown macro algae...

But heck it still grows and I have to prune it once a week to clear space for it to grow.. so I'm not complaning...

As long as it's growing means it's doing what it's supposed to do...

[hammy]

humm...ever since i have my fuge , the algae has not die on mi ... growing into amazon forest liao

[blueheaven]

Iron supplementation is necessary to prevent your algae from crashing (dying suddenly) and pollute your tank. FYI, algae takes in iron as part of their nutrition.

And if I am not wrong, you cannot overdose iron as it is the catalyst for the Haber Process to make ammonia!!!

And frequent pruning will ensure that you take out the nutrients from the tank permanently and prevents your algae from maturing fast and going asexual

[iceman]

I was thinking of adding a fuge to my current sump.... btw what the pro n con of having a fuge..

[hammy]

wow , iron add too much will contribute to nh4 ?? haiz so ma fan ....okie will go deforestation now haha

[blueheaven]

I was thinking of adding a fuge to my current sump.... btw what the pro n con of having a fuge..

Basically these are the pros and cons

Pros:

- Reduce nitrates naturally

- Creates a breeding place for pods

- Increases the dversity of your tank

- Increases total water volume - Dilution is the solution to pollution

- Can take up many interesting forms (DSB, Algae scrubber, Cryptic, Hospital, Hair Algae(yes hair algae), mangrove, plenum and traditional)

- Can be used to keep seahorses (Pod population will be lower)

Cons:

- Algae may crash or go asexual

- Disaster brought upon beginners putting sand shifters in a DSB

- Inavailability of "recharge kits"

- Some are difficult to set up (eg. hair Algae)

- Run the risk of algae migrating to main tank

- Difficult for some to understand the dynamics

[hammy]

i have read through a few threads saying this ' recharge kit '

can someone explain what is it to mi and what is the purpose of it ... i did not start with it nor after a few month... thanks

[blueheaven]

The "recharge kits" are actually packs of the infauna you are likely to find in a DSB. These infauna are needed to gently shift the sand as they burrow and they are also needed to reduce the detritus build-up

So far, I have not seen any being sold in S'pore but in the US, they are really popular

[hammy]

sandshifter ?? humm... would a starfish help ??

for my FUGE , i noticed that there are lot of pods and worms everywhere .... humm, recharge kit still neccessary ??

wa , dunno where to find iron supplement , except pharmacy

thanks blueheaven for ur precious reply

[iceman]

Basically these are the pros and cons

Pros:

- Reduce nitrates naturally

- Creates a breeding place for pods

- Increases the dversity of your tank

- Increases total water volume - Dilution is the solution to pollution

- Can take up many interesting forms (DSB, Algae scrubber, Cryptic, Hospital, Hair Algae(yes hair algae), mangrove, plenum and traditional)

- Can be used to keep seahorses (Pod population will be lower)

Cons:

- Algae may crash or go asexual

- Disaster brought upon beginners putting sand shifters in a DSB

- Inavailability of "recharge kits"

- Some are difficult to set up (eg. hair Algae)

- Run the risk of algae migrating to main tank

- Difficult for some to understand the dynamics

Tks, Some question what does it means by asexual?

[SBS_Transit]

Tks, Some question what does it means by asexual?

asexual = reproduction without the union of male and female gametes in the process of binary fission or budding for example.

sexual = the process of the release of gametes by the organism itself, usually leading in binary fission.

[KingFish]

And if I am not wrong, you cannot overdose iron as it is the catalyst for the Haber Process to make ammonia!!!

Haber process was conceptualised nearly a century ago for the purpose of making ammonia on a large scale, possibly to make up demand for fertilizer.

It cannot be applied even if your tank can reach 450 degrees celsius

On topic again, did anyone mention the fundamental definition of a 'refugium' being simply a place of refuge for smaller organisms to sustain its population without being preyed upon?