Macros or Xenia

whats up everybody...i just want to get some oppinions from people who have refugiums and use xenia to substitute for macro algaes. Is one more effective than the other when it comes down to nutrient export???? I am planning to use whatever accomplishes the most.

 

Aptasia's and tube worms make a great filter .. Not sure I'd want to use any thing that required up keep or attention to run a refugium. I'd simple add some plants and aptasias and let them go to work. I have never found anything better .

 

How would you stop the Aptasia's spreading to the main tank apart from using a UV filter? Would a few peppermint shrimp suffice? Just curious as one of my rocks in the refugium has a small aiptasia on it and thinking about whether to leave it or take it out.

 

Yup, we just keep a bunch of peppermint shrimp in the main tank. I have not seen a single aiptasia in the main tank, only the refugium.

 

Cool, heard good things about how effective aptasia are at filtering so I think I will leave it in there and see how it goes. I only have one peppermint in the main tank so I may get another in the future.

Cheers

 

the xenia experiments been done and it did'nt adequitly filter the water.it filters,just not enough.its hard to beet macro. some guy used two tanks and the one with macro was way better than xenia.

 

Yes well its never been really decided as to what the Xenia corals eat anyways. To much information around these days its really complicated the hobby and confused to many people when they see this stuff. But common sense and lots of experience would have told me differently about their use in a refugium Thats why I don't use them ;D

I have seen not to long ago people talking about and doing this little diddy of pre-filtering the water before it enters the fuge they floss filter it and carbon it before it hits the skimmer and then have the outlet of their skimmers feeding the refugium..

 

I have heard of people having what i think its called a benthic zone. In this compartment they have it filled with aipatasia and other critters you dont want in your main tank. I would add a uv filter on the way to the tank though,extra security just in case the peppermints are lazy.;D

 

If the fuge is flowed as slow as its supposed o be then not much will make it out as it will settle out of the water column long before it reaches the outlet to the sump.. I have never had an issue with anything escaping the fuge. Beside the main tanks water is so devoid of excess waste food they would starve to death.. all of the millions of them in the fuge eats their food..

At the end of the day if anyone has a issue with aptasias or bristle worms or about any pest like them its from over feeding the tanks..