Sump refuge and protein skimmers - dumb question

So I want to add a fuge to get some macro algae going and battle my hair algae issue. Do those of you running one have external skimmers or how are you preventing in-sump skimmers from becoming algae covered? I have been looking at some hang-on models and thinking about how i might rig them up on the sump but there really is no good way. I don't have room to hang one off the back of the tank.

 

Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, it has baffles but I dont think it is big enough that i wouldnt get light spillage over onto the skimmer. I am limited in length on the sump as the stand is 36 inches long (it is a 150DD tank).


Interesting on the algae...i put in a tiny amount I got from a member inside the main tank and so far it is growing nicely. Surprisingly my yellow tang has not touched it yet so I MAY be able to keep it in the main tank. I just assume one of these days he will try it and wipe it out.


Thanks again. I am definitely thinking about the scrubber as a possible better option.

 

I have tried GFO multiple times and the tank always starts looking worse and getting a brown tinge despite keeping flow very low and rinsing. I am using BRS gfo. Maybe I should give it more time.

I have not checked nitrates for quite a while as the corals and anemones are doing fantastic. I have checked phosphates and they were not high but I believe they are getting soaked up by the hair algae so probably not detectable.

I am doing 5% water changes each week as it is difficult to do more until I redo my RO setup. Water out of the RO shows 0. Tank stock is low, 150 gallon tank with 1 small yellow tang, 1 lawnmower blenny, 1 starry blenny, 1 diamond sifter goby, 1 small maroon clown and a royal gramma that was just recently added.

 

Good ideas. I have a Reef Octopus in-sump skimmer that seems to work pretty well so I hate to abandon it but maybe that is an idea to switch to something i can locate outside the sump.


One CRAZY idea I had is to take a small wet dry filter and add it slightly elevated above the sump and use an overflow box on the side of it so it would drain down into the other sump with a little powerhead feeding it. It just seems like a lot of work and kind of a hack so I would prefer something a little cleaner.


Maybe one of those magnetic algae scrubbers would work better than a refugiium given my limitations.