Refugium questions/help

[hillegom]

You should be cleaning your filter out every 3 days or so. To keep detritus in there for long only allows it to degrade into nitrate. you want to get rid of the stuff before it decays.
Do not wash the filter in fresh water. This would kill all the bacteria in it. Wash it with water taken from your tank. Then replace that water with new saltwater.
Mini water change.