REFUGIUM?
- Thread starter megoto
- Start date
Growing macro algae in order to remove excess nutrients and other bad things in the water as well as provide a "refuge" for small critters like copepods and amphipods to live and multiply without predators eating them. They are usually low flow, especially compared to the main tank, so the critters can move around without worry. When the population gets to be too much they just start getting sucked into your tank and become food for the fish and corals, otherwise they just help keep things clean.
I would only add to what Ace has written that their are many forms of refugia. You can have them as a distinct compartment within your sump, an hang-on-back of your DT separate little refuge, or some even have a completely separate container for a fuge that it plumbed into the main system. IMHO they are a great benefit to my reef system. But to restate -they are a refuge from predators, so no shrimp, fish, etc in the fuge ---- just macro, sand, LR and pods.
I have always been a fan of Woodrights design when he setup his tank last year. He disappeared though.
Thread of pics
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=147615
Thread of pics
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=147615
I agree. A fuge is a great thing to have in any Marine tank. I buiklt my own sump/fuge. The refugium is actually part of the filterering system. It makes it easier to clean as all the junk settles there and is easy to siphon out. Plus The nuisance algae will grow in the fuge instead of the main tank.
Here is what Mine looked like. I didnt use Sand as There was no need to. You can go bare bottom or have sand, your preference. But, unless you do a deep sandbed(6 inches or more) the sand serves no benefit.
Here is what Mine looked like. I didnt use Sand as There was no need to. You can go bare bottom or have sand, your preference. But, unless you do a deep sandbed(6 inches or more) the sand serves no benefit.
Thank you for the info. Now another question would I need to use one on a 29 gal FOWLR? IF so I was looking at the HOB version.
I used my 15G sump that I am running on my current 75G on my 29G for years. There is no minumum size tank for a refugium or sump. In the early days, my main goal was to have a sump to remove as much equipment out of the tank as possible, over time it became more of a filtration setup than just a place to hide things. I wouldn't go with a HOB refugium.. too small IMO, but I went with a (cheap) HOB overflow box to go to my sump. Just make sure if you go HOB overflow box it is "continuous syphon". Most are now a days, but 10 years ago when I got mine they weren't that common and I learned the hard way why you want that feature. 
it s absolutely nothing hard at all , i made mine , i screw up a few times but they r all my own fault , if u do everythin right u ll do it prefect the first time ... as well as the overflow box , i made it outta spare pvc pipes ...is there a good thread on here on how to set up a good sump that won't be to hard for a newbie
u can google the "pvc overflow" and "sump design" and there r lotsa and lotsa good ideas out there , if there s a question i think we can help u here ...
the only thing that may be the matter is to keep water level in sump and tank , and that s what we goin to discuss after u design the sump , that s the tricky part ... and if u worry bout the look of the pvc overflow ( that s really ugly !) u can do what i do , i made a bottomless box outta black plexiglass that the pipes can fit in there , and there i go
...i wanna do somehow the same thing , i may go to change one of my sump s chamber to a refugium , good luck for us !
Thank you I'll try it when next I set this tank up in a few months. Unfortunately trying to find new homes for my fish and rocks and crabs 
. I am moving to TX.
. I am moving to TX.