Refugium...Did I do it right?

[knowthemath]

I decided about a month ago to set up a refugium. I took a 10 gallon, had a hole drilled near the top, and set it on a base next to the main tank which made it about 3" taller than the main tank. I (or should I say my husband) plumbed a pipe through the hole, and I now have a gravity feed to the main tank. I placed a mini pump in the skimmer box of the main tank to pump water into the refugium.

I have a 2" sand base, a piece of live rock, grunge from GARF, and some macro algae in the tank at the moment. When I set it up, I used about 4 gallons of water from my main tank and used makeup water to finish filling it. I let it set for a couple of weeks before I ever actually connected it to my main tank. I have the regular florescent bulb that came with the hood.

It seems like everything is working correctly, but I still have a few questions.

What should I feed my refugium?
Do I need a powerhead for circulation?
What kind of critters should I have in it?
Do I need to change the lighting?
I

 

[benjen]

Sounds like it should be fine with what you've got. If you want to speed the critters along, feed a tiny about of food that includes a little meat and a little algae for different types of feeders. Otherwise light to grow hair algae will give you amphipods and such to feed off of it with the GARF Grunge in there.

 

[mogurnda]

Overall, sounds very good. But you asked, so...

What should I feed my refugium?

I have never fed mine. My view is that one point of a refugium is to let the detritivores take care of the debris that comes in from the main tank. Looking at the profusion of amphipods, mysis, and worms in the fuge, I think it works.

WHat kind of macroalgae did you get? For the past few yaers, I have been using chaetomorpha (spaghetti algae or brillo pad), which grows well, is easy to export and gives tons and tons of nooks and crannies for your pods.

Do I need a powerhead for circulation?

I'd say no. Refugia are normally supposed to have lower flow, and the powerhead will be a bit of a hazard for the residents.

What kind of critters should I have in it?

I have had the most success with amphipods, mysis shrimp, terebellid worms, bristleworms and strombus snails. I have tried kits from IPSF and Inland Aquatics, which both had their strengths.

Do I need to change the lighting?

Like Ben, I think more light would be good. I just put two 19 watt PC floods over a fuge about the same size as yours, and the macroalgae have been growing like, well, weeds. You might try a PC retrofit from Aquarium Hobbyist, or you can do something cheaper with screw-in PC bulbs if you want to do a little DIY.