Is even a small refugium worth it?

Perched Urchin · Feb 25, 2019

I'm setting up a new system with an IM Nuvo Black 40g and an Eshopps AZU-100 sump. Guessing total water volume will be around 50-55 gallons, all said.
I'm thinking of building and adding to the system a small refugium. Based on rough dimensions, the volume will be around 5 gallons. The plan would be to use one of the LEDs specifically for fuges and to stock it with chaeto and possibly other macro algae. I will also likely add some pods to attempt to get a colony going once the system has been established for a bit.

At this size, is doing this going to be beneficial to the system?

Raising Reef. · Feb 25, 2019

Perched Urchin said:
I'm setting up a new system with an IM Nuvo Black 40g and an Eshopps AZU-100 sump. Guessing total water volume will be around 50-55 gallons, all said.
I'm thinking of building and adding to the system a small refugium. Based on rough dimensions, the volume will be around 5 gallons. The plan would be to use one of the LEDs specifically for fuges and to stock it with chaeto and possibly other macro algae. I will also likely add some pods to attempt to get a colony going once the system has been established for a bit.

At this size, is doing this going to be beneficial to the system?

Definitely worth it I run a remote refugium no more than that and it’s plenty to have a positive impact.

goldenhurricane2 · Feb 25, 2019

Perched Urchin said:
I'm setting up a new system with an IM Nuvo Black 40g and an Eshopps AZU-100 sump. Guessing total water volume will be around 50-55 gallons, all said.
I'm thinking of building and adding to the system a small refugium. Based on rough dimensions, the volume will be around 5 gallons. The plan would be to use one of the LEDs specifically for fuges and to stock it with chaeto and possibly other macro algae. I will also likely add some pods to attempt to get a colony going once the system has been established for a bit.

At this size, is doing this going to be beneficial to the system?

Yes - I've got a 55 gallon (sumpless) with a 5ish gallon HOB refugium and it has been very beneficial.

Greybeard · Feb 25, 2019

Refugeum, originally, were intended to be a location for beneficial creatures (copepods, isopods, mysids, worms, etc) to live and breed without pressure from predators. A Refuge... as it were. Macro algae was typically added as a habitat and food source, along with live rock rubble. They were typically lit just enough to keep the macro algae growing. Some implementations didn't have any light at all... using rock rubble only as a habitat (Miracle Mud, whatever).

These days, Refugeum are usually intended as a macro algae nutrient export method. Grow chaetomorpha (or other macro algae, though Chaeto is by far the most popular) as fast as you can, throwing out handfulls as it starts to fill the available space. This is how my system works these days too, though I also keep bio-filter media there. Macro algae export systems are a fabulous way to keep excess nutrients in check. For this, you really do need some fairly extensive real estate. My ref is 26 x 12 x 16" tall, on a roughly 170g total system volume.

However... There's nothing wrong with the original purpose of providing a refuge for beneficial critters. That purpose can be well served with a small volume container. Compact macro algae 'reactors' are filling the nutrient export niche for folks that don't have the real estate for a more typical macro export refugeum.