Refugium

[Bjohn]

Ok beginner question here,
I have a 37 gallon tall tank, its been set up for around a month. However, I dont have any sort of sump or refugium set up, how important is a refugium? Is it really necessary for me to have one?
Thanks in advance

 

[peterthegamer]

Well it depend what you wanna keep? If you want to keep mandarin and not buy bunch of copepods yes. If you want to have place to keep your protein skimmer, heaters etc that where you would put it in the sump. It allows you have more area to work with it too.

 

[Planedoc]

I think the best reason for a sump is a safe place for your protein skimmer. Skimmers frequently overflow for one reason or another. If you have a hang on the back skimmer it can overflow on floor and drain your tank. If it is in your sump its no big deal. Plus the added water volume adds to stability. There are many many benefits to a sump. Algae will grow in your tank. It's better to have good algae growing in your refugium eating the nutrients that bad algae needs to grow. I run my refugium lights at night which help reduce Co2 and adds oxygen which helps to stabilize my ph because of the display tank lights being out. It's good to have the water for water changes so you don't have to drain display tank exposing corals to the air. The overflow skims the surface water of your tank where oils and other waste products can accumulate preventing good gas exchange between water and air.

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