Refugium
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Defective_Weeble
Salty
No.
Yes.
But there are definitive benefits to having one, and not necessarily any drawbacks (outside of space requirements).
For instance, I run my refugium with about 40 lbs of live rock, chaeto algae and red gracilaria algae. I'm not really concerned with nutrient export at all, considering that I run biopellets and an oversized skimmer. But I'm concerned about feeding my tank's livestock. I have a mandarin, and I want another. I also have a tang and a foxface, both of which are herbivores. The rock and chaeto serve as a copepod breeding ground, while the red gracilaria is a free source (after the first purchase) of nutrient-dense food that both my tang and foxface will love.
I really feel that, above just about anything else in the aquarium, the choice to run a refugium or not is really in the hands of the individual reefer.
Yes.
But there are definitive benefits to having one, and not necessarily any drawbacks (outside of space requirements).
For instance, I run my refugium with about 40 lbs of live rock, chaeto algae and red gracilaria algae. I'm not really concerned with nutrient export at all, considering that I run biopellets and an oversized skimmer. But I'm concerned about feeding my tank's livestock. I have a mandarin, and I want another. I also have a tang and a foxface, both of which are herbivores. The rock and chaeto serve as a copepod breeding ground, while the red gracilaria is a free source (after the first purchase) of nutrient-dense food that both my tang and foxface will love.
I really feel that, above just about anything else in the aquarium, the choice to run a refugium or not is really in the hands of the individual reefer.
Defective_Weeble
Salty
I don't, but again that's because I'm not concerned with nutrient export. I've seen people have amazing results with running a deep sand bed in their refugium. If I were going to do it, I'd most definitely run the largest DSB that I could do within the space constraints of a sump. But that's just my opinion.
I considered Miracle Mud pretty heavily when I was setting up my previous system, so I've done a LOT of reading on it. What I've found is that I've found nothing. I've seen no positively conclusive evidence of Miracle Mud either hurting or helping a system. That's not to say that it isn't an amazing product that can produce stellar results. I'm simply saying that I've not personally been convinced either direction. What I did find was that, in almost every successful Miracle Mud system, there were so many other good husbandry factors involved that the results can't possibly be attributed to a single piece of the puzzle.
I considered Miracle Mud pretty heavily when I was setting up my previous system, so I've done a LOT of reading on it. What I've found is that I've found nothing. I've seen no positively conclusive evidence of Miracle Mud either hurting or helping a system. That's not to say that it isn't an amazing product that can produce stellar results. I'm simply saying that I've not personally been convinced either direction. What I did find was that, in almost every successful Miracle Mud system, there were so many other good husbandry factors involved that the results can't possibly be attributed to a single piece of the puzzle.
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ajones2n
Active Member
So apart from providing a breeding ground for a food source, what job does the refugium do for nutrient export? Also is there a correlation with tank size vs fuge size?
Defective_Weeble
Salty
What it will do depends pretty heavily on what you put into it. If you just have water, nothing's going to happen.
But let's answer your second question first - Yes. There is absolutely a correlation to tank versus refugium sizes. A 10 gallon refugium will never be able to handle the full nutrient export of a 90 gallon tank. But that being said, it can assist in nutrient export. Mark Callahan has a good overview on the size question here:
Refugiums in a Saltwater Tank: Viable Nutrient Control or Just a Safe Harbor?
Now, back to the first question. What stuff do you want in your refugium?
Macroalgae - Assists in nitrate and phosphate export. Conventional wisdom says that whatever is growing in your refugium won't be growing in your DT. While that's not always the case, having a dedicated area of growth that is specific to phosphates certainly can't hurt. As I eluded to earlier, I also use my refugium to grow macros that I provide to my fish as a source of fresh food.
Sand - Deep sand beds are (in my ever so humble opinion) the only sand worth doing in a refugium. Just like a DSB in a display, the mixture of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria can help to break down nutrients. However, just like in a DT, a remote DSB holds some dangers such as releasing hydrogen sulfide if they are disturbed.
Mud - STATED TO: Naturally replenish trace elements, allow for removal of skimmer from the system.
Mangroves - Look really cool. Not especially efficient at nutrient export. I've heard that you need 1 mangrove per gallon of water volume to effectively export nitrates.
Rock - Added biological filtration, just like the rock in your display. However, rock is also a great breeding grounds for copepods and amphipods, both of which are prime food sources for many fish such as wrasses, dragonets and others. I also tend to keep small rubble pieces in my refugium that I use to mount corals. I just pluck one out, use super glue + epoxy and then place it in the DT.
For more on this, there's a great resource over at ReefCleaners. I don't agree with everything that they say, but they walk through some of the more in-depth portions of which algae to use, etc.
http://www.reefcleaners.org/stocking-the-sump-refugium
But let's answer your second question first - Yes. There is absolutely a correlation to tank versus refugium sizes. A 10 gallon refugium will never be able to handle the full nutrient export of a 90 gallon tank. But that being said, it can assist in nutrient export. Mark Callahan has a good overview on the size question here:
Refugiums in a Saltwater Tank: Viable Nutrient Control or Just a Safe Harbor?
Now, back to the first question. What stuff do you want in your refugium?
Macroalgae - Assists in nitrate and phosphate export. Conventional wisdom says that whatever is growing in your refugium won't be growing in your DT. While that's not always the case, having a dedicated area of growth that is specific to phosphates certainly can't hurt. As I eluded to earlier, I also use my refugium to grow macros that I provide to my fish as a source of fresh food.
Sand - Deep sand beds are (in my ever so humble opinion) the only sand worth doing in a refugium. Just like a DSB in a display, the mixture of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria can help to break down nutrients. However, just like in a DT, a remote DSB holds some dangers such as releasing hydrogen sulfide if they are disturbed.
Mud - STATED TO: Naturally replenish trace elements, allow for removal of skimmer from the system.
Mangroves - Look really cool. Not especially efficient at nutrient export. I've heard that you need 1 mangrove per gallon of water volume to effectively export nitrates.
Rock - Added biological filtration, just like the rock in your display. However, rock is also a great breeding grounds for copepods and amphipods, both of which are prime food sources for many fish such as wrasses, dragonets and others. I also tend to keep small rubble pieces in my refugium that I use to mount corals. I just pluck one out, use super glue + epoxy and then place it in the DT.
For more on this, there's a great resource over at ReefCleaners. I don't agree with everything that they say, but they walk through some of the more in-depth portions of which algae to use, etc.
http://www.reefcleaners.org/stocking-the-sump-refugium
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Dowtish
5000 Club Member
Essentially this is how I look at it. Unless you can do a refugium that is a separate 75 gallon tank or larger tied into the main system it isnt going to be ultra efficient in nutrient reduction.
Having a ball of chaeto in a small section of your sump however does have its benefits for providing an area for pods to flourish and can also help with ph stablization.
Having a ball of chaeto in a small section of your sump however does have its benefits for providing an area for pods to flourish and can also help with ph stablization.
angrycubano
Well-Known Member
+1 on the ph stabilization. Since you would be running alternate photo-periods with the DT it at a minimum keeps your PH stable since you're always photosynthesizing. For just nutrient export it's just silly unless you have a huge fuge. I like the ph element of it, biological diversity, and additional food source like microfauna, etc.
pickupman66
5000 Club Member
Ya know. I didn't notice much pH stabilization with my fuge. Only adding outside air to my skimmer stabilized it.
