Refugium

kiwis · Jan 31, 2019

So I have a sump with skimmer, heater, coral rock, filter sock and return pump.

What is different or needed to make a refugium???

What’s the benefit of having one?

Hemmdog · Jan 31, 2019

kiwis said:
So I have a sump with skimmer, heater, coral rock, filter sock and return pump.

What is different or needed to make a refugium???

What’s the benefit of having one?

Provides a place for pods to reproduce to feed your fish and coral. And if you run your light reverse of your tank light your pH theoretically should be more stable. Macro algae also helps remove nitrate and phosphate without the use of chemicals, carbon, gfo, any of that. All natural baby

kiwis · Jan 31, 2019

So what do I need to do to set one up

Hemmdog · Jan 31, 2019

kiwis said:
So what do I need to do to set one up

Just get a light and a ball of chaeto. That’s about it. Post some pics of your set up so I/we can help figure something sweet out.

Ron Reefman · Jan 31, 2019

I have a small 40g sump and I keep my skimmer and return pump at one end and use the other section for my filter sock and my macroalgae. I consider the reduction of nitrate and phosphate to be the biggest advantage of a fuge. Pod production is also a good thing. IMHO, alternate lighting for pH stability is really a very minor (as in unimportant) improvement.

There is some info about my sump/refugium build in my build thread. There is a link in my signature below.

kiwis · Jan 31, 2019

Ron Reefman said:
I have a small 40g sump and I keep my skimmer and return pump at one end and use the other section for my filter sock and my macroalgae. I consider the reduction of nitrate and phosphate to be the biggest advantage of a fuge. Pod production is also a good thing. IMHO, alternate lighting for pH stability is really a very minor (as in unimportant) improvement.

There is some info about my sump/refugium build in my build thread. There is a link in my signature below.

Where do you get these pods from? I’m in New Zealand

Ron Reefman · Jan 31, 2019

Some online sellers of coral, or fish or algae sell them. google 'Copepods' and see if you have any suppliers there. Some sell them in a bag with macroalgae and some sell them in a bottle with a sell by date.

beaslbob · Jan 31, 2019

If you really want to keep it simple, a refugium can be just a partition in the display tank. Like the back 3" of so with 1/4" square plastic grid (egg crate). So the macro algae and pods thrive in the back 3" of the tank. Good to add some lighting behind the tank point forward to light up the area.

my .02

Captain Quint · Jan 31, 2019

+1 with all the great advice above.

Technically a refugium can be many parts of the tank in itself such as one's overflow, pipes, throughout the entire sump really.

A fuge is dedicated for everything mentioned to keep and sustain whatever you choose such as macroalgae, mangroves, chaeto, substrate, miracle mud live rock, copepods, and amphipods and sometimes even a 'time out' place for a fish.

kiwis · Feb 1, 2019

Is this what I'm after?

https://aquarays.co.nz/product/dvh-ocean-prime-copepods/

So also put light onto the sump, what else should go in this chamber?

Hemmdog · Feb 1, 2019

kiwis said:
Is this what I'm after?

https://aquarays.co.nz/product/dvh-ocean-prime-copepods/

So also put light onto the sump, what else should go in this chamber?

Yes, that, a grow light/horticulture light, and macro algae like chaeto or caulerpa

kiwis · Feb 1, 2019

do dump those two into a sump chamber, put a light on it and call it a refugium?? is that all there is too it?

what type of care should I give it?

Hemmdog · Feb 1, 2019

kiwis said:
do dump those two into a sump chamber, put a light on it and call it a refugium?? is that all there is too it?

what type of care should I give it?

Yep that’s about it. Put it after your skimmer and before your return pump. When it gets over grown take some of the macro algae out. That’s pretty much it

Ron Reefman · Feb 1, 2019

It can go in before or after your skimmer, that really doesn't make much difference. You also want to make sure none of the macroalgae gets loose and into the return pump section. I use a barrier of gutter guard to keep the chaeto from passing over the weir to my skimmer & return pump. And every once and a while your macroalgae will grow too big and you'll pull some out to make room for more growth. That's called 'harvesting' and it removes the nitrate and phosphate that the algae used to grow from your system.

Captain Quint · Feb 1, 2019

kiwis said:
do dump those two into a sump chamber, put a light on it and call it a refugium?? is that all there is too it?

what type of care should I give it?

It is best to power off your entire system for a while before adding copepods or amphipods to the fuge section to allow them to settle and latch onto whatever you have in the fuge section so they do not all get flushed out. Just leave it powered off for around 30 minutes or so until they can take hold.

davocean · Feb 1, 2019

I keep my fuge really simple, just LR rubble and chaeto.

Usually just adding a clump of chaeto is all you need to introduce pods, it usually contains enough to seed tank.

davocean · Feb 1, 2019

This is my simple sump/fuge, a PVC dome light from HD, LED grow flood lamp, chaeto rubble and a little dragons tongue macro someone gave me, but chaeto is really all you really need.