kingclam52
Community Member
Hello my friends I need some input on setting up a refugium on my new tank should I wait for the Tank to cycle or can I add one right away on my new system thanks.
Setting up a new Tank need Refugium Help
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vic67
Well-Known Member
Are you adding a sump with a fuge section or are you planning on having a HOB fuge? If it'sgoing to be part of a sump I would add it now and let everything cycle. That's assuming you're going to put some LR/sand in the fuge. If you're going to have a HOB just for some Macro alage and pods/etc. You could add it later. Just my $.02
kingclam52
Community Member
Thank you for the info I will be using Miracle mud in the Refugium .Thank you all for your comments.
kingclam52
Community Member
Cory Thank you for your info now I have to get things together for the sump once again thank you.
JOKER
2500 Club Member
Good deal you are welcome. I have heard good things about the mud. I just used a very fine sand with about 3" depth, I started to go with really deep sand bed but my nitrates stay lower than 10 so that is a good number for me. If start having trouble later will add more. Hope it works out well for you. You have time just get it going before phosphates start to rise and you should be fine. I waited and now am fighting algae in the display, I kept debating between algae scrubber and fuge and decided to go with fuge.
ReefMadScientist
Valuable Member
FYI - Miracle Mud is not needed and have known some people, who used it, steer people away. The reason is because your refugium becomes hard to clean. Yes, sometimes a fuge needs to be cleaned out. For mine, I just have live rock, macro algae, and a wave point light. When I want to clean the fuge of detritus, I simply remove rock and macro in a bucket, wet vac the bottom and boom = clean sump.
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JOKER
2500 Club Member
I also heard someone say they had trouble with the mudd and almost lost a tank due to it but I have heard people who swear by it. Kinda like sand some people use it some don't. I know there are so many ways to accomplish goals in this hobby. Mine is the most natural way possible, that is why I just added the display fuge to my 90 and trying to get it established so I can hopefully remove the gfo.
ReefMadScientist
Valuable Member
Just bare bottom with Live Rock and Macro Algae. Over time, the bottom of sump will trap a lot of detritus. About once every 6 months I will clean the bottom out. The problem with mud in the fuge is that 1.) It is not needed 2.) Makes cleaning harder. I am getting less than 5 ppm of nitrates and never ran mud.
People will always gloat about what THEY THINK works for them. Does mud serve a purpose? Sure. But to say its needed to maintain good water chemistry is false. Time for me to gloat
, never ran mud and my tank is perfectly healthy.
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reeffirstaid
Active Member
I'll admit, I didn't read all the posts following your original, so I may have missed some major development. Depending on your tank plans, I would steer away from a refugium. No matter what tank you intend to set up, the main purpose of a refuge is two-fold, assimilate nutrients and provide a place for beneficial organisms, such as amphipods. You can do all these things by using less space, creating less mess, and without the need for all the equipment a refuge requires. I would use a zeovit reactor in combination with either a pre-made or DIY upflow algae scrubber. If you're interested, I can write up all the specs behind a zeovit reactor and UAS - but do some research. You will accomplish everything you would via your refugium, and the UAS would assimilate nutrients and house your beneficial organisms.
A fringe benefit of the zeovit is the bacterial film you shake off the media (called mulm) feeds corals and if you're setting up on a new tank, it can greatly shorten the ammonia cycle.
A fringe benefit of the zeovit is the bacterial film you shake off the media (called mulm) feeds corals and if you're setting up on a new tank, it can greatly shorten the ammonia cycle.
