Need a refugium?

[willist0]

I've recently set up a 55 gal reef tank, which currently is being filtered by 2 HOB filters. I'm planning on switching to a sump as soon as I can afford one. I've been doing some research on refugiums and from what I can tell, if your refugium isn't really huge it just doesn't do much. The guy who owns the local FS said I'd just be better off with a sump a protein skimmer and water changes. He said my sump would have to be at least 50 gal to have a large enough refugium. What do you guys think?

 

[eea60]

It depends on what you expect your refugium to do and other factors such as the bioload, amount of live rock, sand depth in the display, ect.... I have a section of my sump set up as a refugium housing mud and algae. I do not count on this as a primary source of filtration as I still use an oversized skimmer and carbon. I use my fuge for additional filtering and a pod sanctuary. If you plan on an either or approach (fuge only or skimmer only) then I would agree that you may need an extra large fuge with the size depending on feeding and bioload.

 

[bobman]

I agree with eea60. To truly have a fuge make a big difference in water quality then yes it would need to be large however if you want to keep pods (free food) then it is a good idea to have just dont expect it to be a major source of filtration. Also by running refugium lights oppositeyour display lights it can help to keep ph stable. So even though it wont be a major source of filtration they can still be beneficial in many other ways. You get a pesky hermit crab you can toss it in your refugium and he will help keep things clean. You could toss him in the sump to but then they get stuck to pump intakes and can just be a pain

 

[sbrodacz]

You can make a sump pretty easily and inexpensive. I made one for less than $30