Refugiums: Are they worth the extra time, money & work?

[K7BMG]

Well I run a fuge.
I don't know how some here are claiming their Aiptasia outbreak is caused by the fuge?
Only way I know of getting Aiptasia would be infected algae or a hitchhiker on livestock or rock.
Aiptasia is introduced, so improper algae choice by unknown or unverified source's,
or not following proper QT procedures for livestock or live rock is the problem.

My point is on the fuge pro and con list you can't list Aiptasia as a CON.

 

[RJ F.]

I use a refugium and it works too well. I have a hard time detecting no3 and po4. I think for me the biggest success has been proper lighting. Once I got a grow led I had an explosion on cheato. I also had a GHA issue. I used fluconazole and cleared that up. I like how natural and easy it is to maintain. I have tried ATS but because of the limited space I have it was just a pain. I tried so hard to get it dialed in.

 

[champyeti]

I didnt have much success cultivating pods (think flow was too much) and my tank struggles to grow chaeto but my fuge is an AquaClear 70 filter and provides some much needed flow and surface disruption. Yes it grows some GHA but the bad algae is exclusively growing in the filter and not the display.

With my tank upgrade and no longer needing the HOB fuge for flow I will swap the impeller back to an AC20 and focus on growing pods in it again. I think they have benefits of giving pods a safe place to be and giving both macro and nuisance algae an area to grow. Is an algae scrubber more effective for that sure maybe. But lower tech tanks can benefit from the added flow as well. Increasing the flow via the fuge eliminated GHA from my DT in the low flow spots it was cropping up.

 

[Pickwun]

In answer to your questions as stated:
1) No I'm not, because my tank isn't built yet.
2) Years ago I was in the process of setting one up when a picture fell off the wall, slipped past the DT/Plumbing/Electrical cords, found a way to my sump. and smashed it. I don't really know if it was worth the effort.

 

[Hair Algae Wizard]

I don't really find mine to be much work at all. I have an Octo Reactor, and other than pruning the Cheato, it's pretty much maintenance free.

(I actually have to do some serious pruning, as not my No3 and Po4 are zero, and want those numbers elevated a bit)

 

[inletfish]

i say absolutely, but i dont have one because im running an aio and im not sure how long im going to keep this tank. its getting pretty antiquated

 

[Magellan]

i say absolutely, but i dont have one because im running an aio and im not sure how long im going to keep this tank. its getting pretty antiquated

I love my old AIO

no fuge for me...seems like a headache, and something that will compete with my corals for nutrients. Easier ways to keep algae out of the DT imo.

 

[Dragon52]

I have a refugium but the only thing I can get to grow in it is Mangroves & Bristle worms. I want to get more Cheato & Dragons tongue from people here on the Forum but I think I need a better light. I have one that was recommended by people here but it doesn't seem to work for me.

 

[saltyhog]

My refugium is a chamber in my sump and as such is not much work at all. I usually clean out detritus (a side benefit of an in sump refugium) about twice a year and trim my chaeto when I need to is all I have to do.

 

[inletfish]

I love my old AIO

no fuge for me...seems like a headache, and something that will compete with my corals for nutrients. Easier ways to keep algae out of the DT imo.

i ran a large one on my old 150.

i thought lighting it at night helped my ph and it allowed predator free areas for more bio diversity

 

[beaslbob]

IMHO balancing out the system with macro or other algae is essential to a balanced out stabilized setup. But than what would you expect from an old FW planted guy? LOL

Also a refugium is just a protected area to keep the macros separate from the livestock that eats the macros. So it can just be a simple eggcrate partition in the display with some side lighting to keep the macros growing.

But that's just me and my .02

 

[Admann]

I have always had AIO tanks and wanted a larger tank for years. I have had success with softies, LPS and some SPS with the AIOs but hated the difficulty doing what I wanted to. Lack of room and marginal devices.
New build thread soon. IM 100INT and a Triton 36 sump,woo hoo!

 

[andrewkw]

I said goodbye to my refugiums 3.5 years ago and never looked back. Well for the most part. I still use a refugium as a refuge but no longer grow macro algae. There is a marine pure block that may or may not be helping with nitrate / phosphates. What is helping for me is carbon dosing. Personally I'd rather play a bit with dosage then try various lights, deal with removing the algae and having limited options for adjustment.

As already mentioned BRS has basically proven they work, not that I didn't think it worked before I stopped using one, I just don't feel they are necessary in my particular situations. While I probably wouldn't use one again unless it was for display purposes. I would still consider it if I had new system that had issues I could not solve another way.

 

[clffthmps]

I don’t use a refugium. My tank has been running for about 15 months. The only thing I run on my reef aquarium is a Fluval Fx6 canister filter, Mechanical, Biological, And chemical.I test 4 times a week and do a 5 gallon water change once a week.Ph 8.1 ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 10 calcium 430 alkalinity 9 magnesium 1375 salinity 1.025

 

[Magellan]

i ran a large one on my old 150.

i thought lighting it at night helped my ph and it allowed predator free areas for more bio diversity

I would use a fuge for that purpose, but not to grow algae. Maybe just some extra rock, and/or a DSB.

 

[inletfish]

I would use a fuge for that purpose, but not to grow algae. Maybe just some extra rock, and/or a DSB.

curious why a dsb i thought they have been pretty much abandoned in the hobby

 

[Crabs McJones]

Yes 110% absolutely

 

[Magellan]

curious why a dsb i thought they have been pretty much abandoned in the hobby

With the right cuc to turn it over/keep it clean, a DSB can be VERY beneficial. Check out MelevsReef on YouTube. Especially a remote DSB that is downstream of filter socks/filter floss (so food isn’t constantly settling in it). Imo, sand is an important part of stability.

No question that many people have abandoned sand entirely, but to each their own

 

[cvicente]

I prefer to run a denitrator instead of a refugium. I have a DIY 5 gal unit running with vodka. Five cycles per day, 3 ml of ethanol per cycles keeps my NO3 at a stable 2.5 ppm

 

[inletfish]

With the right cuc to turn it over/keep it clean, a DSB can be VERY beneficial. Check out MelevsReef on YouTube. Especially a remote DSB that is downstream of filter socks/filter floss (so food isn’t constantly settling in it). Imo, sand is an important part of stability.

No question that many people have abandoned sand entirely, but to each their own

ive been watching mark for a decade it seems like. i love his outlook on things. ill check that particular one out.

i still sand the dt. but only an inch