Refugiums

[Kevin34]

hey all, i am setting up a 55g frag tank soon and just got a great deal on another 55g that I will be using as a fuge. i know that fuges help supply nutrients to the water and keep nitrates down but what are the best things to put in a fuge? what kinds of algea? best substrate, sand or mud? whats the best type of lighting for a fuge and how much flow should be in one? and if i am running a fuge do I still need a skimmer? also feel free to post pics of your fuge setup

 

[gilmour01]

refugiums dont necessarily provide nutrients to your tank. in fact, they are supposed to do the opposite. growing macro algae actually removes nutrients from the water. they do however provide an abundance of small creatures that can act as a food source for your tank. i run a DSB in my fuge along with cheato. cheato is a great algae to use b/c its easy to grow, easy to prune, and is stable when compared to some caulerpa species.

 

[Kevin34]

what is prunning?

 

[jlinzmaier]

what is prunning?

Pruning is trimming back the macroalgea to allow for more to grow and metabolize unwanted nutrients.

This thread here talks about cryptic fuges and I go into great detail towards the end about refugiums in general.

Post #28 and 29 near the bottom I go into great detail.
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/f30/cryptic-fuge-25956-2.html


Jeremy