To fuge or not to fuge: Have you had a refugium?

[ajax969]

I have a basement sump/fuge that works amazing and costed me very little. It is an Aqueon 30 gallon XH tank that I priorly used as a seahorse tank. It has a very deep sand bed and the return pump and drain just sit on top of the sand bed. It has live rock and extra macroalgae that I pulled out of my living room 56 gallon display tank. All the water change mess is in the basement. The fuge ( with the macroalgae) are working so well that my system is down to a 5 gallon water change about once a month. I have so many pods plus the fuge houses a rescued clownfish and a renegade pistol shrimp. It's not pretty but is very functional.

I always hear about people banishing fish to a sump or refugium and it doesn't seem fair to the fish until I saw this picture.

We banished an emerald crab to the sump in my wife's tank, chaeto didn't last long with him in there.

 

[Raul-7]

For those with refugiums; have noticed a significant drop in NO3 and PO4? Or do you use other methods along with the refugium?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

For those with refugiums; have noticed a significant drop in NO3 and PO4? Or do you use other methods along with the refugium?

Mine stays around 20-25 nitrate .05-1 phosphate using nothing but the refugium now. I heavy feed 2 times a day and do aminos and phytoplankton once every 2 weeks. But I have a 75 gallon display and a 40 gallon refugium and a reef octopus 110 skimmer

 

[Azael]

I have a refugium. In the past it was full with cheato and red macro algae and it worked perfectly, but they died. The water in the tank was crystal clear and the nitrates and phosphates got too low for the algae.
Now I use it for filtration with live rock.

 

[steveschuerger]

The tank that I just upgraded out of had a hob refugium. The tank I have running right now didn’t have room behind it for the refugium but it’s an AIO design so I’m setting up an “in tank” refugium with some live rock at the moment and some macro like chaeto for nutrient export in the near future. I have my urchins in there at the moment and I want to see if I can get a pod population growing as well.

 

[AustinBabler]

I had one going in my 1st tank but the chaeto always made it to the display and it grew way faster in the display then in the sump. Had some stuff happen and I gave up on the tank for awhile. Wound up with a 36” x by whatever a reefer 250 is for dimensions raft of chaeto 4” thick by the time I decided to take the tank down haha. When I start that tank back up I’m either going to try the fuge again or just keep a bunch of live rock/bio balls in that section for a cryptic zone.

 

[vlangel]

I always hear about people banishing fish to a sump or refugium and it doesn't seem fair to the fish until I saw this picture.

We banished an emerald crab to the sump in my wife's tank, chaeto didn't last long with him in there.

Ha ha, I know what you mean about banishing fish in sumps/fuges. Perky (as I call him) came to us because his owners were tearing down their tank and asked if I knew of a home for him. He was 10+ years old and I did not want to see him go to a lfs at that age so I took him. I already had a baby oscillaris clownfish in my display and did not want to risk Perky killing my clown, which is why he lives in the fuge. He has lived there about 2 years now so he's doing well.

 

[ReefStash]

That has to be one of the coolest pictures of a tank I have ever seen

Thanks for the love! Check my build thread for more pics.

 

[dank.reefer]

I currently have 2 tanks 1 with and 1 without. The tank with the fuge is far more stable as has been my experience with all of my tanks that have run a refugium.

 

[VintageReefer]

I run a dark cryptic zone style refugium with live rock, 3” sand bed, and a surf 2 algae scrubber. The combo works fantastic and I don’t need a skimmer and haven’t done a water change in 2+ years. My tank thread button takes you to current pictures of my display

I now feed heavy and harvest algae weekly. Nitrates 0-5, typically 2. And phosphate .02-0.5

 

[GARRIGA]

I run a dark cryptic zone style refugium with live rock, 3” sand bed, and a surf 2 algae scrubber. The combo works fantastic and I don’t need a skimmer and haven’t done a water change in 2+ years. My tank thread button takes you to current pictures of my display

I now feed heavy and harvest algae weekly. Nitrates 0-5, typically 2. And phosphate .02-0.5

Cryptic zone something of recent I've taken an interest to and trying to better understand. Lots of sponges in the Keys by me that I can utilize plus a few wholesalers that provide them. Seems like a no brainier along with perhaps barnacles and clams. Still learning but seems like it would also make for a unique display. Plus does it really need to be dark? Our reefs are pretty well lit where what I've described lives. Seems the components more important than the darkness.

 

[VintageReefer]

Cryptic zone something of recent I've taken an interest to and trying to better understand. Lots of sponges in the Keys by me that I can utilize plus a few wholesalers that provide them. Seems like a no brainier along with perhaps barnacles and clams. Still learning but seems like it would also make for a unique display. Plus does it really need to be dark? Our reefs are pretty well lit where what I've described lives. Seems the components more important than the darkness.

My understanding is it’s dark because the items within it are non photosynthetic and having it dark eliminates the chance of algae growth

 

[GARRIGA]

My understanding is it’s dark because the items within it are non photosynthetic and having it dark eliminates the chance of algae growth

that makes sense

 

[kdsmithey]

The tank that I just upgraded out of had a hob refugium. The tank I have running right now didn’t have room behind it for the refugium but it’s an AIO design so I’m setting up an “in tank” refugium with some live rock at the moment and some macro like chaeto for nutrient export in the near future. I have my urchins in there at the moment and I want to see if I can get a pod population growing as well.

Did you setup the in tank refugium in your AIO? If so, how did it go?

 

[steveschuerger]

Did you setup the in tank refugium in your AIO? If so, how did it go?

Still haven’t quite finished. Got the live rock , still need to set up the light and get some chaeto or something similar.

 

[kdsmithey]

Still haven’t quite finished. Got the live rock , still need to set up the light and get some chaeto or something similar.

Gotcha! How are you setting up your light? Over the chamber or peeling an opening in the back?

 

[steveschuerger]

Gotcha! How are you setting up your light? Over the chamber or peeling an opening in the back?

It’s gonna have to be over . The back is clear but I don’t think there’s really enough room to slide the light in back. We’ll see. I might try to put the light in back but find a way to make it easily moveable.