To refugium or not?

[Zionas]

What are some of the benefits, and are there any drawbacks to getting a refugium? So far I don’t plan to keep anything that are big time pod eaters, so I wonder how necessary a refugium would be for the average setup. Thanks.

 

[Gtinnel]

IMO if you don't need it to help control nitrate/phosphate/pH swings at night, then it isn't necessary at all. I have a section that I left in my diy sump for a refugium but since I struggle with low nutrients I don't have anything in it.

 

[Zionas]

I’m not explicitly targeting low nutrients / zero nutrients. Since I’m not going for an SPS heavy or SPS only tank as far as I know LPS and softies like some moderate level of nutrients.

 

[PeterC99]

Find that my refugium with chaeto provides natural way to manage phosphates (.05) and nitrates (5). Benefit - Able to overstock my 90g aquarium with corals and fish without any additional BPO or bio pellets. Also notice when chaeto is growing well, corals also grow well.

 

[navada718]

I got a Fiji cube hob (Large), refugium 2 weeks ago. My Nitrate were 30 ish & phosphates were 0.20 ish pre Refugium. Now, Nitrate hovers around: 8-15, phosphates: 0.5-0.9
I use chaeto & run the Refugium light (by innovative marine) every other day.

 

[PeterC99]

Also - refugiums can be setup very inexpensively. Here’s mine in my sump made out of left over egg crate. Only real expense was $129 Orange refugium light.

 

[Zionas]

That’s cool. What do you have growing in it? Any pods?

 

[Gtinnel]

I got a Fiji cube hob (Large), refugium 2 weeks ago. My Nitrate were 30 ish & phosphates were 0.20 ish pre Refugium. Now, Nitrate hovers around: 8-15, phosphates: 0.5-0.9
I use chaeto & run the Refugium light (by innovative marine) every other day.

Did you mean your new phosphate level was .05-.09, or do you actually attribute the refugium to an increase in phosphates?

 

[PeterC99]

Pods do grow in it but I lose many because I harvest 1/2 the Chaeto out every other week.

 

[Addictedreefer87]

I've been successful over the last 11 years with no refugium. I have a mixed reef. Just always seemed like one more thing to look after. My tank is always full of pods with out one also. Just my opinion not against them.

 

[PeterC99]

I've been successful over the last 11 years with no refugium. I have a mixed reef. Just always seemed like one more thing to look after. My tank is always full of pods with out one also. Just my opinion not against them.

Wow - 11 years successfully running your aquarium! Kudos to you!

Curious if you do anything to manage NO3 & PO4?

 

[Paul B]

I have never had a refugium. I have nothing against them they were just not invented when I started my tank.

 

[Addictedreefer87]

Wow - 11 years successfully running your aquarium! Kudos to you!

Curious if you do anything to manage NO3 & PO4?

I dose nopox and run phosphate remover. I feed my fish and coral super heavy but consistent. Found a sweet spot on how much nopox I dose and just let it ride from there. Havn't done a water change in close to 2 years now.

 

[Evo R]

There are so many different methods to nutrient control and pod population increasing that running a refugium is a coin toss.

But for me personally there are two very good facts to running a refugium.

1.) Better Ph stability. Better Ph stability plays a huge part in better coral growth! ( BRS and Reef Builders have tons of videos on that.)
2.) Extra Nutrient failsafe that's online and ready 24/7. Cheato only grows as fast as it can consume available nutrients in your tank. If there is a sudden spike in nutrients or your Gfo is exhausted or one of many things go wrong with what you have in place for nutrient export, the Cheato will immediately start to consume it and grow rapidly indicating a rise in nutrients ect.

In this very expensive hobby/lifestyle that we all enjoy....one can never have to many failsafe's / redundancies in place help prevent disaster!

 

[navada718]

Did you mean your new phosphate level was .05-.09, or do you actually attribute the refugium to an increase in phosphates?

My mistake. Yeah, New phosphates is .05-.09, the Refugium lowered my nutrients.

 

[Gtinnel]

My mistake. Yeah, New phosphates is .05-.09, the Refugium lowered my nutrients.

I figured it was a typo.

 

[RoboRabbit89]

I really loved the idea of running just filter floss and a fuge. But my sump just wasn't really big enough so I ended up adding a skimmer. But I still really love the idea of biological filtration from the fuge along with the safe haven for pods and the third bonus of a super nutrient dense endless food supply for fish if you use sea lettuce like I do!

 

[Pistondog]

What are some of the benefits, and are there any drawbacks to getting a refugium? So far I don’t plan to keep anything that are big time pod eaters, so I wonder how necessary a refugium would be for the average setup. Thanks.

Nutrient reduction, ph balancing and oxygenation.

 

[Damien Buckley]

As well as what’s already been stated above, I find I just don’t have the algae issues in the display with a fuge that I had without. As someone else said, the chaeto etc takes up the slack and also I think tends to soak up the nutrients before they are taken up by algae in the display.

Another side of it is that a fuge adds more interest- I love checking mine out at night when the display is going to sleep - lovely lush green glow. I have chaeto in mine as well as some turtle grass I’m growing on live rock.

The fuge adds significantly to the biodiversity of the tank too - mine is absolutely chock-full of small snails and other life and is a veritable pod factory so providing lots of live foodto the displa. Without the fuge, most of this would just be eaten. I’ve got xenia and gsp growing in there too.

I run an algae reactor as well as the refugium in the sump.

 

[Zionas]

Looks awesome. I love the green. It’s making me seriously consider one with all the benefits.