refugium is going to be the most efficient form of filtration for a REEF tank, however if your not doing corals then start with a sump and build the refugium later. if this is going to be a pred tank, then deff do a sump and a heavy skimmer. if its going to be a reef post what corals you want, and the set of lights that you are set with so we can get an idea. IMO its always best to start after having all your equiptmen setup first and then proceed to adding stock. i have a feeling some people wont agree with this but IMO it doesnt make sense to rely on a refugium when you have a pred tank being most of its filtration is going to be mechanicaly based.
it also helps to do the LR and LS idea with anytank, but even more so in a reef tank. reef tanks need to be very stabile before you add live stock. with pred tank, your going to be skimming so much and removing so much from the water, having LR is going to be a really good idea so you dont lose your biological bacteria everytime you change the filter pab, which by the way will be often no matter what type of SW tank you do.
