Refugium

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TMartinez

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2010
761
1
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Mandarin, Fl
What is it? Why have it? Advantages/disadvantages?

I just bought a Aqua Clear 110 and it will be here Wednesday. A couple of the guys on here are saying to turn it into a "fuge" which I assume means refugium. I know nothing about this. I bought it because I currently have two cheap walmart power filters cleaning my tank and I don't think they are doing a good job. So should I or shouldn't I?

29 gallon saltwater setup. 20 lbs of live sand, 20 lbs of live rock, 2 clownfish, one watchmen goby. No protein skimmer yet
 
nothin?
 
I would say so. Fuges are great for reefs because they allow you to gain critters such as pods which will feed your corals and fish. You'll also have space for macro algae. Think of it like fresh water plants benefit the tank by sucking up nitrates. Thats what you'll get with a fuge full of chaeto.
 
OK so you use the fuge to maintain water quality. but what about the mechanical filtration? would I losing that or will that take care of it too?

Like I said I honeslty have no idea what a refugium is or why have one. i'd like if some one could give me the broken down layman explanation. I am interested in perhaps doing it but I'm not gonna start modding out my new AC110 without good purpose
 
Wow, an AC 110 is gonna be huge on a 29 gal. I've heard you can use a smaller model's impeller to reduce flow, but I've never tried it. A 'fuge is just for removing nitrate and growing bugs/algae to feed the tank. You still need mechanical/bio filtration.
 
A refugium is 'a place of refuge' for little bug like critters that live in marine systems. The bugs (amphipods & copepods mostly) are good tank cleaners, but have the more important role of providing food for certain small fish and corals. The other, and my opinion more important use for 'fuges, is a place to grow seaweed. Seaweed or macroalgae is used as a living water filter.

Consider that all plants need light and fertilizer to grow, they macro gets the light from the main tank light or supplemental lighting and the fertilizer is provided by fish waste. Using macro algae as nutrient export is a good way to reduce the amount of detrimental compounds in your system- things like phosphate and nitrate which as you probably know need to otherwise be removed through water changes. As the plant overgrows its allotted space, you simply trim it back and throw away the excess.Most people use Chaetomorpha in their fuge. It serves both as nutrient export and a medium for the pods to grow on.

The key to a good-working fuge is slow but significant water flow and sufficient lighting for the macro.
 
TMartinez;4949250; said:
OK so you use the fuge to maintain water quality. but what about the mechanical filtration? would I losing that or will that take care of it too?

Like I said I honeslty have no idea what a refugium is or why have one. i'd like if some one could give me the broken down layman explanation. I am interested in perhaps doing it but I'm not gonna start modding out my new AC110 without good purpose
Click to expand...

Did you even look at the mod that i sent you..? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9miXlQQ31v0
Theres a section in there for a sponge which will act as your mech...
 
I like the idea of that mod. Will it provide all the biological, chemical and mechanical I will need? I mean the 110 on my 29 gallon is a little over filtered lol so i figured if i cut it in half i'll still be good...?
 
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