What size refugium do I need for a reef tank?
Some experts suggest sizing a refugium so that it is 20% the size of the main tank.
What is the difference between a refugium and a sump?
Sumps are primarily used for the storage of items of system equipment and can allow hobbyists to customize their filtration setup. Refugia are a little more versatile and can be utilized for improving biological filtration, breeding live foods, growing plants, and more.
Should I put sand in my refugium?
Depending on what you want to grow in the refugium. Certain macro or marine plants can be partial bury in the sand. If you don’t planned on have those, then no need for sand.
Can a refugium replace a skimmer?
A skimmer will remove organics before they break down, and a refugium will remove them after. The benefit of the skimmer in that regard is that the nitrates stay lower to begin with, where a refugium needs nitrates so it has to compete with algae in the display.
Are refugiums worth it?
Having a refugium is definitely worth it. It really helps the pod population in the tank and macro algae is great for nutrient export.
What should I put in my saltwater refugium?
What will you put in the refugium? You can use plain sand which you can buy new or use left over sand. Another option is refugium mud, which is said to be better than regular sand. You could leave it at that or go further and buy rock or use left over rock.
How tall should a sump be?
When it is all plumbed, and all pumps are off, the height of the sump water level should be an inch or two below the top of the sump.
What do you put in a marine refugium?
What do you put in the bottom of a refugium?
Live Rock as Refugium Substrate Live rock can be a great substrate to use in the bottom of your refugium. Live rock in the refugium gives additional space for helpful bacteria to populate and serves as a main nutrient exporter in the reef aquarium. Live rock can also house microfauna like copepods and amphipods.
What do you feed copepods in a refugium?
But one can keep a pretty reliable availability of pods present at all times when using a refugium. The most wonderful thing about copepods is that (at least as adults) they survive by eating unwanted stuff like film algae and detritus. As such, they may be the most important members of your clean-up crew!
Do I need skimmer if I have refugium?
Should I put snails in my refugium?
To Snail or Not to Snail Once in the main tank, snails can either function to remove algae or as fish food. But if using the refugium to cycle, filter and maintain balance in a main saltwater tank, algae and plant-eating organisms, such as snails, should be limited.
What size sump do I need for a reef tank?
10% of your tank volume is considered the minimum sump size for an aquarium. We have a 50 gallon display tank and are using a 30-gallon rimless aquarium to build our sump.
Do I need sand in my refugium?
Depending on what you want to grow in the refugium. Certain macro or marine plants can be partial bury in the sand. If you don’t planned on have those, then no need for sand. Likewise, LR and media is personal preferences in the refugium.
Is a refugium better than a skimmer?
They both do great things but very differently. A skimmer will remove organics before they break down, and a refugium will remove them after. The benefit of the skimmer in that regard is that the nitrates stay lower to begin with, where a refugium needs nitrates so it has to compete with algae in the display.
What fish can be put in a refugium?
Fish, snails, shrimp, corals, crabs, corals, and copepods can all be put in the refugium. Though all of these animals can live in the refugium doing so could impact the goals you may have for your refugium.