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oceangrl11
Guest
Ok. So now that I know what a fuge is....how do you begin one? Is this something typical to have in a reef tank?
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oceangrl11
Guest
Ok. And now what is a sump? :notsure:
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oceangrl11
Guest
ok i've read around and figured out what a sump is. but i am still a little confused on how to begin a refugium or exactly what its purpose is. Why do you have the water from the main tank flowing through the refugium or am i just mixing up what i've read?
any addy info would be awesome.
any addy info would be awesome.
hermitkrab
Member
Okay I have a refugium and they are GREAT. I wouldn't say they are for everyone or every tank but it is nice to have. People say you can have a fuge and you don't need a skimmer (I currently don't have a skimmer) but I would use a skimmer and a fuge just to be super safe. But refugiums are the way the water is cleaned sort of like nature. The plants take most of the bad things out of the water (nitrite, phosphate, etc.) and use it to grow. I have a refugium but am going to get another bigger one. BUt ya they take in the water from the main tank and it goes the the refugium and then back into the main tank. I would be most likely willing to sell/trade you my refugium if you are interested but refugiums are a great way to clean your tank and grow food for your fish at the same time. By the way my current refugium is the CPR Hang-on AquaFuge and it is the largest of the three models they make.
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oceangrl11
Guest
Hey HermitKrab. Thanks for the info. Not sure when i am looking to start a fuge yet b/c i just moved my 75 gal again and im having issues with it cycling. 
But ne how how big is the current fuge that you have? Can you purchase the tanks online ? I am in MS and i'm having a hard time finding a lfs. any tips?
But ne how how big is the current fuge that you have? Can you purchase the tanks online ? I am in MS and i'm having a hard time finding a lfs. any tips?
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oceangrl11
Guest
Ok visit this site for the sump:::
[Link violation - out of respect for the owner and operator of this site, please do not post links to competitors/sites sponsored by competitors, Thanks ]
and you can read HermitKrab's small definition for a refugium (otherwise called a fuge). There is a large difference between the purpose of the two, i think one is like a mini habitat that uses plants to filter out the bad things in the water (refugium) and the other (sump) is just a bunch of extra water or extra tank to put your skimmer or other filter systems Hope this helps. when in doubt Google it ! Hope this helps
[Link violation - out of respect for the owner and operator of this site, please do not post links to competitors/sites sponsored by competitors, Thanks
]and you can read HermitKrab's small definition for a refugium (otherwise called a fuge). There is a large difference between the purpose of the two, i think one is like a mini habitat that uses plants to filter out the bad things in the water (refugium) and the other (sump) is just a bunch of extra water or extra tank to put your skimmer or other filter systems
Hope this helps. when in doubt Google it ! Hope this helps
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oceangrl11
Guest
by the way if you find a refugium thread and click on it there are usually related threads posted at the bottom that are really helpful and there are also some pictures to help you out
hermitkrab
Member
Yes Oceangrl is right. Basically a refugium or fuges it is called is an "isolation zone". A safe haven for plants. Normally in the main tank with fish plants would be eated by some fish and inverts. This way with a refugium plants can benefit the main tank without being effected by the inhabbitants of the main tank killing the plants. I perfer my sandbeds to be 4" but others like 3" but it's all up to you. Just make sure that the fuge is tall enough for a dsb (deep sand bed) and the growth of your plants. Also of course you need decent lighting in order for the plants to grow I suggest no less than PC lights (Power Compact Fluorescent Lights). My refugium currently is only 4.7 gallons which should be good enough the "clean" a 40 gallon tank. Although my tank is 40 gallons I will upgrading to a refugium that is nine gallons (the actual spot for the plants and etc. is 9 gallons but the whole thing is more). Along with the sand you might want to add some live rock "rubble" or pieces that were broken of of larger pieces, rubble is usually not as "pretty" but it doesn't matter. Also along with the sand and rock rubble you should get animals for the refugium. You must make sure that they aren't going to eat your plants. Here are a few of the animals you can add to a refugium...
-Sand Burrowing Brittles Starts (small ones that grow no larger than get a disc no bigger than 1/")
-Nassarius vibex
-Turbo Snails (I added one Turbo from my main tank and it is doing a good job on the algae that grow in the refugium but leaves the macro algae alone)
Okay now on to what is macro algae? Macro algae is the "good" algae. These are such plants as caulerpa, shaving brush plants, mermaid's fan plants, halimeda, Tang Heaven, etc. These are the algaes you want to grow in your fuge. You will want these plants to fill the fuge and when they grow to big prune them and you can throw the clippings into your main tank and the inverts/fish will eat them.
I believe refugiums are great to have and almost everyone should have one but it must be said they are NOT required but are very handy. Good luck! Happy fishing!
:happyfish
-Sand Burrowing Brittles Starts (small ones that grow no larger than get a disc no bigger than 1/")
-Nassarius vibex
-Turbo Snails (I added one Turbo from my main tank and it is doing a good job on the algae that grow in the refugium but leaves the macro algae alone)
Okay now on to what is macro algae? Macro algae is the "good" algae. These are such plants as caulerpa, shaving brush plants, mermaid's fan plants, halimeda, Tang Heaven, etc. These are the algaes you want to grow in your fuge. You will want these plants to fill the fuge and when they grow to big prune them and you can throw the clippings into your main tank and the inverts/fish will eat them.
I believe refugiums are great to have and almost everyone should have one but it must be said they are NOT required but are very handy. Good luck! Happy fishing!
:happyfish
bdgenz
New Member
New setup for me here. Sump is nothing new, but a refuge is! I kept it simple. Took a 10 Gal tank for my reef ready 30, on one side put in a 9" plexi divider about 3" from one end to house a backpac (outsidethe tank), another 8.5" about 4" from the other for a pump/return. The area in the middle is refuge. Right now it has bio-balls to be removed slowly as the rock inside the tank catches up and sand to be added w/some calurpa. Copepods and whatnot will find refuge there from the predators in the display until I scoop them out for feeding! The refuge has normal flourescent lighting (18" phillips ultralume 5K bulb). If anyone starts getting beat up, they'll get moved below to recover. If the sand/algea deal gets old, get rid of it, a sump is still the way to go IMHO.
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oceangrl11
Guest
Originally Posted by oceangrl11
Ok visit this site for the sump:::
[Link violation - out of respect for the owner and operator of this site, please do not post links to competitors/sites sponsored by competitors, Thanks ]
and you can read HermitKrab's small definition for a refugium (otherwise called a fuge). There is a large difference between the purpose of the two, i think one is like a mini habitat that uses plants to filter out the bad things in the water (refugium) and the other (sump) is just a bunch of extra water or extra tank to put your skimmer or other filter systems Hope this helps. when in doubt Google it ! Hope this helps
In response to 'Link violation'
Sorry (embarrased) Did not know this was a
competitors site
Ok visit this site for the sump:::
[Link violation - out of respect for the owner and operator of this site, please do not post links to competitors/sites sponsored by competitors, Thanks
]and you can read HermitKrab's small definition for a refugium (otherwise called a fuge). There is a large difference between the purpose of the two, i think one is like a mini habitat that uses plants to filter out the bad things in the water (refugium) and the other (sump) is just a bunch of extra water or extra tank to put your skimmer or other filter systems
Hope this helps. when in doubt Google it ! Hope this helps In response to 'Link violation'
Sorry (embarrased) Did not know this was a
competitors site
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oceangrl11
Guest
Thanks HermitKrab. Very insightful. Couple more questions about fuge. If i have a wet/dry already then what does it do if i want to put in fuge? Do i get rid of the wet/dry and replace it with the fuge? If i have a 75 gal what is a reasonable size tank for the fuge? I already have a 10 gal but i think this will be much too small. Is this correct? Would a 25 gal be more reasonable or still too small?
hermitkrab
Member
Sure 25g would be fine. You can just get a 25g with some decent PC lighting and make that 25 into a refugium and your good to go. The "Big Auction Site" has some refugiums just do a search there. But you can turn a wet/dry into a fuge. Just where the bio-balls would be put some sand and rock with plants a PC light and you'll have a mini-fuge. Good luck.
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oceangrl11
Guest
Thanks a bunch for the info. I think that will be a good idea to experiment with until i decide whether or not i like it. Dont want to buy 25 gal just to not use it. I will try the "Big auction site" So the first thing to start with is sand/rock and culpera? how is it called?
So the first thing to start with is sand/rock and culpera? how is it called?
irishsalt
Member
They APparently run a Tight Ship here but I can respect that.
Okkkie Dookie. It's all relative like everything in this Hobby and life.
I have a sick 29 and I was going to setup a small Refug but don't need one to be blunt and short. My LS Critters are outta control. As such, I'll have plenty of Goodies to feed my Diamond Head Goobie when I add it.
If you plan on Keeping Tangs and other Fish that love Treats like Calerpa and wanna a high stock of Corepods....RUN a Refug. If not, their's really no need IME, especially in a smaller tank(read smaller then 40gallons).
Also, if your going to be running a Reef/Fish tank then absolutely setup a Refug.
Peace
Okkkie Dookie. It's all relative like everything in this Hobby and life.
I have a sick 29 and I was going to setup a small Refug but don't need one to be blunt and short. My LS Critters are outta control. As such, I'll have plenty of Goodies to feed my Diamond Head Goobie when I add it.
If you plan on Keeping Tangs and other Fish that love Treats like Calerpa and wanna a high stock of Corepods....RUN a Refug. If not, their's really no need IME, especially in a smaller tank(read smaller then 40gallons).
Also, if your going to be running a Reef/Fish tank then absolutely setup a Refug.
Peace
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oceangrl11
Guest
Originally Posted by HermitKrab
Sure 25g would be fine. You can just get a 25g with some decent PC lighting and make that 25 into a refugium and your good to go. The "Big Auction Site" has some refugiums just do a search there. But you can turn a wet/dry into a fuge. Just where the bio-balls would be put some sand and rock with plants a PC light and you'll have a mini-fuge. Good luck.
what is "decent pc lighting" if i am only going to be using the small area of the current wet/dry filter?
Sure 25g would be fine. You can just get a 25g with some decent PC lighting and make that 25 into a refugium and your good to go. The "Big Auction Site" has some refugiums just do a search there. But you can turn a wet/dry into a fuge. Just where the bio-balls would be put some sand and rock with plants a PC light and you'll have a mini-fuge. Good luck.
what is "decent pc lighting" if i am only going to be using the small area of the current wet/dry filter?
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oceangrl11
Guest
Also someone told me on another post that i needed to cover the return pump to keep sand from getting into it? Here is a pic of my wet/dry. there is a sponge in the opening on the bottom of the wet/dry that keeps sand/debris from getting into the other side. Will this be sufficient do you think? any info would be appreciated. thanks :notsure: :notsure: