Refugium questions... Need Help

hermitkrab

hermitkrab

Member
I was thinking of moving from a skimmer to a refugium. I was thinking of getting the AquaFuge PS Refugium which has a skimmer built into it. It cost $222.99 but the AquaFuge External Hang-On Refugium cost $119.99. The one with the ps dimensions are 23-1/2" x 3-3/4" x 14-1/2" and the one without it is 25-1/2" x 4-1/2" x 12" and keep in mind the one with the ps has less room for the actual refugium becuase of the ps. Which one should I get? Also should I use refugium mud, biosediment, live sand, or a mix of the three? How deep should the sand/mud bed be? Do I put live rocks into the refugium and if so how many lb.? What plants are the best for a refugium and should I put any inverts in the refugium to keep it clean? By the way my main tank is 40g with 90lb. of ls and 75lb. of lr. Thanks for the help.
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
I'd go with the hang on fuge without the skimmer included and keep your current skimmer.
 
A

andretti

Guest
All of the skimmers that are "built in" to refugiums and wet/drys are not nearly as good as the external types, such as the Aqua c, Bakpaks, Berlins, etc. Most of them are simply driven by an airpump and a wooden airstone. So to answer your first question, go W/the Aqua c. In regards to your question about the fuge itself, I and most others use a sandbed of about 3", live rock, and macroalage. Though I have not used it, I hear "miracle mud" works quite well. As for the amout of L/R, most use about two lbs. per gallon of refugium water volume; so if your fuge is six gallons, you would/should use roughly 12lbs of L/R. I do not keep any inverts in the fuge because the primary reason for having it is to sustain ampipods and copods for my Mandarin Gobies. But a lot of people do use inverts in fuges for cleaning up. Good luck and I hope this helps.
:happyfish
 
hughes07

hughes07

Member
i ordered the hang-on refugium last week with the mineral mud. i haven't gotten it yet but if i were you i would use both the refugium and the skimmer. with the refugium i also ordered the aquaC remora skimmer. im just going to use the refugium, skimmer, and then my hob filter. Andretti, where would you get the macroalgae and the copepods?
 
dmc888

dmc888

Member
A sump can be used as a fuge also.
Pretty much the same thing except for added diveders.
It would be best to have it not too close to the pump.
Better with slower flow.
I have a 10g fuge with just 70gph.
'
I had it for about a month now.
Tons of pods in there.
If the flow was higher many pods would get sent out to the main tank and probably end up in my filters.
I would post your email address for help with pods.
Not allowed to post other sites.
 
finfighter

finfighter

Member
When u have pods in a refugium do u harvest them with like a brine shrimp net to feed them to ur fish and coral or just keep them in the fuge?
 
trainfever

trainfever

Active Member
:yes: I will harvest them eventually. Right now, I just take the section of plant that the pods are in and shake it in the water in my main tank.
 
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