Who out there still uses a "fuge only" on their reef tanks?

[snakeblitz33]

Hi all, just wanted to take a small poll.
New members are told SKIMMER SKIMMER SKIMMER WATER CHANGE WATER CHANGE WATER CHANGE... but who here still uses a refugium as a primary way of removing nitrates and phosphates from their system? How well does it work for you? What are the benefits that you have personally seen from running a fuge only?
I have had fuges on pretty much every single tank that I have ever owned. I don't think I really want to go without one at this point. I feel like macroalgae or an algae scrubber is an essential part of my success. I have seen many corals do really well with fuge only systems - however, I have yet to own a fully SPS dominated system - which is something I will later on strive for when I have more time and money.
For those of you who have fuges... why do you have one, what do you do to maintain it? Do you have a lot of sand, a little sand or no sand? What are you growing in your fuge? What benefits have you personally seen?
I know within the last few weeks of my fuge going, my cyanobacterial problem has subsided and some of my corals are even now starting to grow that once werent - like my grape montipora and my orange montipora capricornis...

 

[saxman]

Can't speak for a reef anymore, altho we did run a fuge on our mixed softy/LPS setup. However, we can say for sure that the use of live macro algae in either a fuge, or in the DT makes a huge difference in our FOWLR setups.

 

[flower]

Hi,
No skimmer on the 56g Kuda seahorse tank...the only coral in there are the green striped mushrooms. I have the macroalgae right in the display and up until a few weeks ago I kept an in-tank refugium. I plan to return it to the thank, but for now it was over run with aptasia...so it got bleached and is drying outside for a few weeks to a month. The peppermint shrimp were not in there to eat it, so it grew free and crazy. It was seeding aptasia into the display so I had to do something.
Because of my health I have not been able to do water changes as I should (once in 8 months was the longest I ever went)...still after months the tank had perfect 0 for phosphates and nitrates. I now have a lady who helps me with WCs, I don't think it's good to not do them. Supplements get expensive, not to mention the hassle of add this, and now too much of that. Everything looks so happy after a good water change.