Is a refugium necessary in a reef tank setup?

[CPerez19]

I'm a high school student who's interested in setting up a coral reef tank, and I want to know if a refugium is needed in a reef tank setup.

 

[rudy.guzman.925]

Yes, https://youtu.be/OKNOfwEUdPs
Check out the brs episode on refugiums,"chaeto"


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[rudy.guzman.925]

Well not completely necessary but it would help a lot imo


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[GimpyFin]

They can have certain benefits, but are not necessary. Many tanks run without them.

 

[heathlindner25]

Not at all.

 

[ladynavyvet]

I have a 40 gallon reef tank, and I don't have one.

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[djbon]

It depends on what functions you wanted out of it. Nutrient exports, live food addition, extra water volume, live stock holding space, temporary detention for bad inhabitants, dosing area or simply for show off or all of the above. If you have space and time to maintain one, it is a great addition.

 

[Ron Reefman]

As happens all the time in this hobby:
Ask 10 different people the same question and you'll 15 different answers!

 

[MondoBongo]

my opinion is that they are not necessary, but can be helpful.

i ran my first tank for several years with no fuge. when i moved i set up a "display fuge" a few months after, so the new tank was running for a while without one as well.

the can become (more) necessary if you're planning on keeping certain types of animals, dragonets, pipefish, seahorses, certain wrasse, etc...

 

[mcgyvr]

As happens all the time in this hobby:
Ask 10 different people the same question and you'll 15 different answers!

except this one is easy..

A refugium is absolutely not necessary.. Neither is a sump or reactors or dosing pumps or wavemaker powerheads or sunrise/sunset LED functions or skimmers and more..

Anyone that says they are would be absolutely wrong..

Now there are benefits to all that but in a black or white question if needed or not the answer is not needed..

All you really need is
tank
saltwater
powerhead
rock/sand (you can go without sand but rock is pretty much needed but there are some things that could be used instead to create the porous surface area for denitrification,etc..)
heater (if your house temperature isn't stable enough)