macro algae, live rock or mangroves in refugium?

[Angrycubano]

As I'm "growing" in this hobby I've sparked an interest in sumps/refugium. Right now since I have just a 55 gal tank I would only need about a 20 or so gallon sump (correct me if I'm wrong). What's everyone's opinion on the refugium portion of the sump? Is it better to go with LR, macro algae or mangroves? I'm mostly keeping some fish in the main tank along with some LPS, zoas, shrooms, etc. Example of what I'm looking at would be some sort of mechanical filtration going to refugium going to skimmer section and back to main tank. Please excuse my ignorance here as I'm a newb to this.

 

[Jennifier615]

Don't feel ignorant; that is what we started our club/forums for.......You can use live sand/mineral mud small pieces of live rock rubble, and whatever form of plant(macro algae/mangroves) that you choose it really is whatever you prefer. The point of a refugium is a biological area that fish and predators inside the DT can't readily access to process nitrate/phosphates etc from the main water column as it flows through the refugium. They tend to get heavily populated with copepods/amphipods(small creatures) that are great at using the nutrients/wastes from the main tank and make the whole system more stable and healthy in the longrun.

 

[Angrycubano]

Since they all do the same thing, what are the benefits of say a LR refugium versus mangroves or macro algae? Is one easier to keep than the other? Is one more efficient than the other? I have a bunch of LR in my DT so what's the point in having more LR in the refugium? Sorry for all the questions but I feel since you guys and gals have actual real world experience in this, you would be the perfect victims for my barrage of questioning.

 

[CloudIX]

Here is a good read on this subject, scroll about halfway down the page and read the 2 sections on Micro-algae and Refugiums. It really helped answer some of my questions on setting up my first ref.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-06/newbie/index.php

 

[Angrycubano]

Thanks for the link. I was wondering what people here use and why?

 

[Fcamdog]

If you have plenty of live rock in the display tank grow some macro algea in the sump/refugium. If you run a skimmer and grow some macro in the sump/refugium you're tank will be happy.

Fcamdog

 

[Angrycubano]

Cool. That's kinda what I had in mind. Thanks