Refugium or not, that is the question

[AC]

I was just at a LFS where the owner has a reputation of knowing about seahorses. This person didn't think a refugium was worth the bother. I would like more opinions. I'm currently in the process of research before I set up my tank, and I was originally going to us a refugium. So the question is should I or shouldn't I. Thanks for the input.

 

[AIMFish]

If it was a seahorse tank I would just let the algaes grow in the main tank with them. It would add more to the display and give them something to hold on to.

 

[Unlikely_Hero]

From what I can tell, a small hang on fuge wouldn't hurt. It'd provide a place for live feeder shrimp to reproduce unhindered by horses, and of course, a protected, constant source of live food is nothing but advantageous when keeping them.

But that's just me logicing it out. I don't know how beneficial it'd actually end up being.

 

[Swanwillow]

if you were going to do it, DO IT!!! you can throw cheto in there, and other algaes that take over the display.

in the display, keep the harder to find/keep macros.

 

[ReefNutPA]

The only real advantage of having a refugium is a place for live foods to reproduce. If that is important to you and you can justify the cost, then by all means go for it. It won't hurt the tank at all.

Is it needed? No. Will it improve water quality? No.

Tom

 

[AC]

Why don't you think it would improve the water quality? I thought that was the purpose of the macro algaes in the refugium?

 

[pledosophy]

I do think they have an effect on the water quality. It is not the same effect you'd et out of a filter or UV for instance, but there is a profound effect IME.

Refuguims provide a home for various small crusteceans to multiply and then return to your system. The macro algaes export nutrinets avoiding micro alagaes. It increases your water volume and provides a place to hide all of your junk. Lighting it inversly from the display will stabalize your PH so there are no swings.

IMO Can you have a system without a refugium and be succsessful, Yes. Should you get a refugium, Yes.

JMO

 

[c-horseman]

you also get the advatange of a cleaner water surface, as it's usually the top water that gets moved out to the refug.

 

[km133688]

I guess is depends on what you want the fuge to do. I'd be interested in knowing your decision on how big a sump if any you are going to run. I think maybe a large sump, almost as big, or even bigger than the "main" system, allows for many benefits beyond a fuge. A sump = more space = more water volumn, more LR surface area, more filtration alternatives, place to hide stuff. These I think will in the long term provide greater benefits than a small fuge. Sure, nice to have safe haven for pods, but even with such a safe place, your horses will still be eating frozen mysis mostly, not pods.

Of course you can always do both.

Good luck, Kevin

 

[AC]

The tank is 62 gallons, and the sump/refugium combo would be done in a 20 gallon long tank. Given that, the refugium would probably be about 10-15 gallons after the sump partitions for the skimmer and return pump.

 

[km133688]

either, 70 t0 80 gallons is a good water volume. I'd guess off hand you'd be fine which ever you do. macro algae does grow posd well. Some I saw recently was a guy who used egg krate (aka light diffuser) to create a chaeto wall. He wove Chaeto algae in and out of the diffuser and made a big green wall that he then place at the back of his tank to hide lots of plumbing. He reports that his horses love the wall and spend lots of time hanging out on it hunting pods.

I am sure he gets some of the benefits you were looking for, and has an unusual backdrop to boot.

Good luck, with the size tanks you are working with I figure you will be fine as long as you have appropriate filtration going too.

Kevin

 

[AC]

Thanks for all of the input. As I found out when I got into reef tanks. There's more than one way to do things all having pros and cons, but not necessarily wrong.

 

[pledosophy]

I have about the same size tank with the same size fuge AC. I love it.

As far as the bigger sump is better than a small fuge, sure it is. But IMHO a refugium 5x the size of the display is better than a sump 2x the size of the display.

It's a pointless arguement to compare things of different sizes for one purpose. IMO if a sump and a refugium of the same size are compared the fuge is the better deal.

There are many ways to set up succsessful systems. The trick is finding the one that works for you.