Refugums are a great addition to the reef tank. Not only will you, more often than not, eliminate the unwanted algeas, but you can dose your tank through it, add the necessary macroalgeas and overall add a greater possibility of a healthier tank.
In my sump/refugum I have rock rubble to break up the micro bubbles from the drain side, then a couple of baffles to further eliminate the bubbles, then a small area for filter floss, carbon, etc.. then the refugum (an area of low flow), then finally the section for the pump. You could switch the pump/fugum arrangement if you wanted to.
In my opinion, the filter area is necessary to clean and polish the return water. I also have the heater and protein skimmer in the sump.
I would also not be without one. As a matter of fact I am changing mine out to a larger capacity sump/fuge. I am going from a tidepool II (13g) to a 20g diy.
I've been doing a lot of changing in sumps and refugiums lately. As of last night, I have a 10g tank with about 5g in it bare bottom with low flow and I use chaetomorpha algae as my algal scrubber. The basic concept of a refugium is to give a place for delicate things that normally wouldn't survive in your display to live and grow. Other than that, the rest is up to you. Tried and true methods are additions such as deep sand beds, live rock, rubble bottoms, algal scrubbers, Xenia scrubbers, Sponge and Tunicate scrubbers, and/or low flow. The most common set ups involve deep sand beds, algal scrubbers (chaeto prefered followed behind with Caulerpa), and low flow. As for lessons learned for me? I wouldn't be without one if I can help it. I've even taken the skimmer out of my sump.
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A lot of people ask what they should add to their sump all too often. Many people actually ask if they can put a mandarin or a pipefish down there. It defeats the whole purpose of a refugium if you add anything down there. It's a refuge for all the delicate things. Now, on occassion, things will get banished down there, I'm sure. Gorilla Crabs, unwanted nudibranchs, etc, etc.
