Refugium

A body of water which is separated from the main tank but which shares a common circulation, usually for housing dentrivores, pods, macroalgae, and other small critters that might be overpredated on by animals in the main tank.

The main purposes of keeping these populations up are:
1) Food
2) Scavenging/aerating properties of dentrivores
3) Nitrate transport by macroalgae

Here's a bit about them:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/aquariumdiy/a/aa041400.htm
 
refugium's are a must have! really helps in nitrate control.can also help maintain pH if reverse lighting is used.
 
Pandora,

I read the article you suggested. Thanks. But I still have a question. How does the water get to the refugium if not by overflow? Seperate pump?
 
rob-- some HOB refugiums (like the Aquafuge) do have a separate pump inside the main tank, in this case, just a small Rio PH. The sump style ones operate as you said by overflow. Some good reading in the DIY section as well on building DIY refugiums. Good luck!
 
How do you know how large of a fuge you need for your tank? Is there a suggested size based on the size of your main tank?
 
tiki, it's more up to preference. From the reefkeeping.com article on sumps (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/gt/index.php):

Size

The general rule of thumb for the "ideal" sump volume is "as big as possible." Of course, there are some realistic constraints that must be applied. Normally, those constraints are based on the size of the area in which the sump will be installed. I've also heard a rumor that not everyone puts every dollar they earn into their reef aquarium, so perhaps there may be monetary issues for some as well.

If a typical installation is planned that locates the sump under the aquarium stand, then the useable area under the stand will dictate how large the sump can be. When measuring the available space for a sump under the stand, don't forget to take into account any space that will be taken up by other equipment such as external pumps and chillers. Avoid squeezing too much into this area, if possible, as it's best to leave plenty of room to maneuver around the sump. Equipment that is difficult to work on leads to an avoidance of fixing minor problems and doing regular maintenance which, in turn, results in major problems or unnecessary equipment failures.


So, bigger does not necessarily mean better. While the rule of thumb above states to provide a sump that's "as big as possible," there are some other considerations to bear in mind. In the previous article I mentioned that there are many benefits to increasing the total water volume in the system. However, it must also be noted that there are some minor detriments to that concept as well. A larger water volume also means that larger or more powerful equipment must be provided, such as heaters, chillers, protein skimmers, and UV sterilizers, all of which may impact budget constraints on the project.

The most important consideration is that the sump must be large enough to handle the aquarium in question. There are two considerations in this regard. First, the sump must be able to handle the drainage from the aquarium when the pumps are shut off without overflowing. To view an animation of this, click here. For this reason, the sump will always be less than full when the pumps are running. Also, the sump must have enough water in it to provide the benefits described in the previous article, and to avoid problems such as noise and annoying bubbles. This handy online calculator can be used to determine the recommended volume of a sump that will be necessary to handle the overflow from a given sized aquarium.
Click to expand...

Generally, I think for most people the main consideration is "will it fit under my tank in the cabinet" :)
 
i wouldnt say refugiums are a must have. there are plenty of people doing fine without them, but i do believe they are beneficial and i would recommend one. i think the rule "as big as possible" is good for a fuge. i agree with Pandora that most people do what they can to fit one under the tank and i think that any size i beneficial. as far as circulating water to the fuge, many just tee off their return line. you can put a valve in to regulate the amount going to the fuge, then any type of overflow can send it back to the sump for pumping up to the tank.
 
I have a 20 gallon rubbermaid container as my 'fuge for my 55 gallon tank. It never gets more than 2/3 full of water, so it's not quite 20 gallons of extra water.
I keep it above my tank on a nearby dresser. I use a pump in my tank to pump the water up, over, and then into my refugium. I then let the water gravity-feed through a hose back down into the tank. I've got some lights on the 'fuge, and it's a chaeto super-farm, with tons of little critters living in it.
Just some advice if you make a DIY (do it yourself) fuge.. Dont cut holes in rubbermaid containers! There is no material that sticks to rubbermaid very well, so it's a serious b--ch to seal any holes. If you want to drill holes use a glass or acrylic tank.
~Adam D.
 
rob, do you have a little space (just a few inches) at the back of your tank? That was the HOB (hang on the back) option I talked about earlier with the Aquafuge. This is what it looks like:

t_1150.gif


There are also other brands that sell them as well.
 
OK Thanks. I did not know what the HOB meant so I didn't get it. It is another item to add to my list of future upgrades
 
If you do not have a sump you can use an overflow bow (I recommend the U tube type) to feed your fuge then put a pump to return the water to your tank in the last chamber of the fuge.
 
Let me get this straight about contents of a fuge.....

A little bit if sand (1-2 inches), some macro algae to remove nutrients from the water. Maybe a chunk of live rock for the pods to play in? Oh yeah.....what type of lighting?

Now I plan on running a tee off of the drain line from my tank to my sump into the fuge for a slow flow then back into the sump (but not the skimmer!) then back into tank.
 
If i already have a 55 gal sump under my tank in cabinet i cant even fit a ten gallon Fuge. under there too.....

Currently i have the main talk with over flows filling to the sump. The Sump has bio balls and the slimmer... then the sump is pumped back into the main tank...


can i tap off the over flow line to send water to the fuge. then pump the fuge water back into the sump..or should i go directly back into the main tank?


Chris
 
rob--

Check this for acronyms & abbreviations:
http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Encyclopedia&op=terms&eid=2&ltr=all

Lanzfeld--

You can also use more sand than that (DSB = deep sand bed, usually 5-6", just like in many main tanks; depth in the refugium can be a preference based on room) if you want, once it is established, it's one of the most efficient methods of denitrification. And yes, you'll want some live rock; it can be rubble. The lighting, doesn't matter that much. You really don't need strong lighting at all, some power compact fluorescents or even normal output fluorescents usually do fine. Many people put this on a reverse timer for light than the main tank. This has the added advantage of minimizing pH drops that can happen in the most main tanks after the lights go out (because the corals are no longer participating in photosynthesis).

Seajay--

You can do that, so long as the circulation is connected--I've seen all sorts of plumbing in people's tanks. Many people do remove their bioballs anyway and just use that area for the refugium if it is big enough... because bioballs can collect nitrate (do a search for it here).
 
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