refugium - just what is one?

Phishnoob · 02-13-2004, 12:43 PM

Well I am looking at live rock still for another month now thanks to your mean old advice to be patient :P and building a little compartmented box to hold the RO/DI system and top off tank. I keep hearing about refugiums but dont know what they are?

Do fish go in them like an extra tank, or is it more like a sump.

The reason I am asking is that I can plumb over water from the 90 gallon and the 25 gallon sump and run a little 10 or 15 gallon tank on top of the box. Is a refugium pretty with some critters or just something full of equipment. Then there are threads about a frag tank whatever they are.

Phishnoob

SeaMunkie · 02-13-2004, 03:04 PM

Hi Phish,
From what I have read, a refugium is a place to put acclimating or nervous livestock. A "refuge" from the bullies and other fish in a tank. The ones I have seen have been built into a sump beneath the tank, hanging from the side or front of the display tank, and even some above the display tank. The hanging type can look nice, but I have seen refugiums in a sump that looked nice also.

Frags are peices of corals that are attached to small fragments of rock, for the purpose of propagation. I think frag tanks can be the sump, or refugium, or even a separate tank.

Hope this helps...

Phishnoob · 02-13-2004, 03:16 PM

Great thanks

It was kind of confusing.

Phishnoob

SeaMunkie · 02-13-2004, 03:58 PM

Oh no problem at all. There are still things that leave me saying "what the heck is he talking about" hehe.

Geoff · 02-13-2004, 04:20 PM

in the truest sense of the word a refugium is a body of water that is connected to the main system allowing critters to reproduce that would normally be preyed upon heavily in the main display (refuge-refugium). it can be both animal and vegitable. algaes are also kept in refugiums for nutrient export.

it gets pretty confusing when it is referenced on this board. a lot of people use them to house fish that are to mean, are not safe for the corals that are in the display, but this is not its normal purpose.

you can also use a refuge as a special place for hard to keep animals. like keeping Jawfish. these need a DSB, but if you do not want to deal with a DSB in your display then you can make refugium and keep it there. that way every couple of years you can remove the DSB when it gets full.

hth,

G~

Eric P · 02-13-2004, 04:21 PM

Actually a refugium is a tank used to grow macroalgae and other plantlife for nutrient export. In other words more filtration. The plants and sand and even live rock kept in the fuge helps filter out the water. Some folkes keep fish in them, others keep shrimp, soe folks keep nothing but plant life in them. different strokes for different folks.

HTH, Eric...

Sorry Geoff I guess I was a little slow typing this...

Dipstick · 02-13-2004, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SeaMunkie
a refugium is a place to put acclimating or nervous livestock. A "refuge" from the bullies and other fish in a tank.

I agree

williemilkem · 02-13-2004, 08:35 PM

they are an excellent place for pods..espeacially if your tank inmates eat them real fast

bscaggs06 · 02-13-2004, 11:12 PM

my refugium is going to be a little algea heaven. That is if I can get the nutrients down there going well. It should start blooming pretty soon. It hasn't been set up too long though. My refugium is in my sump :-)

Geoff · 02-14-2004, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eric P
Sorry Geoff I guess I was a little slow typing this...

it is just funny how often this happens. it is also amazing how close our definitions are worded to eachother.

i am just more of a blabbermouth.

G~