No Refugium?!

[Seajuice]

I've been reefing for about 10 years with off and on successes learning as I go... my latest venture my 90 gal mixed reef has been running successfully for 4+ yrs without any major problems. (micro algae) I am plagued with Aptasia right now!
Anyways I've always attributed my latest success with my out of control refugium (Chaeto) I've had my Mandarin for four years and I'm sure it's due to the fuge....but I also feel the Chaeto is absorbing much of the organic wastes. I run a phos and carbon reactor and run my protein skimmer around the clock.

So I'll stop carrying on...I've been reading that refugiums are old school and the latest and greatest is the use of BioPellets??? Can someone steer me to some good articles about Biopellets and Refugiumless tanks - are these two even related?
thanks in advance!

[dublo8]

A refugium is a place for nutrient extraction via macro algae, dsb and addition LR etc. BIO pellets are more for nitrate reduction and they also give you a little help in the phosphate area too. I'm not too sure about bio pellets yet as I have seen a lot of mixed comments from actuall users of them. They are new so maybe with a little more time we will find if they are going to stand the test of time.

[davocean]

Yeah, the biopellets are certainly not going to make your mandarin fat and happy.
There's way too much benefit from a fuge for me to consider removing it, even if I did hop on the biopellet wagon.
If it aint broke...

[cloak]

It's not all that difficult to get by without either one of those IMO.

[davocean]

Sure, you can get by w/out one depending on livestock, but why would you remove one that is already in there?

[Rocdoc]

What does, "my out of control refugium" mean? I assume you are regularly removing some Chaeto from the fuge, correct? And no, you don't need to have a refugium (or skimmer, or KW, or sump, etc.), but if it makes my chances of success go up and provides a steady supply of pods, sign me up.

[cloak]

Originally Posted by davocean

Sure, you can get by w/out one depending on livestock, but why would you remove one that is already in there?

Simplicity? It's almost like chess. The more experience you have, you'll start to realize that you can get the same results in half the moves.

[davocean]

Originally Posted by cloak

Simplicity? It's almost like chess. The more experience you have, you'll start to realize that you can get the same results in half the moves.

Isn't removing an already existing fuge a pretty big move??
I keep livestock that requires pods, so my experience tells me to keep a fuge.
That's my pod supply and nutrient export on autopilot, no moves needed.

[cloak]

Sounds like your stuck in your ways...

Good luck.

[davocean]

Originally Posted by cloak

Sounds like your stuck in your ways...

Good luck.

Um, my tank is just fine, don't need luck.
Not sure how anything I posted calls for any attitude from you, just helping/giving advice to OP.
This is a place where we share experience and learn in discussing what works for each of us, and that will sometimes vary in needs or outcome for each of us depending on our individual setups and animals we keep.
Most of us understand that having a living supply of pods can benefit most of our fish, even the ones that don't specifically require that in their diet, and most experienced reefers will agree a fuge is the best source for pods, as well as nutrient export.
Your comment mentioned something to the effect of less steps being more simple, and since OP already has an existing fuge, wouldn't that mean less steps in leaving it as is?
Wouldn't adding a biopellet setup be an additional step?
And the biopellet's only cover nutrient export, so you are only getting half the benefits.

[Seajuice]

"Sounds like your stuck in your ways...

Good luck."

I didn't really take this as a neg. comment. More if it ain't broken don't fix it?!

Hey thanks for all your replies! I am moving my tank and was second guessing whether a fuge is necessary.
Benefits of with a fuge seem to out way the negs. I do like simplicity and more space under my tank to do other stuff.
But the fuge seems to be working for me. I'm still a bit unclear as to what the Biopellets do??? do they replace GFO, or carbon??

[ludnix]

I started using biopellets and my refugium is beginning to disappear regardless of my intervention. The chaeto simply will not grow anymore. Frankly I don't really care, the fish are fat, the mandarins eat frozen food, and the nitrates are undetectable. I suppose I'll be able to run it as a crypt instead from now on.