Do I need a Refugium?

[willist0]

I just set up a 55 gal reef tank that's being filtered by 2 HOB filters. I will be switching to a sump sometime in the hopefully near future . From my research its appears that for a refugium to do any good it needs to be really big. Most if not all sumps that would work for my tank have refugiums that are just too small. The owner of my local FS said for a refugium to be effective in my tank my sump would have to be at least 50 gals. What do you guys thinks?

[Reef Frog]

Small refugiums might not do all that much for nutrient export, but they still have value as a safe haven to breed Copepods & other micro life. It's also a good place to store a misbehaving fish or invert.

If your sump has the space, I would do one. Personally, I'd bite the bullet & build the sump now while the tank is still dry if at all possible. You'll save yourself some hassles. JMO.

[cloak]

I've never found the need to incorporate a refugium in any of my tanks. Then again, I'm not really a big fan of specialized feeders such as a Mandarin either. Proper husbandry, regular water changes and an efficient skimmer seems to do the trick for me. KISS, GL.

[anthonys51]

no you dont need one, i currently have a 57 with a sump, but no room for refugium. so just running a good skimmer. i am able to run zero phosphates and nitrates. but like the person above said, if you have the room i would do it, it cant hurt. if not that can be ok too

[davocean]

Usually we have the room anyway, why not make use of that sump space.
Yes your nutrient export may be minimal, but so many other benefits, pods, PH stability at night w/ lights on reverse cycle, time out space or a place to drop frags after that late night frag swap or whatever.
While nutrient export itself may be little, every little bit in the right direction adds up.

[CStrickland]

No, you don't need a refugium.
You probs don't need 2 hob filters either. In fact, they can work against you by driving up nitrates unless you maintain them fastidiously.
The workhorse of your tanks filtration is the bacteria, mostly in your rocks. The rest is a personal choice, and each method has pros and cons.

[Sk8r]

Effective at WHAT is the operative question. I run a 105 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump and a very nice 20 gallons of it given over to fuge, which is alive with little crustacean copepods and mysis shrimp that have hatched from the eggs frozen in cubes of fishfood. Free fishfood and a nice little free cleanup crew. Is a football-to-basketball sized ball of cheato enough to uptake all the phosphate out of my rocks (desirable, extremely)---no. It couldn't do that. I had to use a GFO reactor along with the fuge, and use a lot of GFO medium. But I'm still glad to have it for the favor it does my water. Kind of like the air in a house with nice potted plants, vs a house that's totally plant-free, I suspect. Plus free fishfood that gets through the pump alive.