What is live rock rubble?
Rubble rock consists of small pieces of live rock anywhere from the size of a dime to the size of a tennis ball. This rock is great for gluing frags or adding to your sand bed, refugium, or sump. All rubble rock is cured.
What can I put in a refugium?
What will you put in the refugium? You can use plain sand which you can buy new or use left over sand. Another option is refugium mud, which is said to be better than regular sand. You could leave it at that or go further and buy rock or use left over rock.
What should I put in my refugium sump?
The most common setup includes substrate sand, live rock, macro-algae, and water. Be aware of the type of water you put though; not just any water is desirable in a refugium. The water must be at the same temperature and level of salinity with the water in the aquarium tank.
What is live rock in a saltwater tank?
Live rock is rock from the ocean that has been introduced into a saltwater aquarium. When taken from the ocean it is usually encrusted with coralline algae and inhabited by a multitude of marine organisms.
Does live rock in sump need light?
It does not need lights but you are better off leaving the rock in the display area. Live rock in your sump had the tendency to collect detritus and may become a nitrate issue down the road if not kept clean.
Are Refugiums worth it?
Having a refugium is definitely worth it. It really helps the pod population in the tank and macro algae is great for nutrient export.
Can you use live rock in a refugium?
This aids both tanks being linked to a common water source and a deeper sand bed makes this possible. You can use live aragonite sand; however, there are many sources for sand as well as live rock. Place a few pieces of rock rubble from your main tank into the refugium.
What type of light is best for a refugium?
It’s better to have a proprietary lighting system designed strictly for the refugium. A 6500K and a mono-phosphor 7100K blue provide nice lighting for a tank this size. One that’s recommended is the Energy Savers Unlimited (ESU) Coralife bulbs or similar OSRAM brand of lighting.
What is a refugium and where should I install it?
Draining the refugium back to the sump allows gravity to do the labor for you. If your system is sump-free, then mounting your refugium above the main tank waterline or behind the tank may be desirable. Now you know what a refugium is and how it should be connected to the balance of your existing system.
What is the difference between a show tank and a refugium?
The true refugium is meant to be seen, as is the main show tank. Reverse photosynthesis arrangements are meant to be installed in a sump beneath the display tank and are a means of primary biological filtration. This is not so of the refugium.