Refugiums: What Are They? Are They Worth the Price?

The refugium has caught the world by storm in the past few years. A shelter or protective safe haven for living organisms is the basic definition of a refugium. To the novice aquarist, a refugium may not be a household word, but with the understanding and knowledge of how a refugium works and what benefits it may provide, I believe that a refugium will become incorporated into many more marine tanks in the near future.

Refugiums can be built out of acrylic or glass, fancy and expensive or plain as in a standard fish tank and more cost efficient. The way you choose to create and develop your refugium is up to you, but the many benefits associated with a refugium can be enjoyed by anyone that incorporates one into their main tank, no matter which way you choose to design it.

The synergistic process of incorporating a refugium into your tanks configuration can be shown as an integral part of the overall dynamics of your tank. The refugium can be separate from your main tank, enclosed within your tank or incorporated into your sump. Either form is acceptable based on available room and whether or not you want to be able to view your refugium and its contents or not.

Now, there are many reasons for establishing a refugium as a viable addition to your tanks chemistry. Listed below are some of the pertinent benefits associated with a refugium.

Increased water volume, surface area and water flow. This will enable you to add beneficial bacteria (biotic faculties)for the breakdown of nitrates, phosphates and other so called undesirable elements. Water volume helps to dilute problems that may arise from human error in dosing, supplementation, or environmental factors such as temperature variances and carbon dioxide.

Nursery for housing small fish, inverts and plants and even some species of coral. Whether you have acquired a small shrimp, Xenia coral, juvenile Centropyge Angelfish, or a piece of macro algae that you want to grow without being consumed by a Tang or other herbivorous connoisseur, a refugium represents a safe holding place for livestock to grow and or spread or even reproduce without the chance of a negative outcome.

Provides you with enjoyment, entertainment and education. A unique microcosm of diverse living organisms, many not able to be seen or found within your main tank. The fact that most refugiums are smaller in size of say a 20gallon tank or smaller, you have the ability to capture many forms of life on a smaller scale.

Enable you to grow macro algae which allows you to increase beneficial dissolved oxygen and decrease carbon dioxide, especially at night when photosynthesis has stopped in your main tank once the lights have been turned off for the night. By equating a reverse daylight lighting scheme on your refugium, you enhance the likelihood of oxygen being provided to your livestock eliminating the chance of suffocation especially. Growing macro algae also enables you to harvest your own plants or algae for feeding herbivores such as snails, urchins, Tangs, blennies and crabs for nutrient export. PH stability is also enhanced through the extended photosynthesis period.

Pods, such as copopods thrive and reproduce in refugiums, since they are not consumed on a regular basis by your tank inhabitants. This allows you the ability to collect and add these food sources to your main tank at your convenience. Many times these pods will be released into your tank by the natural current produced by the pump cycling the water from your main tank into the refugium and back into your main tank again.

They can act as living filters by consuming detrimental organisms that would normally inhabit your tank.

Provide an emergency holding area for observation and recovery of your livestock that may have been harassed, or that you may have just purchased at you local pet shop.

Allow you to be adventuresome by creating a mud system, algal “scrubber” or animal filter system.

Whichever reason or reasons for your decision to buy a refugium, it will be one of the best things you could do for your tank in my opinion. Plus, the sky is the limit as to what you ultimately decide to raise or grow in your refugium. Snails, coral, live rock and sand, macro algae, mangrove community, crabs, urchins, various other inverts and organisms are all associated with a refugium and can be kept successfully for a long period of time. The way in which you aqua scape your refugium is also fun to create and nurture and offer you a sense of accomplishment, adventure and enjoyment for you and all who share in the passion, glory and astonishment with you.