Refugium Tips and Guidelines

 Here are some general tips and guidelines when incorporating refugiums into your aquarium set-up.

• There must be sufficient water flow through the refugium. The actual flow rate (how many times the water cycles through the tank) depends on what you're keeping in the refugium. A basic rule of thumb is to change the refugium water volume in one hour (i.e. for a 20 gallon refugium, the water flow should be 20 gallons per hour (GPH).
• You can put your skimmer(s) (if you're using them) into your refugium if you're using a sump pump refugium. This can help free up valuable space underneath your tank for a calcium reactor and other equipment.
• Consider how you want everything connected if you have multiple refugium tanks, sump pumps, filter tanks, etc. tied in and out of your main tank.
• With refugiums as is with tanks in general, bigger is almost always better. Even if you think you won't need it now, get as large a refugium as you can afford and fit into your set-up. Some experts suggest sizing a refugium so that it is 20% the size of the main tank.
• Heads up: People often refer to the refugium as a "fuge" or you might see 'fuge in print.

Online Sources for Refugiums

 Looking to add a refugium to your tank setup? You are probably not going to find what you're looking for in a garden variety pet store (i.e. neither Petco nor PetSmart list refugiums on-line). Look at a company that focuses on tanks or reef environments to find the refugiums of your dreams. Here are some great online sources:

• Ameka Aquatics has one of the more extensive listings for refugiums available online.
• Aquadirect.com has both the hang on back and the external type of refugium manufactured by CPR. They have a 30-day return policy and a 20% restocking fee.
• Aquariumpros.com offers in-tank, hang-on, and external refugiums by CPR.
• Doctors Foster & Smith offers a limited listing of refugiums by CPR.
• LifeReef Filter Systems out of Colorado will custom build your in-tank refugium for you. Starting price is $199 for a "LifeReefugium." E-mail them for a price quote.
• Marinedepot.com has a nice variety of refugiums (in-tank, hang-on, and external) by CPR and Precision Marine.
• PremiumAquatics.com offers a pleasant variety of refugiums by both CPR and Precision Marine.

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