Welcome back to our discussion on building bulletproof refugiums! In the last few weeks, we have received a lot of questions here at
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Refugium Education
Reef aquaria have gotten a lot more impressive over the years. Much of this owes to a greater awareness of, and emphasis on, the base of the natural marine food chain. This necessarily has also made reef aquaria a bit more complicated. Why? For the same reason we leave out a food dish, instead of a whole, open bag of food, for our dog. Control! At the lower base of the food chain—the very bottom, actually—are the primary producers. This role is played by various autotrophic bacteria, algae and plants. At the upper base of the chain are certain (usually tiny) intermediary organisms ranging from protists to microcrustaceans (e.g. copepods). In this model, the autotrophs “make” their own food energy and biomass from inorganic sources of energy (e.g. light) and inorganic carbon (e.g. carbon dioxide) respectively; the intermediary critters feed on this food source, transferring it up the food chain as they are consumed by predators such as small fish. Small fish get eaten by larger fish, and so on… The most amazing thing about all of this, especially in aquaria, is the efficiency with which nutrients are recycled. Waste products (excess nutrients originally sequestered by the primary producers) that are generated by the “consumers” along the way are all rediverted back into autotrophic pathways. This is where the refugium comes into play. The refugium is an auxiliary tank on your main, display tank. It serves as a sort of refuge for both primary producers and primary consumers (i.e. intermediaries) such as pods. There, desirable and beneficial macroalgae are cultivated out of the reach of large, gluttonous herbivores such as tangs. Pods proliferate there too, safe from the constant predatory pressure of small fishes like damsels, gobies, etc. Even so, as the pods reproduce, they drift out of the refugium into the main tank to continuously feed fishes, corals, and so on. As the macroalgal bed grows to maximal carrying capacity, it is harvested and either discarded or (better yet!) fed out as a nutritious live veggie for fish and invert herbivores in the main tank. In this section you will learn how a refugium planted with macroalgae improves aquarium water quality and compete with bad algae, how refugia support maximal pod populations and how to smartly install/operate refugia in your own aquarium system.
72 Posts
Bulletproof Refugiums: Water Flow
Welcome back to our series on building bulletproof refugiums! At AlgaeBarn, we have gotten so many great questions on refugium design
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Bulletproof Refugiums: Maintenance
We're glad to have you back at the AlgaeLab for another post in our series on building bulletproof refugiums. It should come as no
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Bulletproof Refugiums: Equipment
We are excited to have you join us for this series on building bulletproof refugiums. It shouldn't come as a surprise that we receive a
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Bulletproof Refugiums – Lighting
Welcome to our series on building bulletproof refugiums! It should come as no surprise that we field a lot of questions about how to
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Building Bulletproof Refugiums: Substrate
Welcome back to our series on building bulletproof refugiums! At AlgaeBarn, we get a lot of questions on which products and methods
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Bulletproof Refugiums: Macroalgae
Welcome to the next part of our series on how to build a bulletproof refugium. At AlgaeBarn, a lot of our customers have asked what the
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Bulletproof Refugiums: Livestock
Welcome to the next part of our series on how to build bulletproof refugiums. At AlgaeBarn, we get a good number of questions from reef
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A Closer Look at Clean Sea Lettuce
AlgaeBarn is committed to doing our part to help keep the planet clean and green. It's why we're talking about the ways we can keep a
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Bulletproof Refugiums: The Basics
Welcome to our series on building bulletproof refugiums! At AlgaeBarn, it is no surprise that we hear a lot of questions about
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Ocean Pollinators
We have some very exciting news to share about ocean pollinators! Marine researchers in France have just released exciting news that
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All about Tisbe pods
Recently, we have been hearing a lot of questions about the unique harpacticoid copepod, Tisbe biminiensis. Tisbe pods are a super
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Galaxy Pods in the Ultimate Galaxy Pack
The Ultimate Galaxy Pack is our newest live feeding system designed to provide the most balanced nutritional profile. AlgaeBarn has put
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What is the Best Macroalgae for a Reef Tank?
Marine aquarists and reef keepers are using macroalgae in their tanks as a source of natural filtration more frequently. Many reef
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Should I Add Snails to My Refugium?
If you guessed that a refugium is a wordplay on refuge and aquarium, you guessed right! A refugium is simply a tank for plant and
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To Tumble or Not to Tumble?
If you decided to use a refugium for filtration of the reef tank than you most likely know how you want to stock it. But, if you’re
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What Copepods are Best for the Reef Tank?
One of the most fascinating parts of this hobby is the colossal variety of creatures that will take up residence in the reef tank. This
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Is Sea Lettuce a Good Macroalgae for the Refugium?
If you are looking for a way to control nutrient levels in the reef tank, macroalgae is a great way to do it! You may have heard about
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How Long Does Live Phytoplankton Last?
Phytoplankton is a crucial part of the ocean’s food web. So, it only makes sense that phyto should also be a crucial part of our
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What Light is Good for a Refugium?
Back in the early days of the hobby, there were not many choices when it came to lighting. The basic options for light fixtures were
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