Stocking the Sump/Refugium 

First some definitions by what we mean by "sump" and "refugium":

• Refugium - a safe place in your system. It is usually a tank that is plumbed into your main system where you keep delicate species, or try to grow copepods, etc.... Many people also use them to help filter the water from their display tank.

• Sump - a tank that is plumbed into your display tank whose purpose is to add water volume or a place to store your filtration hardware etc...

Since the purpose of this article is to discuss how to use macro algae in each of these systems to help filter the water in a separate tank, (usually a display tank or a prop/frag tank), I will use them interchangeably. In most cases, if you have a separate tank plumbed into your aquarium system that is separate from your display and have installed a light over it, you have a refugium.

Our Philosophy:

You want both consistent nutrient uptake and pulse nutrient uptake macros and saltwater plants in your tank.

Here is what I mean by those terms: (They use similar terminology in phycology by the idea is exactly the same)

Consistent Macros- Macros that need nutrient at a high levels, all the time to thrive. They filter out nutrients quickly and are effective at dealing with established nutrient problems.

Pulse Macros - Can handle periods of low nutrient levels well, and are long lived plants

Middle of the Road Macros - as you may have guessed, these macros and plants are somewhere in the middle. They grow quickly in high nutrient tanks, but can endure longer periods of low nutrition as well.

Consistent Macro Algae and Saltwater Plants: (High nutrient uptake - not in any particular order)

• Cactus Caulerpa

• Caulerpa Mexicana

• Caulerpa Prolifera

• Chaeto

• Dictyota ciliolata

• Fern Caulerpa

• Manatee Grass

• Grape Caulerpa

• Saw Blade Caulerpa

• Spider Algae

• Suction Cup Caulerpa

• Oar Grass

Middle of the Road: (Medium nutrient uptake -grows quickly under high nutrient conditions - not in any particular order)

• Red Mangroves

• Black Mangrove

• Botryocladia (Red Grape)

• Christmas Tree

• Green Gracilaria

• Halimeda (Monile)

• Halimeda scabra (Money Plant)

• Halymenia

• Halymenia duchassaignii

• Red Gracilaria

• Mermaid's Wine Glass

• Mermaid's Shot Glass

• Pencil Cap

• Scroll Algae

• Shaving Brush

• Ulva

• Acanthophora spicifera (Spiny Algae)

Pulse: (Low nutrient uptake - can store nutrients when they become available - not in any particular order)

• Codium

• Mermaid's Fan

• Laurencia

• Spatula Algae

• Red Titan Algae

• Sargassum

• Fauchea

• Fire Fern

• Flame Algae

• Liagora

• Pink Galaxy

The most ideal refugiums offer a combination of all 3. The slower filtering algae is there for when your tank stops producing such high nutrient levels. Because they all compete for space, proper trimming of the consistent macros keeps them in check. The slower growers hedge your bet so to speak in case the faster growers have some die off because of lack of nutrients. (You can limit this with proper pruning) There is a long article about this at chuck's addiction that explains the idea better. It is here:

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/algae.html

He reccomends a more conservative approach than we do. We think that the ideal setup is the following:

 Basic package for a sump: (Easy to care for, does the job)

Chaeto

 Red Mangroves* (note the height requirements)

Basic package for a refugium:

Chaeto

Red Mangroves

Ulva - (Amphipods and copepods love Ulva)

 Basic package for a sump/refugium that produces food for fish: (Easy to care for, does the job. Plus if your fish eat this food you reduce the importation of nutrients in your tank):

Chaeto

 Red Mangroves

Ulva - can be fed to fish

Red and Green Gracilaria  -can be fed to fish

Easy to Care for Better Package (Refugium or Sump):

Chaeto

 Red Mangroves (note the height requirements)

Ulva -can be fed to fish

Red and Green Gracilaria  -can be fed to fish

Codium - can be fed to fish

Best Package (Requires attention from you):

Caulerpa (You pick the species, these will be the trouble makers if not pruned regularly)

Chaeto

Manatee or Oar grass

Red Mangroves (note the height requirements)

Black mangroves (note the height requirements)

Ulva -can be fed to fish, copepods love it

Red and Green Gracilaria  -can be fed to fish

Codium - can be fed to fish

A deep (4 inches or more) sand bed. If the bottom inch or so is mud, then you are another step ahead of the game.

Comments (11)

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• Guest (donna rodrigues)

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  I have a marine aquarium that has been set up for appx 3 years. I am now adding plants. I have a sand bed, reef safe fish and a trickle in the back of a 105 gallon uniquarium with a t5 light that has 6 bulbs...can ii use the trickle as a refuge( i do not have a sump or a refugium my tank is very healthy) put plants in there? replacing blue plastic balls? should i plant in view tank..float? or in sand? I am waiting for my order to be delivered now. pods ...should i pour them directly into the tank or intake sponge or trickle??

  Tue 07 Aug 2012 00:37:16 PDT

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• wu-fezu-wa-ma

  Permalink

  Well if things are going well I am hesitant to say you should fix anything. Plants should be submerged, some species you can get away with growing them under a current/trickle, ulva for example can be grown like that. But as soon as it grows out of the splash range it will die. I would just keep it as is.
  
  You can put them in the display when the lights are off, or in the sponge area.

  Tue 07 Aug 2012 11:22:04 PDT

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• Guest (Nelson)

  Permalink

  I purchased 10 lbs of miracle mud by ecosystem for my refugium. Should I also add live sand? If so does the mud go on top or under the mud?

  Sat 10 Nov 2012 02:26:13 PST

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• wu-fezu-wa-ma

  Permalink

  I would put a layer of sand over it, miracle mud tends to blow around, the sand will keep it in place. Miracle mud has a bit of silica in it, you may want to remove it entirely at some point though, so you might want to just replace with sand off the bat.

  Sat 10 Nov 2012 14:31:15 PST

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• Guest (Nelson)

  Permalink

  Miracle mud is not good for a refugium? That's the only reason why I purchased it.

  Sat 10 Nov 2012 18:35:31 PST

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• wu-fezu-wa-ma

  Permalink

  It has mixed reviews, I have never been a fan myself. Google the contents, it is mostly silica dirt.

  Sat 10 Nov 2012 23:24:26 PST

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• Guest (Casey)

  Permalink

  So if I wanted to add a refugium to my 210 gallon mixed reef what would you recommend I put in it? I'm talking substrate and everything.

  Tue 16 Apr 2013 17:00:21 PDT

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• wu-fezu-wa-ma

  In reply to: Guest (Casey)

  Permalink

  Probably keep it simple and just put chaeto in there with a bare bottom.

  Thu 09 May 2013 18:30:55 PDT

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• Guest (Jason)

  Permalink

  I am like Casey. I am wanting to add a 90 gal. Refuge to my system. My DT is 250 gallon. Do you have a basic layout including substrate you like to use? I would like to put you "best package" above with no Caulerpa. This will not be a sump also just a refuge. My goals are to have a Manderin and want to make sure he has a great food source and also keep my water quality very good

  Sun 05 May 2013 11:44:19 PDT

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• wu-fezu-wa-ma

  In reply to: Guest (Jason)

  Permalink

  Just this artivle. If you use a substrate, go with a very deep sand bed, or it won't matter much. I would keep it bare bottom and grow chaeto only, it is simple that way. Get a feel for growing macros first.

  Thu 09 May 2013 18:32:21 PDT

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