Refugiums, Substrate or not?

[Tazmaniancowboy]

I am going to be adding a refugium to my system this week. I have been trying to figure out which way to go with the bottom of it, sand, crushed coral, miracle mud, bare bottom, Etc. I have heard of all being used and I am sure each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. What are you using in the bottom of your fuge? And what else do you keep in it?

Any thoughts or comments appreciated

Taz

 

[mnat]

In our fuge we have sand, live rock, and several different types of macro algae (chaeto being the biggest). It is also a great place to toss any inverts that become a PITA.

 

[Mbodell]

I was going to try the miracle mud with mangroves if I ever have room for them again...

 

[SWITCH420]

in my fuge i use sand red and green macro algae and mangroves

 

[JRWOHLER]

I have had good luck with mine, I put down about an inch of mud, old sand from my nano, and then rubble on top. Have cheato and one mangrove that I brought back from Florida, just for fun more then anything.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Deep sand bed, a couple pieces of live rock, cheato, a couple clown fish to make it interesting.

 

[Patriot76]

4' DSB (live sand), LR, various macro

 

[Tazmaniancowboy]

Thanks Guys. I'm going to use all your ideas. I think I'm going to do an area for the mangroves with miracle mud and top off and fill the rest with sand. And of course I'll have some rubble in there as well. Same as Jrwohler

Taz

 

[mgonz]

I was running mine with Fiji mineral mud. I also had a few mangrooves in there along with some chaeto. I liked it when I had it that way. the thing with mud is you should replace some of it periodically. I changed about ten percent of mine and added new every month or so. I have now completely taken it off line due to running an ulns. So no more fuge for me.

 

[Hawkeye]

I don't like having a sandbed in the fuge. In my opinion it becomes a dirt trap unless you are sieving everything thru a Filter sock before the water gets to the fuge. I use a stack of frag discs in towers to serve as some kind of hiding spot for ampipods/copepods.

I like mine bare bottom so I can weekly siphon the crud that builds up underneath the cheato.