What is the ACTUAL PURPOSE of a REFUGIUM?

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by ProHaloSniper
Very nice tank! My next question is:

How do you plumb it in with the first tank? I hope it doesn't involve drilling. If so, I don't THINK I could drill a glass tank!? If I were to accomplish this, how do you DIRECT the water flow down into your refugium and back up into your main tank? I have a 55gallon sitting on a stand with storage underneath, so there is really no issue with putting one in.

To sum it all up, a REFUGIUM acts as a separate filter? If so, how does all the nasty stuff get directed into it? With the media?

--Jim C.

the tank is on the first floor---water from the overflow is separated and controlled by two ball valves--to the refugium and to the sump
The water from the refug is returned to the sump by gravity and is returned to the main tank through a bulkhead on the far left of the sump. This is past all skimming to allow inverts from the refugium to be returned to the main tank.

The only hole that has to be drilled if you do gravity feed is a whole in the plastic tote(the refugium) and a bulkhead added