Refugium info for newbies?

[Gordonious]

Can someone briefly explain what occurs, or what I could put in a refugium? I have wanted to add one for a while because of how great everyone raves they are and it has recently been recommended to me to help support an anemone
crab. (http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=3800208#post3800208) I am a newbie, but I am working towards a bio major to hopefully become a marine biologist. (we all got to start somewhere) I understand that the refugium is very good for a tank and have planned on adding one in the next month, but I want to learn more about it and what I would put in it.

Any info, or good links would be greatly appriciated.

JG

[New_Noob]

refugiums (fuges) are where biological filtration takes place, it is a safe place for pods and micro fuanas(and also sensative fish.inverts that mgith not survive in your main tank) to grow and thrive, it is also a place to grow plants called "macro algaes", in the display tank macroalages can easily take over corals or rocks, but in the refugium they cant, and also it uis a safe place to grow macroalages for nutrient reducion and tang/blenny foods.

its like a lagoon.

[Gordonious]

Thanks a lot. One question I have to ask now I guess is what macro algaes are there, I assume there are more then one. Where can I get them and what is best in a FOWLR with just one filter feeder(the anemone crab).

[Ehydo]

chaetomorpha aka brillo pad algae I like the best. Calerpa can go sexual and contaminate your tank. There are two types of cheato, dark green which grows in tight bunches and light green which grows in loose bunches.

Cheato does not need 24 hour lighting but calerpa does. I still run the fuge lights 24 hours to reduce nitrates.

Currently my nitrates are 0.

[New_Noob]

agreed Cheato is ablot better then Caulerpa.

under a regular light period (with a day and a night time) caulerpa can go "sexual" this si when it releases everything ti has taken out of the water (Nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, phos, and other poulutants) it releases it all in one huge pulse, crashing your tank, it is less lieky to go sexual under 24/7 hour lighting, but still a chance, cheato is alot better, dosent look asgood (ball of twine) but it alot betetr IMO

[Gordonious]

Ehydo thanks. And New_Noob thanks a lot for the explanation of sexual I was starting to wonder what kind of religious site this was... everyone seemed to be against sexual stuff. :-) jk

Really appreciate the help everyone,
JG