refugium or not?

[ITGuy]

I am going to set up a 55 gallon reef tank and will have a skimmer and live
rock. I was considering a refugium, but dont want to hassle with it really.

Is a refugium really necessary? If I don't go with a refugium, but do use a
skimmer and live rock, is there anything else someone would recommend?

And if a refugium is very highly recommended, I have a 15 gallon tall
tank..is there a kit to turn this into a refugium?

[KurtG]

ITGuy wrote:
> I am going to set up a 55 gallon reef tank and will have a skimmer and live
> rock. I was considering a refugium, but dont want to hassle with it really.
>
> Is a refugium really necessary? If I don't go with a refugium, but do use a
> skimmer and live rock, is there anything else someone would recommend?
>
> And if a refugium is very highly recommended, I have a 15 gallon tall
> tank..is there a kit to turn this into a refugium?
>
>

Not required, but they can be useful. Go ahead with the 55g tank. You
can try a refugium later if and when you need it.

[tim[_2_]]

If you've space on the top of your fish tank you can always put a smaller
tank on top at one end and drill a hole through the bottom with the
skimmer feeding from the top. Although it can shade a little of your tank
it means that you can put suitable corals - such as sun corals - under it
and make it look stunning. Mangroves can be put in the top tank ('fuge)
and make quite a stunning display mixed in with some macro-algae.

in -> I I
I out->II I
I II I
I II I
-----------\\---
--> to tank

On Sun, 22 Apr 2007 09:00:08 -0400, KurtG
wrote:

> ITGuy wrote:
>> I am going to set up a 55 gallon reef tank and will have a skimmer and live
>> rock. I was considering a refugium, but dont want to hassle with it really.
>>
>> Is a refugium really necessary? If I don't go with a refugium, but do use a
>> skimmer and live rock, is there anything else someone would recommend?
>>
>> And if a refugium is very highly recommended, I have a 15 gallon tall
>> tank..is there a kit to turn this into a refugium?
>>
>>
>
> Not required, but they can be useful. Go ahead with the 55g tank. You
> can try a refugium later if and when you need it.