refugium vs. ecosystem

[kribbz]

this may sound like a stupid question but what is the diffence between an ecosystem filter and a refugium. to me they look the same. the ones that i am looking at are like the cpr hang on refugium and the ecosystem hang on. i know the ecosystem uses miricle mud and not just sand but other than that whats the difference?

[roadster3043]

Greetings.

To me they look almost the same as they do to you. From what a friend told me is that you make less water changes and it makes your tank more stable. The mud is supposed to do certain things which I don't remember right now.

To me IMHO they have the same purpose, except that one uses the expensive mud and the other is more of a DIY project which in turn is much less expensive.

Anyone care to share some info on this matter? TIA

[kribbz]

so then if you just had a refugium with miricle mud in it it would do the same exact thing?

[roadster3043]

I think so since they are built basically the same way.

[Anemoneman]

I think one of the most important functions a refugium performs is to grow macro algae for nutrient export. In that case lighting is critical. Miracle Mud or sand, algae won't grow well without sufficient lighting. I'm talking about 6-10W/gallon. Metal halide or tons of PC is required for maximum algae growth.

[Hara]

my sump/refugium is a 55 gallon, but is only "filled" about halfway. We have 220 watts pc lighting over it. That should be sufficient to grow any macro, shouldnt it?