Should refugiums be called something else?

[jamesdong009]

This has been irking me for some time. A refugium should be a refuge for anything that lives in that environment, not so much so if I'm tossing half of it in the trash every couple of weeks. I've found baby cardinals and mollies living in that small section of sumps and will catch them before I grab a handful of chaeto and toss it out. FWIW, I run one before my skimmer and after my returns.

I understand it's part of my filtration system and would probably not utilize a reef system without one, but to call it a refugium when I am literally throwing away 50% everytime just doesn't seem right.

 

[MrX]

So perhaps a Wasteorium?

Mine goes drain => filter sock => skimmer section => refugium/wasteorium => bubble trap => return.

Wish I could find baby Banggai Cardinals; but I think they'd get stuck in the sock and/or sucked into the skimmer.

 

[jamesdong009]

I don't run socks and just rely on worms, pods, and other random life in the "refugium" to consume waste before the skimmer.

 

[afboundguy]

I'm in the planning process of a new tank build and I'm debating using a sock/rollermat section before a large refugium and then skimmer to return section for similar reasons as Anthony mentioned. I just use microfauna and chaeto to keep the tank clean currently and think some detritus in the sump could help the microfauna population...