Sand or mud in fuge

no, but it helps. could do a plenum since you have dsb.

 

A fuge is one of the best things you could add to the system.. As for the mud ? Cat litter is fine what I'd do is lay about 2. inch or so in there then cap that with 2 or 3 inches of fine sugar type sand then you'd have the best of them all the mud just provides a better place for the anaerobic bacterias to hang out. And they are the ones that convert the Nitrates into the sulfide and nitrogen gas .. But a fuge is no place to try and keep a frag its a swamp and nothing much will live in there other then plants and sand fauna and a few asorted snails and hermits .. water flow has to be very very slow and you really should never put a power head in on either.. Its simple a saltwater marsh/swamp .. Ever been near a back water area on the ocean when the tide went out ??? Stinks like death warmed over..

 

what is a plenum

 

Plenum - Description and Instructions

 

Thank for the info I didn't know thatwhat it called I planned to use that in the main tank so plenum is in the main tank? What should I keep in the fuge

 

i keep 1 lb/gal of sand in the main tank and
a plenum in the fuge with 1lb/gal of sand

 

I was going to do a plenum in the main tank and keep around a lb/gal in my sump a cheato and lr

 

you could also just put a bunch of rock in the sump for copods to reproduce in and algae or chaetto

 

Fug

It was my understanding that a fug has many many purposful aspects in the respect of being the most natural way to filter. If you have a DSB in your main tank. LR and some chaeto would smack in your Fug. Get some Amphipods and Copepods growing in there, shoot live food for some picky eaters. Another benefit in chaeto being photosynthetic, If you swap the lights in your fug on at night while tank lights are off it will help balance PH, oxygen, helps balance heat, who knows what else. Refugiums are sweet, I wish I had space to make a refugium side by side with a straight overflow back into main tank, most of the amphipods get chewed up by the return pump. My Fug is just as interesting as my main tank. They're wicked!;D I lay on the ground all the time at night just watching all the action, and there is a lot of action in a slammin' Fug.

 

I will still increase your natural filtration, water volume, oxygen exchange as well as pod production