refugium help

[aquaph8]

I am trying to convert my sump into a refugium. So far I have lighting and some chaeto. Is it a standard practice to use a sand bed and live rock in a refugium. I have also seen a product called refugium mud. Does anyone have any experience with any of these products. Any info about how a sump should look and what it should contain would be very usefull. How strong of lighting should be used?(local fish store said standard florescence would be fine. Any links or pics would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
aquaph8

[luther1200]

I wouldn't waste your money on the "mud" but regular sand or live sand is OK. I have a 3" sand bed of live sand in mine. I currently havepower compact lights and my macro grows breat. But many people use standard flourescent lights.

[kgross]

I like to leave the fuge bare bottom myself. I have used mud in the past and lots of them with sand, but over time I get to much detritus building up in the sand, so I keep them bare bottom so I can clean them out easly.

How strong of light, well, the stronger the light the better the algae will grow. A standard Fl will work, but a few twist type CF will normally give you a lot more light intensity for faster algae growth (I have one fuge with a 175 watt halide over it).

How it should look. Well, if all your sump is going to be is the fuge, have one large section with an eggcrate baffle to hold the algea out of the return pump and you are good to go. The algae will function as a bubble trap.

Kim