what is a refugium?

and what is it for/do?

 

Normally it is a saltwater deal. It is used as a refuge for fragile creatures, corals, and plants that wouldn't survive the predatory creatures in the main tank. If it holds fast growing macro-algaes (saltwater plants), it can be a nitrate sink. Otherwise, it can be used simply to house creatures as outlined above.
It either uses a pump to draw water from the main tank or it sits inside the main tank, depending on the setup.

I have a freshwater version, with lucky bamboo and soon water wysteria to remove nitrates from the water.

 

so its basicly its just a place where plants can be safe and use the nitrates in the tank

 

Plants, inverts, fish, whatever.
I'll probably be having a dwarf puffer in my refugium, too, not to protect the puffer, but to protect the rest of the fish.

 

I didnt know a dwarf puffer could hurt other fish how does he do it

 

They are some of the worst fin nippers around. livebearers, gouramis, even danios. anything they can catch they nip and they can catch just about anything.

 

They have been known to seriously injure much, much larger fish than themselves. They have super-sharp little beaks and are fast little buggers, which allows them to take bites out of fish even as large as a discus.

 

wow that's weird and cool at the same time

 

is a pump and a power head the same thing in a different shape

 

Yes and no.
Both are made to move water from one place to another. The powerhead is made to push it around, basically.
A pump has the same basic motor, but it is set up to allow you to hook a hose onto it, allowing you to move the water out of one tank and into another. Then you either use another pump and a switch setup or better, gravity, to return the water.

 

can I attach a hose to a power head and how would I get the gravity trick to work if my tank isn't drilled and I don't want it to be drilled

 

Puffer fish!


I made that mistake a ways ago in a 55 gallon tank. The puffer fish pretty much got returned after 3 days of unappreciated assaults.

 

do freshwater puffer fish inflate like saltwater puffers

 

can I attach a hose to a power head and how would I get the gravity trick to work if my tank isn't drilled and I don't want it to be drilled

Good. Drilling a tank is a pain, and can break the glass even if you're careful.
Not sure about attaching the hose. It would be an experiment and would likely void any warranty that might be left on the powerhead.
You can get an overflow device that will drain water out of the tank as long as the water goes over a certain level. Essentially, every time the water from the pump pushes the level over a certain mark, a siphon draws it off. Unfortunately, I can't think of what company the device comes from.

do freshwater puffer fish inflate like saltwater puffers

Not sure. Some people say that they don't, but there are a couple of people who claim to have watched their puffers do so when netted.

 

is there a way to make an overflow and not just buy one. and I would really like to see a puffer do that

 

is there a way to make an overflow and not just buy one. and I would really like to see a puffer do that

You might want to post that question in the DIY forum

 

ok