I have been keeping marine aquaria for about twenty years and reefs for about 10. I owe almost all of my success in this hobby to my friends at the Pittsburgh Marine Aquarium Society, and I have tried to repay that debt by serving on the board in some capacity for the last seven years, most recently as President and Co-Chair of the MACNA XIX committee. If you recognize my name at all, it is probably from my participation in the WetWebMedia Crew and as Co-Editor of WetWebMedia's “Conscientious Aquarist” magazine.

I have also authored or co-authored a couple of articles of my own for online magazines. I have had the distinct pleasure of speaking to quite a few marine aquarium clubs around the country, usually doing my best to glean practical, take-home information from “sciency” topics. When my hands aren't in my aquariums, I can often be found hunting mushrooms in the nearby woods. I live near Pittsburgh, Pa with my wife Lauren and several aquariums.

ABSTRACT

“Form meets function: Designing your refugium to work harder”

Refugia have become quite popular with marine aquarists, and for good reason! Refugia have the dual benefit of exporting nutrients while at the same time, providing a refuge (hence the name) for various critters to reproduce. The basic formula is generally the same: macro-algae, maybe some sand and maybe some live rock. While this formula works well, most aquarists give little thought to altering the formula to meet a specific goal. This talk will look at “alternative” refugium designs and how they are optimized for specific functions.