I read so much about how a refugium is helpful in keeping levels down, especially algae down too. Also helps because a skimmer is too much for a nano, depletes all the nutrients. I want this tank to be stable and as a student I will not always be on time for water changes and thus want it to be able still flourish. I also want a nice looking tank, with sand, live rock, and corals. I plan on having a zoo tank, with maybe a frogspawn, that is pretty much all I want. Don't want high light hard corals, just soft. I'm still trying to decide, will most likely depend on lighting I can find. If I find a 13 watt one for cheap, or low like that, I will do the split, if I find a bigger size for real cheap, then I will do the entire tank. All depends on what I can find. Thanks for the help so far.