Refugium help

[lightcs4]

Originally Posted by Altohombre

sorry to disappoint, but I haven't progressed any in this matter. Hopefully you take over and I can copy you.

No disappointment ... it's a tough hobby in some respects and DYI can save some expense.

I was thinking perhaps some Plexiglas and fittings from Lowes or Home Depot for a simple HOB fuge. I "think" the fuge tank itself should be fairly inexpensive. However, I'm not sure what I should use for pumps to the fuge and back to the tank. I sure don't want the intake to be greater than the outtake.

Also, this is a long term goal. I may not get it done until this fall or winter. I always have more time than money.

[Bifferwine]

If you're building a HOB fuge, and you make the fuge sit slightly higher than the tank, you will only need a powerhead to pump water up to the fuge, and then gravity will make the water flow over the side and back into the tank.

[fatman]

A glass fuge would actually be easier to make than an acrylic as the back or side wall of your tank would already supply one wall of the refugium. It would be semi-permanent in that it would have to be cut off by cutting through the silicone. Most glass shops provide cut glass cheaper than acrylic. Just have them sand the exposed top edges. One quarter inch thick plate glass is real easy to work with and would allow you to make the refugium tank as large as 18 to 20 inches tall without pushing it. If you also put a glass lip perpendicular at the top edge you could easily go 4 foot long.

[lightcs4]

Biffer,

I am planning on putting it above the tank so it can run back down without a pump, saving some expense. I am looking at getting two of the Koralia #2 power heads for current (per your suggestion, I might add). Should I get a separate Maxijet just for the fuge or replace one Koralia with a Maxijet? I spent months looking at tank options only to discover the tank is one of the least complicated items.

Fatman,

Great suggestion!!!!

I'll have to cut the trim around the back top of the tank. I'm going to divide it into three sections for a possible future skimmer as well (the canister is working well so far and gets emptied each week). I think you just moved up the fuge schedule.

Thanks to both of you!

[Bifferwine]

You will need a separate powerhead for the fuge. A Maxijet would be perfect.

[lightcs4]

OK, I can engineer a network with confidence, but not an aquarium.

My understanding is the refugium should only allow 1 - 2 times the water volume per hour for flow. The tank is approx. 37" long, but I am only planning on going 30" wide, 18" deep, and four" back (assuming I can verify that I can get a skimmer that will fit in the four" section. This provides me with 9 gallons of water. I want six to eight inches of sand, plus a little rock, in the fuge section, probably 12" long. That removes around 4 gallons, leaving me with 5 gallons of actual water.

My questions are:

1: The tank would be around 60 lbs. or so. Should I simply attach legs to the bottom of the fuge? I was going to just use glass brackets off the bottom of the fuge, using Fatman's recommendation of having the back of the DT as a wall of the fuge. However, I am rethinking how to support it now that I am calculating the weight.

2: Is a 4" x 4" space enough to place a skimmer (very likely to added down the road)? They don't look like they take much room, but I would hate to be wrong.

2a: The other option is to remove the canister when I get a skimmer and put a small sump in the stand. I think I can get a 10 gal. tank in there. I wasn't thinking of all the essential add-ons when I purchased the tank. That may be a better option anyhow as the skimmer can then be kept out of site. Any thoughts?

3: At 1-2 gallons per hour flow, the power heads will move too much water for the fuge to work. The Maxijet 400 provides 106 gph. Even the Microjet MC320 gives 32 gph. Can anyone recommend a specific pump for this type of application?

In case it helps, my long term goal is to add, at most, one or two more fish, then procede with corals. I would like a couple ricordea mushrooms, a neon green closed brian (saw it at the LFS), possibly some button polyps if they don't spread to fast, candy cane, and staghorn (or something simular). This is also a two year plus plan. Appropriate lighting won't even come until the Fall.

Sorry for so many questions. I greatly appreciate everyone's willingness to share information. The 10 gal saltwater tank was easy ... live rock to start, 20% water changes, replace HOB filter one a month, and feed the damsels. This takes so much more research, which is why it's so interesting.

[Bifferwine]

I don't think a skimmer would fit in a 4" x 4" space. I can't think of one that would, at least.

Adding a sump is always a good idea. It will let you remove equipment from sight in the display tank. A 10 gallon tank would be big enough to hold your skimmer, heater, etc.

Powerheads are rated for how fast the water leaves them. If your fuge is longer and skinny (like most are), the flow really won't be that much. I use a Maxijet 1200 to run the back compartment of my 12 gallon nano.

[lightcs4]

Biffer,

I think I should be able to set this up without too much difficulty. I'll definitely look at a sump when I go with a skimmer. Sounds like the best way to do it.

Thanks.

[fatman]

To support the bottom panel of the refugium just use a few pieces of rectangular glass siliconed under the bottom to the tank back wall. Just spacing them out every 6 inches to a foot would be sufficient. That would mean your fuge bottom would be a few inches above the bottom rim of the tank.
If you wanted you could actually start the construction by siliconing say a one inch wide band of glass where you will be putting the walls and floor of the fuge then siliconing the refugium walls and floor to that strip. Then you would not have to cut away part of the tanks top plastic rim.

[lightcs4]

OK, I checked it out and figure I can do this for $40 or less, plus the pump. Not bad. It would cost well over double at the local LFS. I think I will plan for a small summer project.

Thanks everyone for your help.