Refugium help

[Altohombre]

well I feel like my tank is missing something and I feel like I am being a bad owner if I don't have a refugium and a sump. I really don't think I have room for a sump so I was just thinking about making a HOB refugium. They seem pretty damn expensive atm for something that is just an acrylic box.

My questions are:

1- Can a refugium be made less than 4.5 inches wide? Right now I think I only have 3.5 inches behind.

2- How beneficial will this be for me if I already have a canister filter?

3- Would an inside tank refugium be an option?

4- Anyone have any build plans?

[ccCapt]

Basically all a fuge is for is to grow macroalgea and have a safe haven for pods. The macro will help with nutrient export and pods are fish food. It doesn't have to be any specific size or in any specific location as long as it gets enuff light for the macro to grow and it gets decent flow thru it.
It can be inside the tank as long as it keeps the macro confined. You really don't want the macro, expecially cheato, floating around in the main.
You can't really compare a fuge and a canister filter. They have different purposes.

[Bifferwine]

Macroalgae can grow in small spaces, so you could have a fuge in that small space. Capt is right, I can't really compare a canister filter to a fuge. A fuge is where macroalgae grows and pods can breed. Totally different purpose than a canister filter.

You can run a fuge inside the tank, a clear tupperware container with holes punched in it works well, just as long as it can get light and flow.

[Altohombre]

I think I was slightly misinterpreted or wrote something wacky. What I was trying to compare the refugium with the canister filter was that I have heard that certain filters can be turned into refugiums to hold cheato and deep sand beds.

So you guys are saying that I could pretty much make an acrylic box lets say 12" x 3" x 12" and as long as it can hold a chunk of cheato and a dsb then it would do the job putting pods into my tank?

[reeffreak]

Lets not get ghetto and do an in-tank tupperware refugium or any in-tank fuge.Space is already a premium so do a HOB refugium.I can't be much help on building.I usually would never recommend Odyssea but they sell a cheap refugium.Personally,I don't trust the pump it comes with but you could always use a Maxi-Jet in its place.

Add a light(which you will need anyways) and you could still stay under $80.
BTW,consider the skimmer as an added O2 device,nothing more.

http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp...ROD&ProdID=292

[Damseluver]

If you have room on one side of the tank consider a "show fuge". When it comes to the novice observer of the tank show fuges often garner as much attention as the DT itself.

IMO a dsb of the size you have available for a hang on fuge would be of limited effectiveness. I use to have a 40g breeder set up as a show fuge on one of my 75 gal systems. I also used this area to food train mandarins which were then sold off. The mandarins lived fat and happy in even nanos after that, munching down on frozen mysis. Some even came around to eating pellet.

[Altohombre]

I want a mandarin that is food trained. Start doing that again so I can buy one from you.

[fatman]

I favor a fuge slightly above and to one side of the display tank. Drill one hole near the top of it for an overflow bulk head and just gravity drain back to the tank. Use either a seperate small pump to feed the fuge or "T" off an existing pump return line. A shelf on the wall behind a tank makes a great place for a refugium. You will need a light if growing macro algae, but no heater, filter or anything else would be needed for the fuge.

[lightcs4]

Alto,

Have you begun working up a HOB fuge or did you decide on putting one inside the tank? I'm trying to work up plans for a HOB fuge (4-6 inches wide) for my 46g. tank and would love to hear how your plans are progressing.

Thanks.

[Altohombre]

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