Adding a Fuge ?

Z06-Hec · Aug 11, 2015

So when i setup my tank, someone came and did the plumbing and setup and put into place what he had access to getting.
Anyway we talked about a Fuge setup and he got me a sump with no fuge compartment.
Eshopps RS200

I was wondering if there is any fuge setup i can add to it? I thought i saw something somewhere that was a all in one or mini fuge... I may have been fish dreaming...
Is there something like this around? Something i can just throw in and pass water through or attach to one of the lines?

booth2010 · Aug 11, 2015

There are all sorts of HOB refugiums. You could also T off the return pump to feed a separate fuge like a 10g tank if you have room and then pump water from it back to the sump.

Z06-Hec · Aug 11, 2015

So I see Amazon has a few in tank boxes that allow flow through them...
I guess the idea is just throw some cheato in the box and let it live in the box?

So why cant i just throw cheato in my over flows and let it grow in there? provided they get light that is.

booth2010 · Aug 11, 2015

Yea you can do that, the boxes/ fuge helps keep in it one spot so it doesnt go all over the place. it needs to stay in a ball kinda rotating to keep unwalted algae from growing on it.

Reef UP · Aug 11, 2015

You could always explore the options of a external fuge as well

Z06-Hec · Aug 11, 2015

yeah i thought that too but it wouldnt be a display. If i did, i would have to stuff it under the tank literally on top of my ATO 10 gal tank. Would be cluttered and id have to pump it back into the sump/return.

booth2010 · Aug 11, 2015

http://synergyreef.com/product-category/acclimation-boxes/ could be used too

Betty1964 · Aug 11, 2015

My fuge is a separate 30 gallon tank next to my sump. Water runs into both the refugium and the sump and then the water from the refugium runs into the sump as well. They are connected with two bulkheads and a piece of pvc. I like it because I can take part of the system off line if I need to without interfering with the other. I can also adjust the flow through each independently.

puffer420 · Aug 12, 2015

So kinda on topic why can't I get algae to grow in my fuge but every two weeks after cleaning it everything is covered in red slime.

Betty1964 · Aug 12, 2015

puffer420 said:
So kinda on topic why can't I get algae to grow in my fuge but every two weeks after cleaning it everything is covered in red slime.

I had the exact same problem. I found three things contribute to chaeto not thriving when every other bit of algae does. The first is too low of flow around the chaeto, the second is light that is not red enough (warm end of the spectrum), and the third is that your carbon is stripping too much iron off of the water. All are easy fixes: small powerhead or increased water, use an older florescent bulb (I actually use a freshwater grow bulb), and add Continum's iron additive. I can't guarantee it will work for you but it is what has worked for me.

Z06-Hec · Aug 14, 2015

So what do you think about using some egg crate and putting some in my overflows?
Think that will do the trick?

booth2010 · Aug 14, 2015

That could do the trick, you just have to make sure there is enough flow so that nuisance algae doesnt grow on it.

Z06-Hec · Aug 19, 2015

So here is what I came up with. I like it, what are your thoughts.

knukles55 · Aug 19, 2015

I see a bunch of chaeto ending up in your filter eventually. im not shutting down your idea but please let me know if it works out in the long run....... that would be cool some miracle mud in your overflow with a mangrove shoot and some different macro algaes........ giving me so ideas now thanks to you

Z06-Hec · Aug 19, 2015

I fit some of the egg crate into the pip so none will go through. In any event if it does, its in the sock anyway.
My plan is, if this goes well, stick a sponge under the cheato and stick some mangrove into the sponge as well.
Im only trying one over flow for now but may decide to do both sides later on with mangrove and cheato.
The heavy flow should keep it from going back into the tank and the egg crate should keep it from falling all the way down or going into my sump.

booth2010 · Aug 20, 2015

Looks like it should work, just keep an eye out for extra algea growth on it, that will prevent the chaeto from growing.

Z06-Hec · Aug 20, 2015

Pipe*
Just wanted to point out some other things you can see in this picture...
1st it looks like my nearly naked clown is hosting that nem, hes not! Hes a fool and doesn't touch any of my nems... GRRRR, looks cool though.. LOL
2nd my light switch behind the tank... is dead, from the salt evaporation. When i placed the tank there empty I didnt think of that and thought, as close to the wall possible made sense... Looking back now, that light doesn't work and I have 0 space to swap that switch.. GRRRR