Amazon cheap fuge. Viable?

[Jake_the_reefer]

So there is a fuge on amazon that caught my eye. It's a hob 10.25" x 5.5 x 5 refugium that comes with a light and a pump. The reviews are looking pretty good. But in all honesty are hob fuge like this worth it? I'm currently using a modded aquaclear 70 fuge and it seems like it's working but not alot of room for chaeto. (My tank is sumpless) at its size it could add 1 gal of water to the tank which could be nice.

 

[Iván Olalla]

What do you intend with the fuge? Nutrient export? pods shelter? raise ph? For less money you can make a chaeto reactor that hangs on your tank and it will be more efficient IMHO (except for pods)

 

[Adamantium]

So there is a fuge on amazon that caught my eye. It's a hob 10.25" x 5.5 x 5 refugium that comes with a light and a pump. The reviews are looking pretty good. But in all honesty are hob fuge like this worth it? I'm currently using a modded aquaclear 70 fuge and it seems like it's working but not alot of room for chaeto. (My tank is sumpless) at its size it could add 1 gal of water to the tank which could be nice.

Don't waste your money on that. You can get those parts individually for like 1/4 of the total cost.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

What do you intend with the fuge? Nutrient export? pods shelter? raise ph? For less money you can make a chaeto reactor that hangs on your tank and it will be more efficient IMHO (except for pods)

Moreso pod. shelter and nutrient export. I'd like more room for pods in my tank. Like I do get a good amount of pods in my small fuge but not as many as I like.

 

[Iván Olalla]

Moreso pod. shelter and nutrient export. I'd like more room for pods in my tank. Like I do get a good amount of pods in my small fuge but not as many as I like.

For nutrient export a small fuge is not the way to go, there´re plenty of more effcient ways to do so eg. cheato reactor

Are you open to the idea of a linked/display tank? You can double your water volume, have nutrient export, lots of pods and a second tank to watch! (sorry, always making excuses for setting up another tank)

Why not a simple sump as a dedicated fuge?

Maybe start your own pods and phyto culture, the cost of putting it together is very low, maybe the first strains culture would be the most expensive thing of all the setup, after that it´s all good... you add phyto and pods as you see fit


but i left my first option for last: take a look at Santa Monica´s Hog scrubbers, you can make one on your own and it´s not a sore in the eye in the display if it{s weel designed.... an uplow in tank scrubber is very efficient regarding nutrient export, also helps stabilize you ph, excellent pod shelter and the algae can feed your hervibores

sorry for the broken english, not native speaker here, hope i heleped!

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

For nutrient export a small fuge is not the way to go, there´re plenty of more effcient ways to do so eg. cheato reactor

Are you open to the idea of a linked/display tank? You can double your water volume, have nutrient export, lots of pods and a second tank to watch! (sorry, always making excuses for setting up another tank)

Why not a simple sump as a dedicated fuge?

Maybe start your own pods and phyto culture, the cost of putting it together is very low, maybe the first strains culture would be the most expensive thing of all the setup, after that it´s all good... you add phyto and pods as you see fit


but i left my first option for last: take a look at Santa Monica´s Hog scrubbers, you can make one on your own and it´s not a sore in the eye in the display if it{s weel designed.... an uplow in tank scrubber is very efficient regarding nutrient export, also helps stabilize you ph, excellent pod shelter and the algae can feed your hervibores

sorry for the broken english, not native speaker here, hope i heleped!

I'd love to do a linked display for a frag tank but dont want to drill

 

[Blitheran]

Using a reactor, such as an algae reactor is very effective for nutrient export. Super easy to DIY

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Using a reactor, such as an algae reactor is very effective for nutrient export. Super easy to DIY

I'll check it out!