Red Sea Max E170 ATO to Fuge conversion, without drilling!

[ethankap]

I recently upgraded my E170 to the in-cabinet sump, and since I had an optical external ATO, decided to make the ATO tank (1.5 gallons or so) a chaeto refugium. However, I couldn't find a place to drill the glass, and I didn't want to risk doing it myself.

Since the ATO tank is essentially a really nano tank, I looked to see if I could find an overflow that fit. Marine Depot made one! And it was a perfect fit. My shopping list:

Cobalt Aquatics MJ600 pump (https://www.marinedepot.com/Cobalt_...rheads-Cobalt_Aquatics-3C00059-FIPHFF-vi.html)

Some suction cups and clips for the tubing (https://www.marinedepot.com/Eheim_S...cement_Parts-Eheim-EH4014100-FIFRRPSA-vi.html)

Marine Depot Overflow Box Nano (https://www.marinedepot.com/Marine_..._Aquariums-Marine_Depot-MD8143-FIOFEB-vi.html)

I still have to put a barbed slip adapter on the bulkhead from the overflow, so for now I have it draining into some filter sponge. I'm adding a Kessil A80 Sun LED as the light, and some rubble rock, chaeto and seeding copepods this weekend.

Let me know if you have any questions. Very happy with the mod and was pretty easy to do, just had to pre-fill the ATO reservoir before starting and balance some water levels.

The nano overflow draining (currently) into a sponge to deaden the noise. I'll be having it drain into the main sump once I fit an adapter.

The pump mounted to the wall.

 

[DLHDesign]

Nice solution!
Is the water entering the ATO-turned-fuge coming from before the filtration and skimming? I had my ATO hooked up to a return manifold (post all filtration and skimming) and found that my water was "too clean" and I kept loosing batches of fuge plants. When I moved the fuge pre-filtration, things worked out better.

 

[ethankap]

It’s intake is right after the filter sock in the same chamber as the protein skimmer and such. So dirtier. Ahead of the UV and protein intakes.

 

[ethankap]

Here's the Kessil in place and a nice ball of chaeto growing. I added Tigger pods as well, and they seem to have settled in the chaeto and rubble rock. I'll add some other pods too.

And a video showing everything in action. I tried a tube as the down pipe, but it was too much in terms of speed and the overflow would suck air. So a foam block catches the run off and deadens the noise.

https://imgur.com/a/S4TbM