How to make a NICE and CHeAP HOB FUGE

[oceanparadise1]

Heres what you will need

rubble rock
Cheato
Small strip light
2 part epoxy
Emperor 400 Filter


This is simple fast and VERY effect!

After you get the emp out of the box, take the bio wheels and spray bars off. Now theres going to be a hole where the spray bars used to sit. No problem here, just use enough two-part to fill in the holes! Now, when that is dry fill up both sides of the filter with rubble rock,then put the cheato on top with the strip going across! You just made your self the easiest HOB fuge ever. Now this filter is better then teh aqua clears for a HOB fuge bc each chamber is a good 8 inch deep! So, if you wanted, you could do one side the rubble and cheato, and one side a DSB! ANy questions just ask! I will post pictures of mine tonight!

 

[Jeff]

That's pretty cool, but doesn't hold much water volume. How big of a tank would this be effective for I wonder.

...as I go looking in my garage for old power filters lol

 

[Pitcom]

The aquaclear 110's really work great for a HOB. They can hold a really good amount of chaeto and they produce around 500 gph. No epoxy needed or anything. I put in a 3 lb container of miracle mud, some live rock to act as a diffuser for the water flow and hung a 13 w compact on it. I'm still using one on my nano tank.

 

[oceanparadise1]

The emp is 400 gph, and has to DEEP pockets to put stuff in, you could easy put 10 pounds of mud in this one. BUT, mircale mud doesn nothing so i would not suggest it. Also i have this running on a 55 gallon non-reef ready tank, and it produces pods like crazy. Also i have a small strip light and i trim the cheato once a week!!!

 

[oceanparadise1]

It holds about a gallon, maybe a little more. Plus the point of this is not to hold a lot of water,its to have some more filtration, a place for pods to reproduce and some marco algea to eat nitrates. And i would say you could use this up to a 90 gallon tank with no problems.

 

[Pitcom]

To each thier own. Where did you find out miracle mud doesnt do anything? Are you a scientist who did a case study on corals/fish and the effects of sand vs mud vs bare? Not that i know it does anything good either. Just curious.

 

[oceanparadise1]

I have been reading on it, no need to be mean, i have seen studies done, it really doesnt do anything. In a reef thats 1500 feet tall,and you get the corals at the top, is there any mud near them? It just isnt worth the money and it can cause your tank to crash if not change when its worn out.

 

[Pitcom]

I have been reading on it, no need to be mean, i have seen studies done, it really doesnt do anything. In a reef thats 1500 feet tall,and you get the corals at the top, is there any mud near them? It just isnt worth the money and it can cause your tank to crash if not change when its worn out.

I don't see the question as mean, it was just a question. You never know who does what for a living on these forums. I've never heard of anything causing your tank to crash because it wasn't changed. Unless you make it too deep causing the bed to harbor h2s. The LFS has a 1300 gallon system with mud in the fuge for several years thats never been changed and the ecosystem there is running just fine. Like i said was just curious if you had any info.

 

[oceanparadise1]

Well i have seen some crash, not every system would crash esp one that big. BUT im sure your tank is not 1300 gallons, big difference. I was just saying that it has been proved to do nothing, you can search on google but like you said to each his own My only thing is please dont list something else on my DIY thread, im was justshowing people my desing no need to show them something else. Ik they work but the emp holds more water, you should make your own thread instead of putting it on mine, but no hard feelings

 

[Pitcom]

Well i have seen some crash, not every system would crash esp one that big. BUT im sure your tank is not 1300 gallons, big difference. I was just saying that it has been proved to do nothing, you can search on google but like you said to each his own My only thing is please dont list something else on my DIY thread, im was justshowing people my desing no need to show them something else. Ik they work but the emp holds more water, you should make your own thread instead of putting it on mine, but no hard feelings

Thats just funny.

 

[oceanparadise1]

How is that funny?

 

[ofblong]

I had a HOB fuge made the same way about ooohh 2 years ago. Now I would rather just have a fuge in my sump . I am tempted to drill a hole in my floor and have a 100g rubbermaid fuge but that might be overkill for my 29g tank lol.

 

[oceanparadise1]

lol, do ittttt!!! I am waiting till i buy my house im going to have a 400-500 gallon sump in the basement and a 120 gallonish fuge. I have a 75 rr in the makes but the sump and fuge will be housing way more then one tank!

 

[ofblong]

hehe only problem is I have a michigan basement (basement is about 4 feet high and mostly dirt except where the sump would go has cement lol) and I plan on selling the house within 3 years to build a new one.

 

[oceanparadise1]

Ha that wont work now will it, dang it all do it any ways! LOL 3 years is a while!!