shartpants007
Active Member
Hey, guys. Just yesterday I replaced my Coralife 30 HOB filter and protein skimmer on my 20 gallon clownfish/soft coral/CuC tank with an Aquaclear 70 filter modded to be a sort of HOB refugium. Basically, I superglued bits of plastic grid into the back of the filter so that I could fit a basic carbon filter cartridge and then a refugium area. I put a magnetic light on the side and some ceramic bio ring lookalikes, a piece of rubble rock, and what I believe is gracilaria tikvahiae (a red macro algae) in there, followed by some copepods. I’d like to hear your thoughts and ask a few questions of my own, namely:
1. Was this a good idea? I was only running the Coralife as a normal filter anyway (just the carbon filter cartridges), as I’m currently on the winning side of a battle with dinoflagellates, and I read that both the skimmer and the phosphate removal pad would only allow the dinos to take over again.
2. Is it too much flow for the tank? None of the tank’s inhabitants seem to mind, and the substrate (very fine sand) is displaced only slightly, and then only when the water level falls a bit. The previous owner of the Aquaclear (who had made the same mod, but dismantled it somewhat by the time it came into my care) apparently had it in a 10 gallon.
3. Was it a good choice of macro algae? I was originally looking for chaeto, but my LRS didn’t have any in stock, and the red stuff seems more attractive anyway.
4. Is my flow too strong for some of the copepods to stay in the filter (I do occasionally want some to spill over as treats for my livestock)?
5. Do I have enough bio rings and rubble rock? I tried putting some sand in the refugium as well, but realized very quickly that it could easily be sucked into the impeller due to it’s size and position.
The refugium section from the top. The cartridge is on the left. Between the macro algae and the tank there’s a grid.
Level of bio rings as seen from the front of the tank. Sorry for how dirty the back glass is.
1. Was this a good idea? I was only running the Coralife as a normal filter anyway (just the carbon filter cartridges), as I’m currently on the winning side of a battle with dinoflagellates, and I read that both the skimmer and the phosphate removal pad would only allow the dinos to take over again.
2. Is it too much flow for the tank? None of the tank’s inhabitants seem to mind, and the substrate (very fine sand) is displaced only slightly, and then only when the water level falls a bit. The previous owner of the Aquaclear (who had made the same mod, but dismantled it somewhat by the time it came into my care) apparently had it in a 10 gallon.
3. Was it a good choice of macro algae? I was originally looking for chaeto, but my LRS didn’t have any in stock, and the red stuff seems more attractive anyway.
4. Is my flow too strong for some of the copepods to stay in the filter (I do occasionally want some to spill over as treats for my livestock)?
5. Do I have enough bio rings and rubble rock? I tried putting some sand in the refugium as well, but realized very quickly that it could easily be sucked into the impeller due to it’s size and position.
The refugium section from the top. The cartridge is on the left. Between the macro algae and the tank there’s a grid.
Level of bio rings as seen from the front of the tank. Sorry for how dirty the back glass is.
