DIY external 20G fuge

[5ft24]

Well, picked up a 20G glass tank and stand for cheap. decided to turn it into a fuge since there was no room in my stand.
got the glass baffles cut by Chad at Coral Gazers in tustin, CA.
Fuge area is 12x15, and full of 40 pounds of sugar sized sand.
My CPR overflow has 2 drains. Plumbed one to the fuge with a ball valve and union so it can be disconnected if necessary, and the flow controlled.
Also have the drain going thru a DIY durso, ball valve and union to the sump. I can turn both valves off, disconnect the unions, and can remove the Fuge completly.
I have a GFO reactor hanging off the return side of the Fuge...
The remaining drain from the overflow to the sump also has a ball valve to fine tune flow.
temporarily I am using a 15W aquarium plant light from my 10G tank to light it...

 

[sprinklerdudes]

that ought to be a good size fuge, how many gallons is your display?

 

[btkrausen]

What type of macro algaes are you putting in there? I've never really had great growth out of using macro algae, but thinking about stick some chaeto in my sump to pull out some phosphates.

Looks like you are off to a great start.

 

[5ft24]

that ought to be a good size fuge, how many gallons is your display?

Display is 75G...

 

[sprinklerdudes]

perfact size,

 

[5ft24]

What type of macro algaes are you putting in there? I've never really had great growth out of using macro algae, but thinking about stick some chaeto in my sump to pull out some phosphates.

Looks like you are off to a great start.

I'm gonna start with Chaeto... make sure when you put it in your sump you give it light, or it dwindles away to nothing... Had a softball size ball I threw in my sump. In the top down pic of the fuge, you can see the little I have left after 1 month without light... half the size of a golfball LOL

 

[sprinklerdudes]

I started with cheto, I have red flame algea, oar grass, capalera? and a small dense clump of grass I got in trade, its all growing together, and full of pods, micro brittle stars, small shrimp and lots of other critters I do not know, it started helping the algea problem in my display in just a few weeks, it is really worth the effort in my opion,

 

[btkrausen]

I'm gonna start with Chaeto... make sure when you put it in your sump you give it light, or it dwindles away to nothing... Had a softball size ball I threw in my sump. In the top down pic of the fuge, you can see the little I have left after 1 month without light... half the size of a golfball LOL

Oh yeah, of course I'd need a light :) I had some growing in my frag tank, as I was going to turn it into a macro algae tank, but decided I wanted frag space instead.

 

[dougers31]

For a light you could go with a good quality clip on and use a 6500k 23 or 26watt(get the biggest either way) compact flourescent from w.mart