DIY External Fuge

[jkrohn]

Recently I got tired of my refugium in my sump. The light spill was causing algae to grow in other chambers, in the skimmer, etc. It was also in my chamber with my socks and was usually a mess to keep clean of nuisance algae.

I decided I wanted to move to an external refugium but needed something that would fit on nearby shelves and the cost of prebuilt "fuges" seemed ridiculous.

I decided to go with a 6 gallon PE Tamco tank as it fit the dimensions of my shelf perfectly for $61.

I cut the top off with a jigsaw leaving a small rim (I was unsure about the rigidity, turns out this thing is like a tank) and drilled two 3/4" holes for uniseals which I then plumbed into my sump with a dedicated feed pump. I cut a sheet of acrylic down to size and cut some teeth into it. Getting the acrylic to fit correctly with the rounded edges was a pain but eventually it fit in well.

I also added two sensors, one optical sensor (in case the drain ends up plugged it will cut the feed pump) and a leak sensor on the shelf (redundant for overflow or in unlikely case some of the plumbing starts leaking). I also added an emergency overflow near the top. These aren't strictly necessary but it helps me sleep better as the feed pump in theory could drain my sump.

Overall I'm happy with it. I'm going to add a spray bar on the intake to generate some more directed flow and I need to add a strainer on the return but it's been working well, is super easy to clean, and fits my setup well.

 

[*GAREEF*]

Recently I got tired of my refugium in my sump. The light spill was causing algae to grow in other chambers, in the skimmer, etc. It was also in my chamber with my socks and was usually a mess to keep clean of nuisance algae.

I decided I wanted to move to an external refugium but needed something that would fit on nearby shelves and the cost of prebuilt "fuges" seemed ridiculous.

I decided to go with a 6 gallon PE Tamco tank as it fit the dimensions of my shelf perfectly for $61.

I cut the top off with a jigsaw leaving a small rim (I was unsure about the rigidity, turns out this thing is like a tank) and drilled two 3/4" holes for uniseals which I then plumbed into my sump with a dedicated feed pump. I cut a sheet of acrylic down to size and cut some teeth into it. Getting the acrylic to fit correctly with the rounded edges was a pain but eventually it fit in well.

I also added two sensors, one optical sensor (in case the drain ends up plugged it will cut the feed pump) and a leak sensor on the shelf (redundant for overflow or in unlikely case some of the plumbing starts leaking). I also added an emergency overflow near the top. These aren't strictly necessary but it helps me sleep better as the feed pump in theory could drain my sump.

Overall I'm happy with it. I'm going to add a spray bar on the intake to generate some more directed flow and I need to add a strainer on the return but it's been working well, is super easy to clean, and fits my setup

Recently I got tired of my refugium in my sump. The light spill was causing algae to grow in other chambers, in the skimmer, etc. It was also in my chamber with my socks and was usually a mess to keep clean of nuisance algae.

I decided I wanted to move to an external refugium but needed something that would fit on nearby shelves and the cost of prebuilt "fuges" seemed ridiculous.

I decided to go with a 6 gallon PE Tamco tank as it fit the dimensions of my shelf perfectly for $61.

I cut the top off with a jigsaw leaving a small rim (I was unsure about the rigidity, turns out this thing is like a tank) and drilled two 3/4" holes for uniseals which I then plumbed into my sump with a dedicated feed pump. I cut a sheet of acrylic down to size and cut some teeth into it. Getting the acrylic to fit correctly with the rounded edges was a pain but eventually it fit in well.

I also added two sensors, one optical sensor (in case the drain ends up plugged it will cut the feed pump) and a leak sensor on the shelf (redundant for overflow or in unlikely case some of the plumbing starts leaking). I also added an emergency overflow near the top. These aren't strictly necessary but it helps me sleep better as the feed pump in theory could drain my sump.

Overall I'm happy with it. I'm going to add a spray bar on the intake to generate some more directed flow and I need to add a strainer on the return but it's been working well, is super easy to clean, and fits my setup well.

That’s really cool!! Great job especially with the sensors.