DIY hob refugium

[manringjk]

Has anyone ever made (or repurposed) a HOB to make it a fuge?

Some context for the question: I have the evo 13.5 as my first marine venture and I want to have a fuge going to collect excess nutrients and also to have a continuous source of live food for coral/fish/etc. I don’t really have the space to plumb a sump (nor the wherewithal to drill the tank anyway).

Currently I have a mini skimmer in the first chamber of the overflow, a UV sterilizer (which I put into the middle chamber because girl was ugly in the tank itself) and heater/back up heater and return pump in the third chamber. Could I even tweak the overflow and put a tiny fuge in one of the chambers and remove either the uv or the skimmer?

Thanks in advance!!
-Julia

 

[FUNGI]

google AquaClear 110 HOB refugiums....

Also
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/clean-effective-aquaclear-refugium-mod.789104/

 

[Fish Fan]

Using an AquaClear filter and converting it to a fuge is pretty well know. If you do a search, I think you'll find lots of examples. Good luck!

 

[twentyleagues]

Between the two uv or skimmer I would keep the skimmer but I like having skimmers. You may be able to turn the spot you have for the uv into a fuge I am not sure on the tank design. I was going to say the same thing @FUNGI said but I am at work and get interrupted in my hobby talk to actually do work all the time. Also one of my first reef tanks ever was a 34g with a set up from https://www.cpraquatic.com/ on it worked great until I upgraded tanks and got a real sump.

 

[FUNGI]

You can also buy a used CPR BAK-PAK skimmer and use that as a fuge...

 

[twentyleagues]

You can also buy a used CPR BAK-PAK skimmer and use that as a fuge...

My cpr was a skimmer and fuge in one. I actually still have it just have not used it on a reef tank in over 20 years. Until a year ago I had it on a 40b with pothos and palms growing out of it for a fw tank. The skimmer part was only so so.

 

[manringjk]

Thank you everyone! Results to come!