DIY Refug

[BedrockIOMC]

I have a new reefer 170 and I have been wanting a refug on it. I really dont have room in my the smaller sump to have one so I have been trying to come up with ideas on a DIY refug that could fit into the cabinet. Please give me any ideas that you have or if you have done something yourself that works great, or if you have done something that would work great but you wish you would had done it just a little different. Anything will help. thanks yall

 

[CCK_8814]

I took a medium/small HOB filter, gutted the filter pad & Carbon then filled with live sand, small pieces of rubble & chaeto. Topped off with a cheap E27 LED grow light and had a working refugium for around $20.

 

[Katrina71]

Can you post a pic of the space?

 

[Katrina71]

I think I might have something that will work. Free of course.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

I took a medium/small HOB filter, gutted the filter pad & Carbon then filled with live sand, small pieces of rubble & chaeto. Topped off with a cheap E27 LED grow light and had a working refugium for around $20.

I dont really have room for that but might be able to mod it some.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

Can you post a pic of the space?

I will give me a minute

 

[BedrockIOMC]

Can you post a pic of the space?

Here ya go.

 

[Katrina71]

I might have a solution.

 

[dugthefish]

I'm in the same boat as the OP. I'd like to add a refugium with DSB and grow algae to remove nutrients, but my sump isn't really big enough or set up for it. Was thinking of adding a 20-30 gallon rubbermaid, directing the overflows into that, and bulk heading it to the main sump.

Haven't seen anything like that, and I keep coming across conflicting accounts of proper location in the chain of water flow (before/after skimmer/return pump/etc).

 

[BedrockIOMC]

I'm in the same boat as the OP. I'd like to add a refugium with DSB and grow algae to remove nutrients, but my sump isn't really big enough or set up for it. Was thinking of adding a 20-30 gallon rubbermaid, directing the overflows into that, and bulk heading it to the main sump.

Haven't seen anything like that, and I keep coming across conflicting accounts of proper location in the chain of water flow (before/after skimmer/return pump/etc).

You dont want your water from your Refug to go into your sump because you dont want your water to go into the sump and take the good things out that your Refug just put into it. Now you can let your water from the Refug to go into your return pump chamber but keep it away from the Skimmer.

 

[CCK_8814]

Would a small acclimation box filled with chaeto possibly work? Just drop it right in your sump.

 

[dugthefish]

You dont want your water from your Refug to go into your sump because you dont want your water to go into the sump and take the good things out that your Refug just put into it. Now you can let your water from the Refug to go into your return pump chamber but keep it away from the Skimmer.

So in keeping with my rubbermaid scheme, maybe overflows dump into the plastic container which houses the skimmer, which then flows into my Eshopps sump (in which the skimmer chamber becomes the refugium)?

 

[BedrockIOMC]

So in keeping with my rubbermaid scheme, maybe overflows dump into the plastic container which houses the skimmer, which then flows into my Eshopps sump (in which the skimmer chamber becomes the refugium)?

You could, or just have the water from you the rubbermaid refug dump into the pump chamber. either way.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

Would a small acclimation box filled with chaeto possibly work? Just drop it right in your sump.

just dont have the room in my sump and cant let the water from the refug go through the skimmer. Not go for that, the skimmer takes all the good stuff the refug puts into it.

 

[CCK_8814]

Didn’t know if possibly had room in return chamber possibly.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

If its just for nutrient export do you have room in the sump for an ATS?

 

[BedrockIOMC]

Didn’t know if possibly had room in return chamber possibly.

no with my pump in there and my temp and PH probe that is it. Its a small sump for sure.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

No not much room at all, and the little bit of room I do have in the chamber where my skimmer is will be taken up but a reactor later down the road. that is the only issue I have with this tank is the sump is small and not enough room for everything that I want to do. Its great for the tank but I have a lot of ideas and not enough room for my brain. Maybe I should just get rid of some of my brain. LOL

 

[markfmvl]

Have you considered running skimmer-less? We have two systems that just have filter socks and macro algae for nutrient export.

 

[Bob Escher]

Here ya go.

Is that the icecapk50? I had that hanging on my JBJ45 AIO before I added a overflow and a Triiger systems crystal cube sump