DIY Refugium

[ndippy77]

I currently have a 35 gallon tank that has been up for about 6 months now and I have been having some algae problems on the sand and the glass but not on the rocks. I have reduced the amount of food that I feed and have also shortened the amount of time that the lights run each day. I am currently running an aqua clear 50 HOB filter and I have come across some youtube videos of people turning them into refugiums. I was just wondering if anyone else has actually done this and had success with it actually lowering nitrates and phosphates. I am currently doing weekly water changes also.

 

[KrisReef]

I currently have a 35 gallon tank that has been up for about 6 months now and I have been having some algae problems on the sand and the glass but not on the rocks. I have reduced the amount of food that I feed and have also shortened the amount of time that the lights run each day. I am currently running an aqua clear 50 HOB filter and I have come across some youtube videos of people turning them into refugiums. I was just wondering if anyone else has actually done this and had success with it actually lowering nitrates and phosphates. I am currently doing weekly water changes also.

If your only filter is the aqua clear then I would not try to replace it with a fuge. I would consider adding a second filter/fuge to handle nutrient export in addition to the mechanical filter, if there is room?

 

[ndippy77]

If your only filter is the aqua clear then I would not try to replace it with a fuge. I would consider adding a second filter/fuge to handle nutrient export in addition to the mechanical filter, if there is room?

so you would suggest making a separate filter a refugium and also run the one i am currently running then?

 

[Reef-junky]

You can buy a HOB refugium. Leave the HOB filter the way it is.