Juwel filterbox into small refugium?

[Reckotch]

I am looking through other options for the Juwel filterbox. I have up until now used it with the original sponges but am now considering removing the entire unit upon learning the sponges may become nitrate traps.
The pros for removing would be: more space in the tank, less unsightly tech.
The cons of removing would be: Nothing to hide the heater in.

I have then started looking around on posibilities to keep the unitbox, remove the sponges and use the storage space for something else.
The heater, active carbon and phosphate remover have been suggestions for what I could keep in there. However, my skimmer also has room a couple of filtersocks and would be easier to work with, so the box would only hold a heater. The heater is unsightly, but takes up much less space than the box if that is all it will be used for so I might just have to live with that if I remove the box fully.

So what about remaking it all into a small refugium? Can it be successful or am I better off removing the filter unit altogether?
I am thinking some liverock and chaeto. A small light can be added above it without affecting the rest of the tank very much.
Even though the space is small I am thinking it could be useful if it works.

Thoughts or experiences on this?

 

[lion king]

You could make into like a internal algae reactor. Look into centrally lit algae reactors to get an idea of using submersible leds, You would want the algae getting light all the down vs just being lit on the top.

 

[Reckotch]

You could make into like a internal algae reactor. Look into centrally lit algae reactors to get an idea of using submersible leds, You would want the algae getting light all the down vs just being lit on the top.

That is an idea I have been pondering a few days now, but got stuck in how to give light all the way down. Of course I hadn't had a thought about submersible LEDs! If I can make a box or 2 out of eggcrate it should be easy enough to pull them up to harvest the algae from time to time, but I will have to keep thnking about how I will do.