Refugiums for AIO

[DmitryB]

I'm setting up an AIO 49 gallon from IM. (While I await my 170.). I would like to set up a refugium for it for chaeto and copepods because I'm the future I think I'd like to keep a mandarin goby there. (Biota mandarin only so they will eat prepared foods as well.) Are there any good options for an "external" refugium? Has anyone set one up before?

 

[Saltyreef]

I'm setting up an AIO 49 gallon from IM. (While I await my 170.). I would like to set up a refugium for it for chaeto and copepods because I'm the future I think I'd like to keep a mandarin goby there. (Biota mandarin only so they will eat prepared foods as well.) Are there any good options for an "external" refugium? Has anyone set one up before?

I used a seachem tidal HOB filter as a fuge on an old tank. Just had to get some sceen for the discharge to keep the chaeto out.
On my biocube 14 i filled the first chamber with chaeto and it worked wonderfully as mechanical and biological filteration.
And on my IM 20, i use an intank media rack with the internals removed in the 2nd chamber of one side with the IM fuge light pressed onto the back. All 3 worked great with the first being the only true external style fuge.

 

[13rodo]

I'm setting up an AIO 49 gallon from IM. (While I await my 170.). I would like to set up a refugium for it for chaeto and copepods because I'm the future I think I'd like to keep a mandarin goby there. (Biota mandarin only so they will eat prepared foods as well.) Are there any good options for an "external" refugium? Has anyone set one up before?

On my IM15 I tried a couple things.

First was a small 3D printed one that hung off one of the baffles above the return chamber in line with the AIO flow. The issue with it was as the filter to keep the chaeto from getting into the return clogged, it messed with the flow into the return chamber, which triggered the ATO. It was more trouble than it was worth imo.

Second I used a hang on back media reactor with a dedicated pump, crushed rubble, and chaeto. This setup worked fine, but ultimately I decided it wasn’t enough for effective nutrient export.

 

[DmitryB]

I'm setting up an AIO 49 gallon from IM. (While I await my 170.). I would like to set up a refugium for it for chaeto and copepods because I'm the future I think I'd like to keep a mandarin goby there. (Biota mandarin only so they will eat prepared foods as well.) Are there any good options for an "external" refugium? Has anyone set one up before?

I used a seachem tidal HOB filter as a fuge on an old tank. Just had to get some sceen for the discharge to keep the chaeto out.
On my biocube 14 i filled the first chamber with chaeto and it worked wonderfully as mechanical and biological filteration.
And on my IM 20, i use an intank media rack with the internals removed in the 2nd chamber of one side with the IM fuge light pressed onto the back. All 3 worked great with the first being the only true external style fuge.

I'm intrigued by that last one. Trying to figure out how you had the light for it set up to keep from bleeding out? And didn't find it effective?

I'll be setting up one of IM UV sterilizers in one chamber, a media reactor in another. I could convert one of the remaining chambers into a Refugium if a) the light can be isolated (this tank is in my bedroom!) and b) if it is actually effective.

 

[DmitryB]

I'm setting up an AIO 49 gallon from IM. (While I await my 170.). I would like to set up a refugium for it for chaeto and copepods because I'm the future I think I'd like to keep a mandarin goby there. (Biota mandarin only so they will eat prepared foods as well.) Are there any good options for an "external" refugium? Has anyone set one up before?

On my IM15 I tried a couple things.

First was a small 3D printed one that hung off one of the baffles above the return chamber in line with the AIO flow. The issue with it was as the filter to keep the chaeto from getting into the return clogged, it messed with the flow into the return chamber, which triggered the ATO. It was more trouble than it was worth imo.

Second I used a hang on back media reactor with a dedicated pump, crushed rubble, and chaeto. This setup worked fine, but ultimately I decided it wasn’t enough for effective nutrient export.

It seems like someone should invent a decent one. I see there is one or two, but none get good reviews.

 

[13rodo]

It seems like someone should invent a decent one. I see there is one or two, but none get good reviews.

Ya I think the main issue with the AIO is you can’t grow enough volume to efficiently export nutrients. They keep pods for sure. But honestly my pod population has never struggled even with my pink-streaked wrasse hunting them. So imo it isn’t worth the maintenance.

If you’re keen on trying something 3D printed, I based mine off of this: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6166108 I did basically rebuild it to modify how the flow worked, but this was my starting point.

 

[DmitryB]

Ya I think the main issue with the AIO is you can’t grow enough volume to efficiently export nutrients. They keep pods for sure. But honestly my pod population has never struggled even with my pink-streaked wrasse hunting them. So imo it isn’t worth the maintenance.

If you’re keen on trying something 3D printed, I based mine off of this: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6166108 I did basically rebuild it to modify how the flow worked, but this was my starting point.

I'm primarily wondering about it for pod population to keep a Mandarin (not now, down the road once this tank is matured.) But if you say your population was good enough... maybe it will work out for me too! (I guess I can always just add pods from a bottle every month or whatever. There are certainly enough gadgets to fill into that overflow compartment already. (Sump, Media reactor, UV sterilizer + either a sock or a media rack with stuff in it.)

 

[DmitryB]

So I'm back to thinking about this again. Taking 3D printing into account and the fact that this tank is my bedroom, so it can't have purple light spilling out into the room at night. There are 2 chambers that are left for it to go into. The two 3.9'' wide chambers on the inside of the two overflows. (See diagram below). If I had a 3D printed box made, kind of in the style of IM's media box, black on all 4 sides. (Would have to think of some way to block the light from spilling at the top.) And put a submersible (Tunze) refugium light in there.

But is that enough room for chaeto to spin and be effective?

 

[Saltyreef]

Ive actually never had my chaeto tumble. I always just pull the white parts out while im rinsing to trim it back to manageable size. I was thinking to actually put it directly into one of the overflow chambers instead of the upflow chamber next door and have it act as mechanical filtration like i had in my biocube.
Never had a problem with it.

Im actually in the process of seeding my tank with TBS rock so my fuge area is full of rocks and not chaeto but Ill get a photo for you of my light spill. I also found a 3d printed chamber cover on etsy. Might have one for the 40.
I eventually want to upgrade to the 40 or possibly a larger ENT sump. 20 is too small for what im used to lol.

 

[Saltyreef]

Its actually super dim and with the room blacked out, it doesnt cast light beyond the wall. The lights from my UPS on the bottom right are brighter.

 

[DmitryB]

Currently I got a media caddy in the left overflow chamber and a UV sterilizer in the right one. I got a protein skimmer I'm waiting to come back in stock at IM for the secondary chamber. And I bought a media reactor for the 4th one. I guess once I set up a media reactor, things like carbon can go in there. But I feel like one of the overflows has to have a filter (a sock or the fiber balls) to collect detritus. And the other has the UV sterilizer. The protein skimmer is also important. The only thing I feel like I could sacrifice is the media reactor. Maybe that could be turned into a refugium. But it's a very narrow tube.

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[DmitryB]

Its actually super dim and with the room blacked out, it doesnt cast light beyond the wall. The lights from my UPS on the bottom right are brighter.

That's not bad. I have a moonlight on all night on the tank. This may just kind of go with it. So this is which set-up? Which chamber is this refugium in?

 

[Saltyreef]

Mines in the 2nd upflow chamber before the return section. Same as the protein skimmer on the other side.
Im using the bubble magus mini Q and it works pretty good. I think my chambers are a bit more narrow than yours IIRC.