refugium thoughts...help needed :)

[pixburg-reefer]

Hi again everyone,
okay, I'd like to set up my 29 gallon bow front soon, hopefully. But I would like to put a refug. on the tank. I do not have one on my larger 55 gallon tank, so when it comes to this i don't really know much so i kinda had an idea and wanted some imput :)
I know that for a refugium that you need to drill the back of the tank for starters. What if I didn't do that. What if i just got a filter, like a penguin filter, and looked that up to the tank and then i would leave the lid off of it, so the light (hanging from above the tank) would support both of the tank and refug. life. This way, the water is still constantley flowing through the filter providing the macroalgae with the nutrients and i do not need to drill my tank. So basically it's turning a fliter into a refug.
Would that work?
Thanks
Kelly

[Strandedthinker]

Are you running a closed loop now?

There have been people who have used refular freshwater filters and converted them to refigiums but Im not sure on first hand experience on the efficiency.

You dont need to drill a tank if youre using the penguin. You dont need to drill it if you go with an overflow box either.

[wee-reefer]

Kelly, why don't you go with an upstream refugium, that way you would only need to drill a hole in the refugium vessel, and pump water up to the thing. I will bring my reef inverts book for you to look at at the meeting. There's some good diagrams in it, as well as a shiite load of info. Jen

[pixburg-reefer]

Hi Paul,
no, no closed loop. The tank isn't even set up lol. Just trying to get some input on the idea. Just a thought. Thanks for the imput
Jen- okeydokey, i'd love to see the book. I got those snails for you
Kelly

[Steven Pro]

I converted a Hagen Aquaclear 500 in a nice hang-on refugium complete with light and everything. I can talk to you about it at the meeting.

[pixburg-reefer]

sounds good. I'm gonna get some help with my lighting too. Well, looks like i'm gonna learn a lot today!
see ya guys then! :)
Kelly

[dukexc]

If you decide to drill the tank emtski99 and I drilled his tank using a bit that aquaworld let us borrow for a small fee. These bits are expensive and they were really helpful. We did have to put down a security deposit for the bit tho. good luck:)

[pixburg-reefer]

thanks! I was trying to get around the whole drilling part but I may end up doing it. Anyone else what to help out?
Kelly

[Steven Pro]

Maybe we could drill your tank at the mext meeting as part of a workshop. Although, drilling a bowfront tank can be tricky.

[pixburg-reefer]

if you would like. That would be great. but after we drilled it, i have no clue what equipment is involved with setting up a fuge. or how to do so.
thanks
kelly

[dukexc]

the equipment depends on what you want. all you really need is a pump for the return and some tubes. you can use glass or acrylic for the dividers although acrylic isn't as strong. the hardest part is finding the right substrate or mud for the refuge. i believe there is a couple of DIY mud recipes but i've never tried any of them. you can also add a skimmer...

[Bill King]

Kelly
I have a 15 gal. fuge above my main tank. I use a regular power head to move water up to it. The 15 gal is drilled & a hose lets the water gravity feed back to the main tank. It's very simple.
I have a used 15 gal. drilled & ready to go, it's yours if you want to go that route.
Let me know.
Bill

[pixburg-reefer]

Thanks dukexc. I guess i really need to see a fuge. in person to actutally understand how it is all set up/what is in the process of it.
Hi bill! I'm sending you a pm :D
Kelly

[emtski99]

pixburg-reefer, as dukexc mentioned we did succefully drill my tank to fit a 1 inch bulkhead, as scared as we were we made it though the operation without a broken tank. It took quite a few different setups and ideas to make the system work, but basically its gravity fed from the main tank to the fuge, then pumped back up to the tank with a standard return pump. The two of us would be more than happy giving you a hand with ideas and setup, just let us know.

emtski99

[Tagamet]

Originally posted by wee-reefer
Kelly, why don't you go with an upstream refugium, that way you would only need to drill a hole in the refugium vessel, and pump water up to the thing. I will bring my reef inverts book for you to look at at the meeting. There's some good diagrams in it, as well as a shiite load of info. Jen

This is a great way to go, if you have a spot above tank level for it. It's pretty much the only way that the pods and things can get into the tank without getting ground up by the return pump. Survivors can help replenish your pop in the display tank too. I'd jump at Bill's offer!
Tagamet

[Doan]

If you don't want to drill your tank another option would be to get the aquafuge refugeium. I have one on my 55 and love it.. It hangs on the back of the tank out of the way and I didn't have to cut any holes. It also supplies tons of pods, cheato (that I got from wee-reefer) and all sorts of neat stuff.

Doan

[Doan]

If you don't want to drill your tank another option would be to get the aquafuge refugeium. I have one on my 55 and love it.. It hangs on the back of the tank out of the way and I didn't have to cut any holes. It also supplies tons of pods, cheato (that I got from wee-reefer) and all sorts of neat stuff.

Doan