gravity fed refugium

[oldrey]

Im thinking about putting a gravity fed refugium above my 29 gallon. I think a ten gallon would be good. I would use a power head to pump up into it and drill two 1 inch holes one above the other for the back feed. The higher one would act like a fail safe in case of a blockage.

I would light it with a spare power Compact i have for 12hrs a day.

Do you guys think this is plausible Or not.
Thanks

 

[Ingy]

HOB refugiums work on the same principle (just not as high). Just make sure you have sufficient room in the DT for a power outage and some excess drain/backflow from the refugium.

 

[oldrey]

Ye thought of that, thanks.
Would it be best with a deep sand bed Or a thin layer.

I was thinking of getting a cheap hob filter and taking the media our and putting the microalgae in there with a light.

Not 100% sure which way to go but i know i want to do one to help supplement my own feeding of pods.

 

[mr_X]

I would put the refugium below the tank and drain the display into it. I would not want to have to keep my DT 4/5ths full. I think it would look ugly.

 

[oldrey]

I have thought of that but the stand my tank is on makes it a no go unless i empty the tank and modify it. Its an option but then id either have to get it drilled Or an overflow box.

With my tank i have à block off zone(no view Training) at the top its about 3inches in Night do that should give me the safety zone i would need.

Still weighing up all the options.
Any other ideas would be cool.
Ill post some pics tomorrow of what i have tank wise.

 

[Ingy]

Ye thought of that, thanks.
Would it be best with a deep sand bed Or a thin layer.

I was thinking of getting a cheap hob filter and taking the media our and putting the microalgae in there with a light.

Not 100% sure which way to go but i know i want to do one to help supplement my own feeding of pods.

I don't like sand in my sump at all. A DSB by definition needs to be deep enough to allow an oxygen free zone in the sand. Typically 6"+ for normal sand. There is an inherent risk involving toxic H2S gas production in the DSB. And the gain is a small amount of nitrate conversion to nitrogen. Go with cheato and it will export more than enough nitrate from your system, in addition to providing room for pods. My sump has equipment and the fuge portion only has chaeto and rocks/rubble.
What was the hob filter talk about? Was that a different idea? I tried chaeto in a hob filter with a light on my 30G. Didn't work very well.

Mr_X has a valid concern about backflow room in the DT. But if your keep the drains and inlet high in the tank, you shouldn't have much more than 1" from a 10 gal tank, which shouldn't be much more than a gal or 2. You can call it the penthouse refugium (because you can't call it a sump).

 

[oldrey]

Cool thanks that info is brilliant.
Yes the hob filter was a different idea but if it hasnt worked for your self it most likely will not work for me so thats a no go.
Penthouse fuge umm i like that name.LOL