HOB Refugium for 36G

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don_chuwish

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Dec 27, 2011
Messages
256
Location
Southern Oregon
Hello,

This just completed, thought I'd share some pics & story.

The Hang on Back box is from Finnex, meant to be a 'multifunctional' item. The same box is available under various brand names I've noticed. But $25 + $5 shipping direct from Finnex was pretty good and includes an air pump for the bubbler intake. Capacity of the box is 1G, 10.25" x 5.5" x 5".

I'm putting some live rock, some dry rock rubble from our MarcoRocks order, some chaeto and a bottle of tigger pods in it.

I noticed right away that I didn't like the bubbler for moving water. It's loud, makes for severe salt creep and doesn't make much flow. So I got a Mini-Jet 404 adjustable pump, $20 at the LFS instead. 5/8" outside diameter - 1/2" inside diameter clear vinyl tubing from the hardware store connects the two perfectly. Dead silent too. I do wish the intake elbow didn't stick out so far though.
At the pump's lowest setting (20gph) it creates a steady but slow flow. I may experiment with higher flow.
So far I'm at $50. But I think you can get the box without an air pump for $20 + shipping, and the pump online for about $15. So call it $40 at the lowest. Much better than the purpose built $120+ boxes available, which I just couldn't jump at yet. The light so far is the hood light from our QT tank, moved over at night to sit on the fuge. I have an LED fixture on order.
I hope to continue seeing tigger pods living in there, chaeto growing, and maybe even nitrates falling a bit over time (<10 now). We'll see!

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- D
 
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Oh and the light I have on order is the "AquaTop 36 LED Clip-On Light" - $30.63 from Amazon. I've started to think I may have to paint all the tank facing clear plastic black to block light leakage. But I'll wait and see how bad it is with the LEDs first.

- D
 
looking at the first picture it looks like the out flow from the box is right over the minijet intake, pulling in water that has already been cycled through, you might consider moving the pump for more efficiency IMHO
 
Thanks, yes I had the same thought at first. But I like how the big Koralia 550 PH hides the mini-jet visually. Plus I figured with so much movement right there it wouldn't be recycling the same water so much. The other side is also where my future HOB skimmer will go.

- D
 
Thats an awesome set up! I was trying to figure out a cheaper hang on fuge. Just found it!
 
Well it's not very big, I'm sure many would question if it has any value at all. But the chaeto has been growing well. The AquaTop light came in this week. Very cool looking, turn it over the tank at night and it's amazing with the spotlight shimmer. I'm not sure it's enough light for the chaeto in the fuge. Time will tell. (I'd been using a fluorescent tube from a 15G hood over it before.) Had to cut a notch in the lid for the light mounting bracket as you can see.
 

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