How to set up a fuge....(i'm lost)

clown-lover

clown-lover

Member
Ok....I've been reading on this board about fuge's and sumps. I would like to set up a fuge....without a sump but with everything that i read, it sounds very hard....would someone please help me understand how to set one up....what is a good size fuge for a 55gal....how much sand is needed.....and any other information possible.....and do i need to add critters to a fuge?
How do i get water to go back and forth? are they loud? does it cost much? does it need a lot of light? if i have an extra tank can i use that?
I'm basically in the dark here so anything is helpful
Thanks:confused:
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
can be loud depending on how you set it up.
the best way to do it on your tank is like a sump. with a hangon overflow box that leads down to the other tank. then you will need a pump of equal gallonage as the verflow to pump the water back up to the tank.
as far as whats in it. a couple of inches of sand and some rocks and macro algaes for the critters to populate.
so it can be loud till you get the kinks out and after that you will probably still here a little water fall.
you can use any other tank for it as long as it holds water you can even use a rubbermaid tub it really doesnt matter.
the pump and overflow is going to be the main costs though. but I say you can probably get everything for around 250-275 new.
as faras the critters if you use LR out of the tank then it will have them in it and the will start to breed and populate the fuge.
you will need enough light for the macro algae to grow I use a 13w 7100k pc bulb over my tank.
Mike
 
clown-lover

clown-lover

Member
ok....you wouldn't happen to have pictures of what you have explained would you....
or anyone for that matter.....pictures of how one works would be of great help
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
1 is the overflow box
2 pumps to take water back to take
3 is the spray bar or something for the water to get spread out.
4 (I dont have one I dont have any sand or anything in the tank to waorry about getting sucked into the filter.) but its a divider so that the sand and macros dont get sucked in the pump.
HTH
Mike
 
clown-lover

clown-lover

Member
ok....you wouldn't happen to have pictures of what you have explained would you....
or anyone for that matter.....pictures of how one works would be of great help
 
clown-lover

clown-lover

Member
ok....so
number one is taking water from the main tank to the fuge....
number two is taking water from the fuge to the main tank....
Number three is the spray????
now why does this water need to be spread out in the tank and not just letting it come in where the pvc ends??
and number four is the divider....i get that part....
1.do i need to have a spray thing?
2.where do i get an 'overflow' and is that the real name?
3.what do i use to get the water back and forth from the main tank to the fuge and visa versa??? a powerhead on each side....i can't see that in the picture....:confused:
sorry about this...must make me look real dumb
 
jason3781

jason3781

New Member
You can get an overflow at your lfs it siphons the water out to the other tank you need a pump to pump the water back up to the main tank. I had one for a while until it flooded my floor
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
1.do i need to have a spray thing?
no there are a number of ways to do including pvc with ends caps of flasx tubes. just have to play with it and get something that you like.
2.where do i get an 'overflow' and is that the real name?
yes overflow box.
3.what do i use to get the water back and forth from the main tank to the fuge and visa versa??? a powerhead on each side....i can't see that in the picture....
youll need something stonger than a power head. a mag 7 is what I have pump water back to the main tank.
it can overflow if you are not careful though as jason said but there are things you can do to minimize the chance.
1 on the return line comin back to the tank drill a hole just below the water line. this is when power cuts off the water will back siphon until it reasches the highest hole in the tank. well if thats 4-5 inches below the water line thats how far the water will drain out to .
also the overflow itself can get lugged up so you have to keep it clean.
next you have to have enough water flow if its to little the ait bubbles will build up in the u tube and break the siphon.
next you can drill a hole in the top of the u tube and add a airline

[hr]
conector and attack it to a venture valve on a powerhead so that when air bubbles do form they can get sucked out by the PH.
Mike
 
clown-lover

clown-lover

Member
This is it's description:
The CITR In-Tank Refugium is a "safe house" that provides a protected area to help newly added fish or invertebrates easily acclimate to a new tank while also providing a place for injured fish or corals to regenerate damaged tissue without the need for a separate quarantine tank.
The CITR also functions as a culturing area for small organisms that are intended to be provided as a food source for the inhabitants of the main portion of the tank. Included with the CITR is a Rio Powerhead that provides the necessary circulation to keep fresh water moving through the CITR at all times. The versatility and easy use of the CITR make it a valuable addition to every aquarist's tank.
 
bwmichael21

bwmichael21

Member
WHat i did was setup a 10gal (which i wasn't using) on a shelve above my tank. I had the chap at my lfs drill a hole in the side and up in a plug, used pvc piping to drain the water back into tank (gravity) Am using a mag 5 filter (wasn't using) to pump the water up to the tank.
 
bwmichael21

bwmichael21

Member
WHat i did was setup a 10gal (which i wasn't using) on a shelve above my tank. I had the chap at my lfs drill a hole in the side and up in a plug, used pvc piping to drain the water back into tank (gravity) Am using a mag 5 filter (wasn't using) to pump the water up to the tank.
 
bwmichael21

bwmichael21

Member
its a rather old pic and really doesn't show much, but hopefully it helps, had to nock the quality down a hell of alot.
 
drakken

drakken

Member

Originally posted by Clown-Lover
ok one more
how good would this be:
In-Tank Refugium
Well, not as good as a big fuge but better than nothing. For my 28 gal bow front I took a Lee's specimen container and drilled 1/4 inch holes all over it, super glued 2 suction cups to it (or use the hang on clip built in) and filled it with marco algae. Cost - $7. I placed it close to one of my returns so it gets good water flow. My diatoms have gone down a lot since I started using this.
BTW, a small fuge is mostly going to help with nitrates. It isn't going to do much to grow copods and stuff. So it really depends on what you want the fuge to do.
 
clown-lover

clown-lover

Member
for now that's all i want....pods are not an issue right now but i'm sure i'll want the whole shabang later:D
$7 that's really good.....so just a container with holes.....and put it under good water flow....:) sounds good!!!!! do you happen to have a picture of that too.....??? if not that's ok.....it sounds MUCH easier to do than a full fuge. isn't the super glue bad for the tank if it's an inside thing????
 
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