will this fuge work???

corbin1234

corbin1234

Member
alright so im makin my fuge, i bought a 20 gallon tank and im getting acrlyic and silicon tommorow, do you think this sketch will work? i have no idea personaly...no clue how refugiums work...
Please i really need feedback on this!!!
i already have my overflow and return pump all perfected
 
hurt

hurt

Active Member
That is pretty much the exact same design as mine, except for the first baffle. I'd take that one out. By having the water enter the fuge then go down under the first baffle, you will have less dead spots, and you will get better "flow through". Here is the diagram of mine and a picture. It's a 20g long also.

 
corbin1234

corbin1234

Member
alright, so if took out the first baffle- would you recomend i start my project?
also, i noticed in your diagram your water somewhat circulates through the fuge area,
is that kind of water movement sought after in fuges?-did you do anything to make it that way
 
hurt

hurt

Active Member
Start it when ever you feel ready to do it. First though, how large is your DT?
This is just the pattern of water I observe with my setup. The water keeps recirculating through the chaeto, and as such it works great.
 
corbin1234

corbin1234

Member
my display is a 80 gal
also if anyone knows, do i need to cycle is when its finished? i already have some inhabitance but not a big enough hassle to have my lfs hold for me until its cycled
 
hurt

hurt

Active Member
If you have an 80g DT, I would suggest getting a 30g fuge. But if not you can still use the 20g. I have a 55g DT, and when I turn my return pump off another 2-3 gallons will backwash/overflow into my fuge. That's why it normally operates around 16g. You would still probably be fine as long as you don't go over 15g "normal operating" level in your fuge, to leave room for another 4-5g in the event of a power outage. But if you can, I'd try to go with the 30g.
 
corbin1234

corbin1234

Member
contruction done!!-Just lettin it dry overnight, testing for leaks tommorow
i didnt find the fact that my acrlyic wasn't the right size a problem, so i just put it at an angle, i dont see how that it will effect the overall product in a negitive way so im cool with it for now


 
bs21

bs21

Member
I think you wouldn't want the water entering the fuge to go through the skimmer first. it kinda defeats the pupose of the "fuge" because you want all the waste to enter the fuge so bacteria algae and other detrius feeding organisms to break it down.....somone correct me if i'm wrong but that was my interpretation of its purpose.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Originally Posted by bs21
I think you wouldn't want the water entering the fuge to go through the skimmer first. it kinda defeats the pupose of the "fuge" because you want all the waste to enter the fuge so bacteria algae and other detrius feeding organisms to break it down.....somone correct me if i'm wrong but that was my interpretation of its purpose.
Pretty much the correct idea, and in the case of the chaetomorpha and a sand bed so that the macro can use the nitrates and phosphates to grow and or the sand bed can use the nitrates and detritus to process it into a harmless gas. Then with the skimmer at the tail end of this type of design it can clean what is left over.
Mine goes from the 90 gallon main into the 55 gallon refugium, then into the sump where the skimmer is, then back into the main.
Thomas
 
hurt

hurt

Active Member
I can't say I ever really understood that logic. A skimmer and a fuge perform two totally different functions. A skimmer takes out DOC's before they have a chance to degrade and thus enter into the ammonia cycle. A skimmer does not take out nitrates. Where a fuge basically performs they last stage of the ammonia cycle-converting NO3 into harmless N2 and absobing NO3 into the macros. Also I would say at best my skimmer may get 1/2 of the actual water that enters the fuge. Am I missing something here in your logic?
 
corbin1234

corbin1234

Member
yes i know, it wasnt until after i finished that i realized that verything was backwards, but its gonna work fine cause my skimmer still fits in the section to the left.
reminds me of a news story i heard recently:
A man, i guess wanted to commit suicide in style and tried to nail himself to a home-made cross. It wasn't After he nailed his first hand to the cross that he realized that his other hand would be impossible to nail in
 
corbin1234

corbin1234

Member
but again does anyone know if i will have to go through a cycle or anything like that when i install this?
is there anyway specific way i should go about doing this?
 
hurt

hurt

Active Member
SMoney, thanks for the kind words. I'm glad I could help, but by no means would I consider myself an expert. How is your fuge doing, and more importantly how are your NO3 and PO4 levels doing since the addition?
Corbin you shouldn't have to worry about a new cycle. I did not experience one at all when I first added my fuge.
 
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