Refugium for a Nano

[Darth]

yes I like analogies to a fault, the people I deal with sometimes need you to paint the picture, and I forget that sometimes when dealing with the others LOL sorry so yes getting more flow through the teabag will make it stronger, but it still has to sit in the cup, if it is being pulled out while new water is being moved in, it will just get diluted, but honestly with your size tank I don't think it will matter how long the water stays in the fuge ( I am honestly not sure it helps at all just someone mentioned they have one, and that was the reasoning) I like your idea of having a hole to break the siphon, brilliant you should post pics of your build to help others get an idea of what it takes, and how to get there ( I have no analogy for this process)

[NanoSF]

Well lets see how it goes for a while first then I will pass on the info if I am happy with the results. Don't want to steer someone in a direction only to find out it's counterproductive.

[Bob P]

Can't really use the teabag analogy here.
That's the opposite effect, adding something to
the water.
You want to remove it from the water LOL. Here ya go,
sit a sponge in a bowl of water, don't move it. It will wick up
the water better left sitting still than swishing it around.
Give it a go.
I like the hole at the top after thinking more
about it. You could run the pipe close to the fuge bottom,
with a hole below waterline to break siphon. The fuge
for my 75 gal. is a separate tank
fed by return pump through a ball valve. I have the valve
barely open. It's a 20 gal aquarium drilled on one end
near the top to overflow back to pump in a 10 gal. beside it.
If I could put colored dye in the fuge, It probably would
not clear, as in cycle out to sump for maybe 1 or 2 days.

[beertech]

Hi guys,
I had a 10 gal nano setup for a year with an acrylic fuge i made. I set it up behind the tank a few inches higher. It was fed by a maxijet 400, and had a few baffles, then overflow back into the main display. i had a small pc light for the chaeto and caulerpa, some rubble and a full 1-2" substarate. The results were great, the algae grew like crazy, and i was able to keep the display packed full of coral and overstocked with fish. I had a Prism hob skimmer hanging on the back of the fuge, and it worked great. After a few months I added another maxijet 400 inside the fuge, initially because I was keeping some frags in there, but then realised that the extra flow in the fuge also helped force more critters and pods back into the display. All in all, I was very happy with the setup and it was very efficient at controlling excess nutrients in a heavily stocked tank. It was a great place to hide the heater and thermometer too.  I even placed some carbon and GFO in between the baffles to help give the water that extra polish.  I highly recommend every nano should have a seperate sump or fuge.

Gord

[NanoSF]

Wow Gord, your set up seems almost exactly like what I am planning. I am glad to hear it worked out for you. I am still tweaking, but I should be fully running soon. The only difference is I can't stand the noise of the Prizm. I am trying to have it in the fuge, but that seems to be working. Just setting the water level in relation to the skimmer is the test phase I am on now. It is supper quiet though. I have the air line running outside so no noise from that either.

[Bob P]

Good news all around 

[Saltcreep]

..... The only difference is I can't stand the noise of the Prizm........

Another pet peeve with this skimmer. Assuming you're talking about the noise generated by the impeller and air intake, I completely changed the air delivery method on mine and that made a huge difference. I cut a hole in the collection cup cover directly over the throat, inserted a piece of rigid airline through the hole with a 2" limewood diffuser on it. Position the diffuser way down at the pump outlet. For the air inlet, I just connected a short piece of tubing to the inlet and plugged it with a golf tee. The pump still does its job, probably with more flow, the bubbles are introduced at the same place and the unit is virtually silent.

[NanoSF]

Another pet peeve with this skimmer. Assuming you're talking about the noise generated by the impeller and air intake, I completely changed the air delivery method on mine and that made a huge difference. I cut a hole in the collection cup cover directly over the throat, inserted a piece of rigid airline through the hole with a 2" limewood diffuser on it. Position the diffuser way down at the pump outlet. For the air inlet, I just connected a short piece of tubing to the inlet and plugged it with a golf tee. The pump still does its job, probably with more flow, the bubbles are introduced at the same place and the unit is virtually silent.

Very interesting. I never thought I could actually reduce the sound so I was focusing on muting it. Although having the air being sucked from outside gives me the advantage of being quiet and drawing in higher oxygen content air. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Saltcreep]

Very interesting. I never thought I could actually reduce the sound so I was focusing on muting it. Although having the air being sucked from outside gives me the advantage of being quiet and drawing in higher oxygen content air. Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm sure you'll figure this out, but I should have mentioned that my mod requires an air pump to make it work.

[NanoSF]

I'm sure you'll figure this out, but I should have mentioned that my mod requires an air pump to make it work.

Ya I guess you would need some air forced through that limewood 

I do like the idea but I think I am fine for noise now with the muting.