New Improved Fuge!

hehehe... Gotcha... I knew you would click on this!

I read a post by ReefSparky where he described his continuing battle with algae and the stages he had gone through to try and remedy the problem, so thank again.

Its just my 20 gallon DIY Sump, modified to include a refugium section. I divided this 30 inch long tank into 3 equal sections. The return fron the DT is tee'd off and sumplies the fuge section. I put one bag of Carib Sea Live Sand for a DSB of about 3". The light is a 6500K 75W CF (I know its not really 75W, but thats what its rated at) in a clamp on fixture from Wal Mart.

Tell me what you think, and where I should go from here.

20 gal diy sump pictures by carpenter1976 - Photobucket
Here's a link to my photobucket album.

Here's some pics for your veiwing pleasure!

 

My viewing was pleasured by those pics. I would go with more substrate than that (just an opinion). Looks really good though.

 

I looked at your "kinda embarrassed photo" and thought "hell ya, you need a fuge !! Looked like your display was a fuge !

I like what you created, perfect simple design that will do you well. what are you plannign on growing and what kind of turn over are you looking at?

 

I used to have a plan, but, really I'm going for hardy and pretty livestock. I'ld REALLY like a buble corral, but I don't have the light for it. I also have MUCH better luck with coral than I do fish, so I'm leaning more in that direction. As for the turn over, I'm guessing that you mean the flow rate through my sump? And if that is your question, I'll answer as slow as possible, its set at about maybe 1 quart/minute, I'm quessing.

How much more substrate would you recomend and why. Would a deeper DSB be better for denitrification? I'm always glad to pleasure your veiwing!;D

 

Looks like theres a film on the substrate, very thin.

 

Nice build. It looks like the fan is in the water .. hehe

 

Its pretty close to the water level . I'm planning a better system for the fans, maybe some pc fans. I've seen 120 volt fans at Radio Shack for $24, or else I would need a transformer which is another source of heat and failure. I might just cut a piece of acrylic and sandwich the fan shroud on both sides to mount the fan in a more rigid fashion.

 

Great job. Looks awesome.....PM sent BTW.

 

I've been curing some live rock (something that I've never done before) that will be put in the tank today. I'm gonna take a few smaller pieces from the DT that have a strong growth of algae and cyno and also that aren't in the sand and place in the 'fuge. Then I'll put my new rock in the DT!

 

Here's some pics for more viewing pleasure!