Should I even bother turning a 3 gallon tank into a refugium?

I've been looking at the HOB CPR refugium for my 26 gallon tank. Depending on the size I get, I will either get 2.5 or 3.6 gallons of water volume. The unit all together with the lights and and light stand will come out to probably just under $200.

I have this 3 gallon tank that I use to hold my freshwater fry. The fry are large enough now for new homes and/or to be put in my main tank leaving me with the extra 3 gallon tank. I figure I can somehow DIY up some compartments with acrylic and silicone, but is it worth it?

I'll have to invest in a return pump and tubing. The biggest issue I see is having to get an HOB overflow. They look relatively expensive and I would have no idea how to build my own.

Would the HOB refugium be my best bet or is the 3 gallon build feasible?

I also have an old HOB filter than I can possibly throw some macro algae and rubble in, but it is capacity is next to nothing.

I really want a place to grow some pods and I really want to invest in some macro algae. No matter what I do, I can't seem to get my nitrates below 10-20 ppm, hoping the algae would help.

 

youtube youtube youtube!! lots of diy pvc over flows, and hangon backs as well! remember the internet is your friend! and for your nitrate problem, do you use RO/DI? Honestly? if so I would still test the water source.

 

When I first set up my tank, I used brita water which I also conditioned just in case. Been using RO/DI water ever since.

Edit: And I guess my main question is not how to build an overflow and/or turn my tank into a refugium, I will cross that bridge when I get to it. I just really want to know if its worth investing the time and money into building everything for a 3 gallon refugium? Would the HOB refugium or a in-tank refugium be my best bet or is going the DIY route okay for such a small addition.

My stand is divided down the middle, so the 3 gallon tank is the widest thing I can fit inside it.

 

Iner,
I would go the DIY route. Here is a great page to get you started with the overflow. DIY Skimmerless Overflow - DIY Reef Plumbing
I'm running a ten gallon as my 'fuge. The total cost for the parts was about $40.00. For the return I used an old power head that I had laying around. Good luck!

 

Diy man beat me to it...10g tanks r cheap sometimes free on the local boards.I gave 1 away afew weeks ago.and the rest can be done for under $50 id say.but if you have your heart set on a 3g fuge go for it,if your handy you can probably build a hob fuge pretty easily

 

nice idea. but that site is hard ro understand. and theres no clear view of the parts used. I would love to use this method for my tank!

 

Here's a quick run down of parts needed for the DIY overflow.

1 large "specimen" container. (the ones that LFS's use to put the fish in after netting)
1 female threaded 1 inch PVC connector
1 male threaded 1 inch PVC connector
6 inches of 1 inch PVC tubing
1 small sheet of acrylic
2 90 degree 1 inch PVC street unions

Cut a piece of acrylic to fit into the specimen container bisecting it left to right. Make sure that it fits snuggly. Cut the hiegth of the acrylic to match the the hiegth of the water in your tank after mounting the specimen container to the outside of the tank (you can adjust the hiegth down afterwards with a dremel tool if needed.) Place the acrylic into the specimen container and silicone in place. Cut a hole in the bottom of the specimen contianer on either the right or left to fit the 1 inch male PVC connector into. Apply liberal amounts of silicone sealant around the male adapter and fit it into the hole with the threads coming out of the bottom. Tighten the female connector to the male connector (do not over tighten.) Attach your drain line to the male end sticking out of the container and run to your sump. Cut a couple of pieces of the 1 inch PVC to the length you desire. This will be used with the 90 degree elbows to create the siphon from your DT into the overflow. Let everything dry and fill the overflow with water and let set to make sure there aren't any leaks. If everything is OK, then just attach one of the street unions to the other to make a U. Add the short PVC pieces, now put one end of the PVC U into the tank and the other into the overflow. Syphon out the air and watch it work. I later added a small air nozzle to my PVC U and attached a lift pump to keep it primed. It works great and I have been using mine for over a year now.

PM me if you want more help. That's what we're all here for after all.

 

Thanks for all of the info and advice!

My issue is my dumb stand. I can only fit a tank under it that is 12 inches long, 10 inches deep, and as tall as I need it to be. It's been a pain trying to find a tank that fits those. Te wife won't let me set up a tank beside my DT, but that's not too visual appealing. We also have a very curious cat who will probably reek havoc.

I could also maybe put a five gallon cube tank and just take one door off, but then there is te issue of the cat again.

So it's either a Refugium In the range of 2.5 gallons to to 5 gallons or some kind of HOB option. I figure the former is not too bad of an option, since some water volume is better than no volume. It would be about a 10% to 20% increase in water volume.

I think I'm going with the DIY route, just have to figure out the tank situation

 

I used to have a 1 quart refugium on my 20 gal, until the pump broke and all the water evaporated and everything dried up before I noticed. In my defense it was in the windowsil behind the blinds so I would have had to check it to notice. Flow was also 3 gph so I didn't notice the low flow either.

posted with tapatalk please ignore bad spelling and grammar

 

Iner,
Any added volume is benificial to the tank. A five gallon tank with a small light and a few pieces of plexiglass would make a great 'fuge. Have the drain from the tank enter the 'fuge side then do a bubble trap using three pieces of plexiglass to seperate the return pump. Just do live rock and 'cheto on the drain side.

Happy Reefing!