Refugium Questions

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micstarz

micstarz

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 28, 2008
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Hong Kong
I want to build a refugium for my 10gallon aquarium. Because my aquarium is located at the right end of my bay window (which curves outwards in a trapezium shape, and leaves a trapezium shaped ledge where I put three 10gallon aquariums), the aquarium is on the right side, pushed against the glass of the long straight edge. Right next to it, the glass then curves inwards to form the trapezium. This leaves a gap between my tank and the glass (a triangular gap) like this:/|Aquarium1||Aquarium2||Aquarium3|\

So then as you can see aquarium 1 and three are at the ends and then the glass angles inwards to form the trapezium bay window. the "|" shows the glass sides of each aquarium and there is a triangular gap there. This is where I want to make a triangular fuge for growing macroalgae and putting a skimmer. The fuge will ideally be made of transparent acrylic so I can use the natural sunlight coming thru the window for photosynthesis.

What is the best way to make a refugium for this? I want to buy a 30x18 sheet of acrylic and line bend it into a triangle + stick a base piece onto one end. Then a pump that is in the tank will pump water into the fuge thru a tube. The side that is pushed against the side of the aquarium will either have a drilled hole with a tube in it so that when the water gets up to that level it will spill back into the tank or I will bend that side downwards so it looks like a HOB filter return.

Please give advice on how I should build the tank (or how I should make someone build it) etc...spot flaws etc.
 
Please try reposting you pix as they didn't come thru.

If you've never worked with acrylic, you may want to think twice. All matching edges need to be perfectly smooth & straight (in both planes) since you are bonding (melting) the two together with a solvent that doesn't have any gap filling ability.

But from your description your on the right track, Place a dam in front of the return (but lower than the sides, to prevent overflowing the sides) so any plant media can't flow back into the tank.

A small table top fountain style pump (low volume) would be fine for this as you want a slow flow for these.

Get those pix up so we can go from here.

Dr Joe

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n565794390_1163269_9743.jpg

basicly I want the fuge in the triangular section where that junk is (to the right of the tank)

If that pic doesn't really mean anything, here's the left hand side:
n565794390_1163206_9550.jpg

The triangular section here is on the left hand side where the light is.
 
Great.

If you have someone around you that can make it for you, they can bend it to match the corners of the tank. this would lesson the amount of seams and give a real custom look to it too.

And if you explain well enough to them, they should be able to bend a weir for the water return. Just make sure it extends far enough into the tank and is angled down (not straight out) so water will run off and not back under the weir at any flow rate.

This will make a nice little project and conversation piece.

Dr Joe

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I went out to the acrylic shop today! And yes, they are gonna line bend two of the corners and seal the remaining one, plus attach the bottom piece.

Instead of a HOB style return, they are putting a pipe at 12.5 inches where the water will spill out.
 
Thank you for your help though.

Further down the road I may add some stuff like a skimmer compartment and bubble trap, plus also some shelves/"outcrops" that I can anchor macroalgae, LR etc onto.
 
Just realized you never did say what was in the tank :D

Dr Joe

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A mantis shrimp, two fish and loads of snails collected from the rock beach (and some hermit crabs and shrimps which are feeders)
 
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