RED SEA 170 refugium ideas

[aquariumaddictuk]

Morning all

Im running out of room in my reefer 170 sump rapidly but would like to hear any fiendishly clever ways anyone else has got around this issue.i can fit a small diy chaeto reactor in front of carbon reactor or could the small section that contains the stock black foam insert be used perhaps?
Any ideas welcome!

 

[blaxsun]

You could swap out the current bio media for something more compact (Polyp Lab Genesis rocks, for example) and that would give you some more room.

 

[GARRIGA]

Why not just replace the bio media with macroalgae since that will remove ammonia directly along with phosphates?

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

i've seen some will turn their ATO reservoir into a refugium.

 

[dmsc2fs]

Do you have enough room above the media for a 1 gallon jug? If so you could build a small shelf and put a Poseidon Reef Macro reactor there.

 

[exnisstech]

How much rock is in the display? Just wonder if the bio media is even needed? I have a 170 but my nutrients run low so I don't run a skimmer or any other reactors so my entire chamber is a fuge.

 

[PeterC99]

This was my RSR2 170 sump with refugium (Tunze MAR).

 

[GARRIGA]

How much rock is in the display? Just wonder if the bio media is even needed? I have a 170 but my nutrients run low so I don't run a skimmer or any other reactors so my entire chamber is a fuge. View attachment 3124214

Running a Fuge seems to have negated the need for skimming unless there's something that removes I haven't thought of. Came to this conclusion in the 80s when keeping caulerpa in make shift sumps were brought to my attention and I was supposed to sell skimmers to LFS. Algal turf scrubbers emerged but pricey yet brought to light that we didn't need such complexities and best let nature run wild. Perhaps profits have kept skimmers relevant and refugiums have failed to get a proper footing just like undergravel filters went way of the dodo. Profits tend to drive marketing and we tend to be guided by marketing. Why the latter exists.

 

[exnisstech]

Running a Fuge seems to have negated the need for skimming unless there's something that removes I haven't thought of.

That has been the case for me. My 170 has always run lower nutrients and never ran a skimmer. Well I ran one for a week or so because I had it laying around and was bored but ended up pulling it. I just pulled my only skimmer yesterday because it seemed like a waste. It never filled to the point I had to empty it but I did just to clean it. The fuge is full of chaeto that I rarely harvest because I have so many critters that come out when I do. Nitrates were 0.9 when I tested the other day so out came the skimmer. It's a 180 gallon display with 125 gallon divided into a sump. Large tangs and other smaller fish fed heavily several times a day. So is a skimmer needed? Not in my case but thats another discussion

 

[RedoubtReef]

What about setting up a refugium tank next to display? Could be fed with a pump in the return section and drain back to the sump.

 

[aquariumaddictuk]

Some excellent suggestions!
I cant set up a fuge next to tank sadly as its in a tight spot.ditto for utilising the stock ATO as no room for a replacement outside of cabinet.im favouring the tunze macro reactor currently or maybe move the marine pure into back return section & DIY a small section there

 

[aquariumaddictuk]

Thanks for all the suggestions!
Spotted this ITC ALR1 on eBay for a great price & With a bit of modification to the overtly wide base it JUST about fitted.moved marine pure to back before filter sock.excuse the messy cables that's next on my list.new fancy chalice arrived today so got this in just in time!