Chaeto HOB?

[Leetch]

Since I don't have the room right now for a sump, I was thinking of at leasting getting an old HOB filter and turning it into a chaeto fuge. I do have a few questions though.

1) Will a hob filter like the Aquaclear work?
2) Do I need to put anything in the "bucket" other than the chaeto?
3) Will it really help stabilize the system (i.e help remove excess nutrients) or is it not enough to have any impact?
4) Will the radiant lighting be enough to keep the chaeto alive since it's not directly under the tank lighting?

Thanks

[Original Fin]

How big is your tank again?

I know a lot of people in the nano community are trying similar things...might want to check some of their boards. I've read a few interesting DIY threads on doing this, and the biggest challenge for them seems to be getting adequate lighting to it without having it bleed through to the display tank. I've also seen some retail HOB refugiums marketed towards nanos and up towards medium size tanks. For the nanos, I think these are probably great products. For anything larger than 40 gals, I have to wonder how effective such a small area to grow in could be. Another drawback to the HOB products are that they can get just a pricey as a real sump system. Unless you've got a small tank, your experiment may not make that much of an impact. Having said that, it couldn't hurt either, and it will provide a predator free area to culture pods if you so wish.
From what I've seen of how cheato grows in my LFS sumps, it spreads out across the top of the water, and that's where I think the growth is occurring as it blocks out the light to anything more than a couple inches down, so it would seem to me that what you need is exposed surface area as opposed to actual volume of water.

[Leetch]

Thanks Fin - I have a 29gal tank which is the reason I was thinking an HOB fuge would be sufficient but wanted to see if anyone has actually done it with any success.

The tank is close to a window so I'm hoping that that bleed from the tank lighting and any ambient day lighting would be sufficient (although I keep the shades closed during the day so I don't get full on algae blooms all the time).

The only other thing about an HOB fuge that bothers me is the fact that I have an HOB filter already, a skimmer and 2 blowers in the tank which is a fair amount of extra stuff that takes away from the aesthetics of the tank. Fortunately the Aquaclear filters have a ver small footprint in the tank.

[Chasman]

Leetch

Check on my posts and you will find out all about my sucess with an HOB refugium. It still is in the works today. A sump with more water volume is clearly better. But I still have a nice tank with what I have, and it's been over a year now. Not one death of anything I have purchased.

[Flyboy450r]

Hey Ive done this and I would not suggest it. I used a aqua clear and I had a light in my sump that was set apart from my main tank display and it worked great. My cheato grew like crazy and I didnt have much for p.h. swings but It took so much room in my sump, and it was always plug I mean I'd clean it a hour lady the flow was decreased. After a few days it would be down to a trickle not to mention the crap it trapped. I just got rid of it and my nitrates dropped a ton. But that was just my experience if you do do it get the biggest aqua clear you can buy. And all i did was but the cheato in place of the media in the basket no other mods

[Leetch]

Leetch

Check on my posts and you will find out all about my sucess with an HOB refugium. It still is in the works today. A sump with more water volume is clearly better. But I still have a nice tank with what I have, and it's been over a year now. Not one death of anything I have purchased.

Thanks Chas - I'll definately check it out.

Fly - you brought up some of my concerns. Fortunateyl it won't be in my sump since I don't have room for a sump. It would literally be hanging on the back of my display, hopefully tactfully concealed. THe nice thing is if it doesn't work out, I can just toss it and it didn't cost me much. The tank is a 29 gal and I use an Aquaclear 50 as the filter and was thinking the same size for the fuge.