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Avalanche1201 
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 Topic: DIY Fuge
Posted: March 01 2007 at 10:48am |
While searching google for some DIY Fuge Designs I stumbled upon this site. I saw JS's DIY Fuge and decided to base my project on his design. (JS's model can be found here: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12402 ) I Only have the top sketch of my design done. I will be converting the final sketches into renderings on my other labtop in a few days. The return will most likely consist of a spray bar at the end of a MJ 900 w/ a control valve.  Dimensions: 11.25" L 6" w 8" D Im going to start designing the other views very soon. I have a question about the filtration though. I want to add some chemical filtration (ie carbon etc) but I do not know what the best forms of chemical filtration would be, also, how should I go about setting them in the fuge? Should I just fill some media bags in the water? Or should I try to find some media baskets that the water would be able to flow through on the inlet? Any suggestions/comments/ideas are welcome. Thank You
Edited by Avalanche1201 - March 01 2007 at 1:27pm
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gateb
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Posted: March 02 2007 at 12:26am |
Don’t know if you plan on using a separate sump or not, but this is how my filtration is set up:
The fuges are separate from the sump. The side of the sump where the water enters is where the pumps to feed the skimmer and fuges are located. The skimmer effluent goes into a media chamber where I keep Polyfilter pads. I keep a regular blue and white filter pad over the Polyfilter to help keep it clean longer and rinse them both in hot water every day.
The pumps that go to the Matrix Carbon and RowaPhos reactors are under the Polyfilter chamber as I think it helps to extend the life of the media in the reactors by having the skimmer and filter pads do their job first. I think of the chemical filtration as a way of “polishing” the water that comes out of the skimmer. I bought 2 Phosban Reactors a while back and believe me it is a heck of a lot easier to use carbon and phosphate media in these than struggling with filter bags like I did for years.
The output from the fuges goes to the part of the sump where the return pumps are located and not through the skimmer/reactor circuit.
I'm thinking of building a larger sump when I move my filtration into the basement to give me even more options and to utilize the same principles in the new one. I also have plans to try a refugium only tank sometime in the future as an experiment.
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120 Gal RR
2 Pan World 100PX return pumps
AquaC EV-180 w\Mag 9
40 + 13 Gal refugia
2 175w Iwasaki Aqua2 MH
4 48" URI Super Actinic VHO
IceCap MH and VHO Ballasts
Ogden, UT
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Avalanche1201
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Posted: March 02 2007 at 8:32am |
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Sounds good Gate. If I had a bigger tank/more room I would prob have the filtration/skimmer in a seperate tank then a fuge. But this is for a 3gal pico in my dorm room...so I cant get over done w/ it. Thats why Im going for the "all in one" sump/fuge
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gateb
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Posted: March 02 2007 at 10:17am |
Should work fine. If possible you probably should try to set it up so that your skimmer effluent goes into your chemical media (after going through some filter pads to keep the surface of your media as clean as possible) to maximize the lifespan of your carbon, etc. Once the surface of your media gets coated with gunk, it will no longer do its job as absorption only occurs at the surface of the media. That's why I rinse the Polyfilter pads every day. Even with the way I run my setup, I still get lots of gunk in the reactors.
My setup has become an octopus of pumps, pipes and tubing that has taken over my living room, so I'm going to drill some holes in the floor and move the filtration into the basement.
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120 Gal RR
2 Pan World 100PX return pumps
AquaC EV-180 w\Mag 9
40 + 13 Gal refugia
2 175w Iwasaki Aqua2 MH
4 48" URI Super Actinic VHO
IceCap MH and VHO Ballasts
Ogden, UT
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Avalanche1201
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Posted: March 02 2007 at 1:17pm |
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Hmm...I never knew that about the carbon etc. I dont have money either for a skimmer :( So im going to keep a lite bio-load w/ weekly WC's and corals,shrooms,zoas,cheato to help out as well.
At the bottom of the intake pipe I was going to have a Filter sock or filter floss to help catch debris etc. Since im in college I dont have alot of money to get high-tech filtration systems.
But for the media, I noticed you mentioning a phosban reactor instead of media bags. I've never heard about them until now, and Have been looking at them a little bit, but Im still confused as to how they work. Do they work just like a media bag? Or better? or is it just easier overall
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gateb
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Posted: March 05 2007 at 12:38pm |
The way a PhosBan type reactor works is the input tube goes down the middle to the bottom of the canister. From there the water goes through a diffuser plate that creates a wide stream of water that is as wide as the canister. The water then percolates up through the media to the outlet on top of the canister. You set the flow volume of the water on the input side so that the media at the top kind of floats (percolates). This ensures that the water flows through the media evenly and doesn't pack and channel as much as if you have the water running down from the top of the media.
Also when you need to replace your media you just dump it in the trash, give your new media a rinse, fill up the canister and you're good to go.
Edited by gateb - March 05 2007 at 12:42pm
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120 Gal RR
2 Pan World 100PX return pumps
AquaC EV-180 w\Mag 9
40 + 13 Gal refugia
2 175w Iwasaki Aqua2 MH
4 48" URI Super Actinic VHO
IceCap MH and VHO Ballasts
Ogden, UT
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Avalanche1201
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Posted: March 05 2007 at 10:08pm |
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Ill have to look into it, sounds like a good investment...but My tank is only about 9" tall and the phosban reactor is about 14" tall :(
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Avalanche1201
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Posted: March 07 2007 at 5:07pm |
Here it is...the long awaited renderings (at least I hope ppl wanted to see them) Any info/comments/suggestions are appreciated    Thanks for looking
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bbeck4x4
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Posted: March 07 2007 at 5:34pm |
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nice design.
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Family Portraits /Google trusted Photographer for Google Maps for Businesses
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Avalanche1201
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Posted: March 07 2007 at 5:41pm |
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thanks, I have been notified though that it would be hard to start the siphon..so I might modify and plumb another MJ 900 as an intake pump
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