10g sump , refugium or skimmer

[Michigan Mike]

If you had a 29g tank with a 10g tank you had for a sump would you make it a fuge and have a hob skimmer or would you make the 10g a sump compatible with a in sump skimmer, no fuge?
So go big on the skimmer or go big on the fuge and possibly have an hob skimmer?

 

[gregrocks79]

Fuge is always the best route. Some LR and some chaeto and skimmer of your choice and you're good to go. I have a 12 gallon and I'm building a 10 gallon sump w fuge and in sump skimmer

 

[reefscape15]

Fuge is always the best route. Some LR and some chaeto and skimmer of your choice and you're good to go. I have a 12 gallon and I'm building a 10 gallon sump w fuge and in sump skimmer

Agreed 100%! I always go by the theory of More Biology, Less Technology.

 

[gregrocks79]

In this case more is more!! Haha

 

[hackney]

IMO i would do the skimmer for sure. Fuge isnt much more than a place for pods to hang out.

 

[squaretankguy08]

I'm gonna say a fuge for a tank with anything other than sps, if you go sps you're gonna need a larger skimmer

 

[Michigan Mike]

One of the tanks is the 29g in my avatar. It is a mixed reef, sps up top(monti caps,stag horn,Millie's,birds sets, birds of paradise, setosa. Lps is frog/torch/hammers, acans, candy cane,trumpets,acans. Big toadstool, zoos and polyps. Having a little algae, cyno, Dino issues and phosphates got really high. I'm working on that and wonder if a fuge with macro or a good skimmer would be better.
I'm not sure if ill try a sump/fuge and hob skimmer or not. I would like to clean the tank up of heaters and clutter hanging on the tank if possible.

 

[StephLionfish]

Could you go with an in-sump skimmer and put a HOB fuge on the sump or tank?

 

[TundraGuy]

+1 on what Steph said. Fuge is great but nothing will pull like a good Skimmer.
If you can do both then go for both. If cost is an issue go for the fuge. But if the water quality is the top priority I would say ease of ownership can be measured in the quality of the filtration. Keeping a nano such as a 10 gallon can be done with little more than just W/Cs. But even the most diligent reef keeper will tell you life sometimes gets in the way of W/C sometimes.

 

[Michigan Mike]

I'm under the assumption hob fuges are nothing more than pod sanctuaries. I need large macro algae area or large skimmer.

 

[jacob.morgan78]

I'm currently building a 10g sump for a 20H display. I basically have it split with enough room for my skimmer of choice and the rest is a fuge and return section in one. I have just enough height on a baffle to keep the sand/rubble/ and stuff out and have eggcrate the rest of the way up to keep chaeto and other things out of the area where the return pump is. Hope this helps.