CPR HOB Large Refugium worth the hassle

[Juskr6]

Hi guys,

Anyone have experience with CPR Large HOB Refugium? I came across a large one with light for $75and am thinking of pulling the trigger. I have a 75 gallon with a small sump Refugium and was thinking a second Refugium would help with copepods (for a tank raised mandarin down the road) and help a little with nutrients.

One concern is the large footprint (25 inches wide) and the crowded look fitting in the HOB protein skimmer and HOB overflow. Instead of using the pump that sits in the tank, could I run a small line off my return into the fudge to create the water flow which reduces the number of things in the tank?

Would a large CPR Refugium once fully established generate enough pods to help feed a mandarin?

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Yes you could modify the CPR to feed off your return pump, not a bad idea. If you are wanting this for pods I would set it up as an unlit fuge with just a bunch of LR rubble, buy a bunch of pods and dump them in the HOB fuge. Being HOB the pods wont get chopped up by a pump and your in sump fuge can be maintained for nutrient export. Having the HOB fuge unlit and full of rubble will provide a perfect place for pods to reproduce and overflow into the tank feeding the fish.

 

[Juskr6]

Thanks for the insight. With the large model holding around 5 gallons, should I be concerned on the pressure it would put on the glass?

When the fuge is in the sump, what percentage of pods would you estimate would make it through the pump and into the tank alive?

 

[DesertReefT4r]

I would not be concerned about the fuge hanging on the tank. As for pods making through the return pump. Think about how fast that impeller is spinning do you think anything could survive that? Squirt some brine shrimp or mysis in the return intake see what happens and you tell me if any undamaged shrimp make it. My be is maybe 1 in 1,000,000,000 would make it, so basically none. You want live pods to make it into the display to replenish the population in the display to feed the fish.

 

[moondoggy4]

I have one and one big problem with them is you have any kind of bracing and return lines drilled in the back of the tank and where the overflow is, all of these make it difficult to find a place where it will fit and no it does not fit on my 120 tank.