DIY HOB filter into mini-refugium, some questions...

[CraigG]

I have a TetraTec PF300 HOB Filter that I have had for a while since my old Cichlid tank. It holds about a gallon and a half of water and has a nice opening in the middle that would be good for a DSB and some live rock, maybe some chaeto and a little light. I found a couple DIY threads but they are all AC filters, and I would like to use this one.

What are the key things to accomplish for HOB refugiums? How fast/slow should the flow throughout the refuge be?

 

[ek9vboi]

Ideally it would be 3-5X the flow of the display. But in this case due to such a small area I would skip the DSB (might be more of a problem then help). LR but rubble would be better so pods can breed in it and cheato would be best.

Some of the main reasons off the top of my head as to why they are so great:
- Helps remove nutrients in the water (nutrients helps algae growth, etc)
- Pod growth of course
Its late I can't think anymore. lol

 

[CraigG]

The way the filter brings water in, if I put a plexi divider directly after the pump, would eliminate any chances for the sand bed to get into the pump and ruin the filter.

I will make a diagram of my filter to get some opinions on it.

 

[Speckled Grouper]

I made 3 so far, but out of AC500's. I have sand in two and none in my latest one. I have gotten sand all over everything a couple of times when priming the pump after a water change, but that was out of stupidity....
Not familiar with the Tetra Tec, Craig, but I can tell you for 30 bucks the AC500 works like a charm. The 3 tanks I use it on have no other filtration to speak of and are only supplemented by 2 additional powerheads each , that's it.

 

[ek9vboi]

Take some pictures of how it looks b/c I have no clue what your talking about!!! lol

 

[CraigG]

Pics!

Front of it

Top of it

Projected plan

Impeller inlet

Idea for a short wall to allow for a DSB

 

[racermike27]

I agree with Andrea the AC500's work great. It looks as though the tetra can be modded in a similar fashion as well. What you would need though is a baffle of some sort to create a partition between the "fuge" area and the "pump" area. Just use a small piece of acrylic and use household "GOOP" to glue it in place. It si aquarium safe in my experience. For teh overflow section just use some eggcrate to separate the the fuge from the overflow section, this way no macro algae will be brought back into the main tank.
Is the flow in the tetra filter adjustable? If so you can dial in the needed amount of flow thorugh the fuge. A surface skimmer would also help rid the tank of the nasty scum that forms on the water surface.

HTH

-Mike

 

[ek9vboi]

Leave the center divider! 1 side can be live rock rubble and the other cheato. then just use some eggcrate or this material that they use to make picture out of with yard. they sell it at wal mart, i can get a pcture of it later... it can be a strainer to prevent any macro algaes from going into the display. remove the sponge too.

 

[CraigG]

I figured I could remove the sponge and use that area for a small carbon sock.

The flow is adjustable, not sure how much though.

My Remora skimmer has a pre-skimmer box that already helps clean the grim off the surface.

I already modded a piece of eggcrate to fit the filter, just forgot to post a pic of it.

 

[jessp]

make sure to have something to seperate the sand and the pump. when i did my mod with an ac70 i have sand and he first couple days i didn't have anything and pump stopped twice. bottom line is you use sand make sure it doesn't get sucked in pump

 

[CraigG]

I will have a divder wall to prevent any type of damages from the sand bed. That I shouldn't have to worry about.

 

[racermike27]

Looks good so far... seems to be coming along nicely. Keep us posted.

-Mike

 

[Pico Keeper]

Skip the sand, the surface area of a DSB in that filter would accomplish nothing. Rubble and Chaeto would be perfect, the front sponge would be good to hold carbon and some polyfilter.

From my experience, chaeto will grow in both low and high flow. I would keep it cranked up, to get the most amount of water thru the carbon. Dont worry about the chaeto, unless it starts tearing apart, then go ahead and lower the flow.

 

[CraigG]

The surface area is 10"x4", so I shouldn't worry about using any sand?

How many lbs of LR should I need? I was going to get a pound or two from my LFS and just break it into some smaller chunks. Eric would you have a small bit of Chaeto I could have?

 

[jessp]

i got a lb of cheap haitian rock and broke it up into small pieces. any little extra i had i just used to glue frags too.

i used sand and it all ended up on one side of the hob filter and it filled up the tank for about half a day. did not cloud the water at all just some bits would get caught up in the flow and end up in tank. if i could do it over again i probably would not add the sand.

 

[ek9vboi]

Cheato... small? hahaha. u can have whatever u want. I need to cut that mofo up already. if u go to the meeting anytime soon i can give it to you. i am trying to frag some zoos, but they are all expoyed to the rocks. i will try to frag some zoos or hook u up with a frag of colt/kenya tree already mounted... that and cheato. oh yeah, i have rubble from the beach that are in my refugium, if u want some of that i can give u some to help fill it up. and didnt i tell u to leave the sand thing out already?!

all u need to do to that filter thing is:
- add the small divider.
- do not remove the center divider (1 side rubble, other side cheato)
- use the eggcrate as a strainer to prevent cheato from going into your display.
- put the heater inside of it
- sit back and watch pods come out

 

[CraigG]

My heater is too long to fit in that. The crate is already glued in place, just need to find a nice small piece of plexi or plastic to glue down to prevent any impeller damages.

Not sure about the meetings, I hate driving down here.

 

[ek9vboi]

I hate driving up there (boca), otherwise I would have gotten the salt already! lol maybe one of these days i will stop being lazy and go get it.

 

[CraigG]

I hate driving in south Florida period lol

I got the crate glued down, found a plastic piece to glue down as a wall from the impeller. should I make it as high as the output wall? So the water has to flow over the wall into the refuge section? More like a sump style setup?

 

[ek9vboi]

make it a little lower then the output wall, that way it will slow down the water and keep down any bubbles or water rushing in that will stir up the cheato/etc.

come 2 s. fl for ur stuff!