Fuge as a plant display?

[NickBee]

I’m in the process of setting up a standard 10 gallon tank as a fuge for my 75 gal FOWLR. I just read the macro algae article in this month’s RC mag. This now has my head thinking that maybe I should make my fuge more of a “display” rather than a tank of water with a hunk of cheato in it.

I’d like the fuge to serve 4 functions (in this order of importance):

1 Nutrient export and over all health of the display
2 Display of marco algae (some color would be nice)
3 Food for the main tank (plant material for tang and soon a foxface and pods)
4 A few possible low light corals

My set up plan is to use a standard AGA 10 gallon tank / glass cover / florescent light next to the sump. I’m going to elevate it higher than the sump. I’ll be using an Eheim Compact 600 (160 GPH, adjustable flow) from the sump to a ½” barbed bulkhead that I’m drilling in the top corner of the tank. On the opposite corner I has going to use a left over ¾” bulkhead for the return to the sump (gravity). My initial plan was to use a few inches of sand and about 10 lbs of base rubble in the fuge tank.

Some questions.

• Are there things I need to worry about with the drain bulkhead? Should a strainer of some type be used?

• If I want display plants is there anything special type of sand I should be using?

• Are display plants as good at nutrient export compared to cheato?


• any good threads I should be reading to set up a fuge like this?

If someone else has photos of a 10 gallon used in the same way it would be great to see.

THANKS!

 

[NickBee]

Bumpy Bump... Working on the Travis DYI overflow now for this puppy. Thanks!

 

[NickBee]

Ok the overflow is done. Going to fill it and get the water flowing tomorrow once the silicon cures. Also need to get some sand to toss in there ASAP. I was thinking of 15 lbs of white sugar sized sand. What do you think?

 

[NickBee]

Fuge is up and running... Some ideas for something besides Chaeto would be great!

Thanks!