HOB Fuge for AIO tanks?

[AZBigJohn]

Reading the previous post about looking for a small HOB fuge got me to thinking about a question I had been meaning to ask.

Has anyone had good luck with a smaller HOB fuge for smaller AIO tanks? Like a BioCube or similar?

I have a 29 gallon older Cardiff tank. It is an AIO tank with a very small rear chamber that holds the return pump, an area for chemical media (which I do not use) and used to have a very primitive, totally ineffective skimmer.

I would love to attach a hang-on skimmer and a HOB fuge to this tank, I just have heard mixed information regarding whether the HOB fuge is worth it.

Have any of you used an HOB fuge on a small AIO tank with any luck? Any recommendations on a good one to use?

 

[Mael]

not on a AOI system, but I had one on my 46bow(still have it in a box actually)

It is a small one, like 1/2 gallon maybe, but the chaeto and culerpa I tested in there both grew quite well so they were taking in nutrients, but you would either need to harvest often or something to keep giving it room to grow, it fills quick when the chamber is that small and stops what little nutrient uptake it was doing in the first place.

I also liked having it on there as I could use it for acclimation of small fish/inverts or to put naughty critters in that caused trouble in the display.

 

[Dria]

Choss has an HOB fuge on his IM40 in this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2512216 I'll probably be doing the same eventually as I'd like to get a bit more water volume.

 

[kjonulak]

I just picked up the smallest CPR HOB fuge for my nano tank. I haven't tried it yet, but I do like the quality of it. It will add 2.5 gallons. My nano is 9 gallons without any sand or rock. I was figuring it should make up for the loss of volume. The hob fuge will hold my heater, carbon mesh bag, macro and extra LR which would allow me to have less rock in the main tank.

 

[tcamos]

Reading the previous post about looking for a small HOB fuge got me to thinking about a question I had been meaning to ask.

If you don't have a sump, from my experience using them, an HOB fuge is very worth it. In my BioCube I didn't need to HOB though, I just turned the back chamber into a fuge and used a submersible light. Worked great.

For my 50 gallon I used a HOB fuge and loved it. I grew cheato in it, used it for some extra live rock, a small frag tank, etc. It caused me to realized the benefits of a sump, which I hadn't used up to that point. I replaced it with a large sump that I put on the floor next to the tank (it wasn't drilled and so I got a cabinet that was more furniture than stand).

Fuges are useful.