Running Out of Space - Reactors or Refugium?

[Newtybar]

I got a fairly large sump for my tank (45 gal sump on 65 gal tank) and it is taking up a bit of space in my cabinet. The whole purpose of having a large sump was to get a nice macro chamber / refugium going in the middle chamber with a large ball of chaeto (still growing out) and some matrix media.

 

Unfortunately, with my new auto top off and dosing unit - it is getting cramped and I still need to add this dual phosban / carbon reactor (seen on right). I can't put it in the current location seen in the picture because it is too wide with the wires jabbing at it.

 

I am contemplating moving the skimmer (can't see it because it is behind the center pillar in this picture) to the middle chamber and then sticking the reactor in the final chamber (return pump chamber) of the sump.

 

Alternatively, I can leave the skimmer where it is and put the reactor in the middle chamber with the chaeto and matrix.

 

It sucks because I was hoping to have a nice little chaeto area with tons of copepods...not sure if that can be a reality at this point.

 

 

 

[Bingo1213]

I have that same reactor on my 70 and I ended up mounting it to the back of my aquarium stand. I had it mounted to the side of one as well! Could you mount it on the left side of your stand above the tank drain lines? Or could you mount your apex to the right side of your stand and then mount that reactor to the back wall where you apex is now? It just looks like you have a lot of room it just needs to be oriented differently!

[Newtybar]

I did try the apex to the side of the stand thing, the only problem is I have two additional power bricks (one 10 plug and another 6). The downside of nanobox duo gen 2's is that it takes up 5 plugs on its own....2 for the lights, 2 for the light fans, 1 for bluefish controller.

 

Going to rethink and see if I can make the plugs to the side work...