PikoFuge®

[Bongo Shrimp]

Here's my design for the PikoFuge® for my 29g biocube. It's the solution for having a refugium for any small tank!

 

:::Patent Pending:::

 

5"x5"x5"

 

Small powerhead resides in main tank. Pumps water to the PikoFuge® through thin airline. Water comes in, flows through the cheato inside, and flows out the two holes in the bottom like a drain, back into the DT. Drains using gravity only as the PikoFuge® will be placed anywhere above the aquarium. Two float switches are in place and are connected to the pump. Two, so that if one fails, the other hopefully won't. The float switches will help keep the water level constant.

 

 

 

***Not seen in rendering***

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Adjustable valve goes on each of the dual return pipes to allow for adjusting of out flow of water. This allows you to adjust for any pump to keep the amount of water coming in, equal to the amount flowing out. Therefore, the PikoFuge® never overflows. Two return pipes make it easier to control the out flow rate.

 

Renderings:

 

Side View:

 

Top Down:

 

 

 

 

 

Comments??? Suggestions??? What do you think???

[ryeguy28]

thats so cool

 

i want

[Bongo Shrimp]

Anyone have thoughts about how it will work? See any potential problems???

[clownfish14]

all i see is that the sand would be pumped back into the DT via the return since the return is so low to the bottom.

[Stephensx04]

Would work but I see one possable prolblem. The switches will have to be set up on a 12 v relay set up or you will probably burn up the switches with it turning on and off so often. It will be hard to match the flow rates. you could do the same design but have the return back to the main tank at the top and have it just overflow back to the main display. Or two returns, one higher than the other as a failsafe.

[Bongo Shrimp]

Ok, I have a new design coming with over flows instead of the other return idea. Then with the overflow(s) the float switches would be the failsafes not needing to turn on all the time.

[clownfish14]

that sounds better

[Stephensx04]

Will be very similar to my HOB fuge I built for my pico. But yours is just different dementions and allows yours to be remotly mounted.

[Bongo Shrimp]

Ok everyone, here's the latest design. Thanks Don for the idea. This one has two overflows rather than the other return idea. One is a primary, at the level the water should normally be at all the time. The other one is higher than the primary and is slightly wider so if the water gets to high, it will drain quickly and efficiently. I don't know about you guys but I like this idea best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well???

[chefcody86]

if u sealed the hole thing you would be ok if you have your exit high enough for power outage or pump failure to hold water without overfilling your tank also if your pump fails it will act as a syphon keeping that high as well would insure safety of flooding due to small amount of water in (spyhoning range).

 

Your safe your way probably easy than sealing but sealing would ensure any chance of overflows

[Bongo Shrimp]

The whole thing won't be sealed but there will be a top that rests on top. Not 100% about how to get the top to stay on but I have an idea...

 

Think this idea is better than the original?

[andrewatch]

Why would I want a gravity draining fuge... A big box of macro algae sitting above the tank wont look very nice. A HOB style is better it is out of sight.

[Bongo Shrimp]

It's for people who can't fit, or don't want a HOB fuge. Besides, once on a shelf, it will look good. You'll see. Plus it's effective.

[Stephensx04]

I think in the right enviorment if its on a shelf above the tank you can make it look pretty cool.

[c_k_kuehne]

Here's my design for the PicoFuge® for my 29g biocube. It's the solution for having a refugium for any small tank!

 

:::Patent Pending:::

 

I seriously hope that this was a joke and play on Orbitec

[Bongo Shrimp]

I think in the right enviorment if its on a shelf above the tank you can make it look pretty cool.

 

Yeah the look will be part of it. Once I get the first one built and set up, you'll get a better idea of how it can look cool.

 

Remember, all you will actually see out side of the tank is a clear box with some sand and green wiry stuff inside. It will really glow if you put LEDs over it, which I will be doing.

[Bongo Shrimp]

Ok, had to do some redesigning after I sized out the gaskets. They would take up too much room in a 5x5x5 space so now instead of being 5" long, it will be 10" long, it will still be 5" tall and 5" wide. Now it will have one, wider overflow in the middle, at one end. I couldn't fit two gaskets that close because the acrylic would probably crack while trying to drill two holes that close to each other within a 5x5" area. It will still have a float switch for an emergency but possibly only one rather than two.

 

Now someone told me that I would need to have the inflow at the bottom rather than the top to create currents. He said if it is at the top, the water near the bottom will be oxygen deficient. Is that true?

 

What do you think of the latest redesign?

 

Here's the latest rendering:

 

 

[neanderthalman]

So long as you have some sort of water movement in the refugium, you'll get mixing of top/bottom water, making the whole oxygen problem dissolve.

 

 

How is this different from a standard DT/Sump setup? You've basically taken the "normal" setup, and jacked it up three feet. The sump becomes the DT, and the DT becomes the sump.

 

You're going to have trouble patenting this one. Too much prior art and nowhere near enough innovation to be considered novel.

 

The floatswitches are made unnecessary by the drain standpipe. Why do you still have them?

 

I seriously hope that this was a joke and play on Orbitec

 

lol

[cruiZe]

Similar operation to the sit-behind 6g fuge I have. Pump in DT, gravity return. I like the remote idea a lot. It could look good on a shelf, etc. Clear hose would look cool at first, but algae will grow in it like crazy, so you will need black hose to connect with.

 

Also the overflow return idea is the only way to go imo, I think if you lower the inlet to the mid-lower area that would be much better to create a bit of current. My fuge sits right behind the tank so the inlet is near the top and creates a 'dead zone' lower that I don't like. John Maloney at reefcleaners told me the stagnant area is fine as snails don't use much oxygen, but I think it will stay cleaner if there is a bit of flow/ mixing, plus more contact of water to chaeto.

 

My fuge doesn't have a float switch, and its only overflowed once !! lol, prob a decent idea, just in case.

[Bongo Shrimp]

Ok so the inlet will be moved down to the mid area or just above the mid area. That way there will be less dead areas. And now that you mention it, I will do black hose lines.

 

This should look pretty cool all lit up next to the tank on a shelf. It perfect for nano tanks that people want a fuge for that isn't too big. And it's good for even pico tanks that people want to increase the overall water volume. And for any tank it will supply pods and give you a place to put all those unknown hitchhiker crabs you find in your DT.

 

The float switches, or possibly float switch (not sure yet if I'll have two or just one) will be incase the overflow gets clogged, the fuge will NOT overflow and start draining the already small tank it is hooked up to.

[neanderthalman]

Ok so the inlet will be moved down to the mid area or just above the mid area.

 

Always keep in mind the issue of power loss. What will happen if the pump fails or power goes out?

 

 

 

 

You'd be better off putting the inlet up high to prevent draining, and then dealing with the need for flow some other way. You know, like a microjet or something.

[cruiZe]

BAAAH !! Drainback through the pump. me. Right, that won't work. I put a tiny fountain pump in my fuge, you can plan for that, or just forget it.

[Bongo Shrimp]

Ok, I can just get a tiny powerhead to put in there for flow. Now, what pump do you all recommend I use to pump water from the DT to the fuge?

[brun129]

In your design you have the powerhead right up beside the fuge. AFAIK That won't work. Powerheads can't suck water, they push water, the pump would go in the DT.

 

I think a maxijet 400 would be good if you are only pushing the water up 2 feet. Maxijets have allways been good to me.

 

I wouldn't worry about flow in the fuge - in fact I would try to create as little flow as possible. Point the flow at the surface for gas exchange and be done with it. Maybe cover your drainpipe with a pipe twice the diameter making sure that it sticks out above the waterline and cut some slots closer to the bottom of the larger pipe. That would give you the security of an overflow and the benifit of creating underwater current that should suck the well oxygenated surface water to the bottom a little quicker. It should also serve to more easily suck zoo-plankton and pods into the DT.

 

 

On another note put a nice light on top of it and throw in a seahorse or two !!

[Bongo Shrimp]

Well about the power head being next to the fuge, I only did that to show the concept, I know in reality it will be in the DT. I will look into a maxijet 400 too. And I might put a few dwarf sea horses in there too.