Hang on Refugium with Skimmer

[WhiteShark]

I'm currently trying to build my own DIY aquarium (which I have been researching for about a year and a 1/2 and I"m planning on doing a 46-55 gallon aquarium) but I'm torn on a couple of things.

 

Does anyone hav any experience with the CPR Aquafuge hang on refugium with built in protein skimmer?

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~act...es~vendor~.html

 

From the picture it appears that the water enters into the refugium and then goes through the skimmer. I'm not sure if this would start to kill of/remove all the copopods and everything else I would want in the water or if they would be uneffected by the protein skimmer?

 

My second option would be to buy the regular hang on refugium without the protein skimmer and just go with the Remora skimmer.

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~act...dor~~tab~0.html

 

Anybody have an thoughts?

[SPS20]

There are much better HOB skimmers than the one built into the Aquafuge, IMO. The Remora is one of them, though there are certainly better options than the Remora, as well. Also, I feel that skimming the water before it reaches the refugium is working at cross-purposes. Refugia and skimmers should ideally be plumbed in parallel paths, rather than in serial fashion, as plumbing either upstream of the other would reduce the efficacy of the downstream device. (Once again, this is the ideal arrangement, but having both a skimmer and a refugium, regardless of plumbing arrangement, it better than one or the other.)

 

It would be best, IMO, for you to use the regular Aquafuge (without skimmer) and get a separate HOB skimmer for these reasons.

[jrgnd]

I have this setup, the 5 Gallon one on my BC-29. It works well but what the poster before said is very true. I have my BC-29R in the middle now and don't use the integrated skimmer. I will use it as a backup if my BC-29R goes down...

[WhiteShark]

Thank you. I thought that having a skimmer built in directly after the refugium was kind of a self defeating purpose. I'm thinking I'm going to go with the regular HOB refugium (probably the medium sized one) and then a separate skimmer. Thanks again...

[rocketpop]

Thank you. I thought that having a skimmer built in directly after the refugium was kind of a self defeating purpose. I'm thinking I'm going to go with the regular HOB refugium (probably the medium sized one) and then a separate skimmer. Thanks again...

 

 

I have a CPR and the skimmer is before the refuge. The skimmer works OK but I added an airstone to the skimmer and now it work great.