Bottom Back Chamber of IM Fusion 40

[WhatsReef]

tldr - What should I put in the bottom rear chamber of my Fusion 40 if I don't particularly want to clean it out or (necessarily) put small pump(s) down there?

 

I am going to put live rock in my 4 outer chambers with 1 full of chaeto in an InTank fuge basket with a JBJ Nano Glo. Floss/sponge at the top of both returns. But I'm unclear on a good use for the bottom chamber on either side of the return pump. Just leave it empty? Will it fill up with detritus and become a problem?

 

Putting anything in there seems like it would just make that potential problem worse unless I added a mini pump on each side which seems like overkill. But I also don't really want to have to clean it out... if it's not a problem for the tank it can fill with detritus and bristle worms for all I care.

 

With plenty of live rock and chaeto - along with a good cleaning crew - I'm hoping I can keep levels in check, so probably not going to put an chemical filtration products down there (also not going to use a skimmer). Although I will entertain arguments for why I SHOULD use chemical filtration if anyone wants to try to change my mind on chemical filtration. But I will certainly have room for that in another chamber as I'm getting an InTank media basket in one side (just the floss holder and live rock in the other return's first chamber).

 

Having a lot of pods is a priority, but with chaeto and live rock in the rear compartments I'm not too worried about that.

 

 

[WV Reefer]

2 hours ago, WhatsReef said:

tldr - What should I put in the bottom rear chamber of my Fusion 40 if I don't particularly want to clean it out or (necessarily) put small pump(s) down there?

 

I am going to put live rock in my 4 outer chambers with 1 full of chaeto in an InTank fuge basket with a JBJ Nano Glo. Floss/sponge at the top of both returns. But I'm unclear on a good use for the bottom chamber on either side of the return pump. Just leave it empty? Will it fill up with detritus and become a problem?

 

Putting anything in there seems like it would just make that potential problem worse unless I added a mini pump on each side which seems like overkill. But I also don't really want to have to clean it out... if it's not a problem for the tank it can fill with detritus and bristle worms for all I care.

 

With plenty of live rock and chaeto - along with a good cleaning crew - I'm hoping I can keep levels in check, so probably not going to put an chemical filtration products down there (also not going to use a skimmer). Although I will entertain arguments for why I SHOULD use chemical filtration if anyone wants to try to change my mind on chemical filtration. But I will certainly have room for that in another chamber as I'm getting an InTank media basket in one side (just the floss holder and live rock in the other return's first chamber).

 

Having a lot of pods is a priority, but with chaeto and live rock in the rear compartments I'm not too worried about that.

 

 

 

No matter what you will still have to blow it out on occasion......Lots of bad stuff will gather.  

[RustyRocket]

5 hours ago, WhatsReef said:

tldr - What should I put in the bottom rear chamber of my Fusion 40 if I don't particularly want to clean it out or (necessarily) put small pump(s) down there?

 

I am going to put live rock in my 4 outer chambers with 1 full of chaeto in an InTank fuge basket with a JBJ Nano Glo. Floss/sponge at the top of both returns. But I'm unclear on a good use for the bottom chamber on either side of the return pump. Just leave it empty? Will it fill up with detritus and become a problem?

 

Putting anything in there seems like it would just make that potential problem worse unless I added a mini pump on each side which seems like overkill. But I also don't really want to have to clean it out... if it's not a problem for the tank it can fill with detritus and bristle worms for all I care.

 

With plenty of live rock and chaeto - along with a good cleaning crew - I'm hoping I can keep levels in check, so probably not going to put an chemical filtration products down there (also not going to use a skimmer). Although I will entertain arguments for why I SHOULD use chemical filtration if anyone wants to try to change my mind on chemical filtration. But I will certainly have room for that in another chamber as I'm getting an InTank media basket in one side (just the floss holder and live rock in the other return's first chamber).

 

Having a lot of pods is a priority, but with chaeto and live rock in the rear compartments I'm not too worried about that.

 

 

I use to run the Nuvo 30L (Slightly different I know), but I find that putting LR loose in the outer chambers is not a good idea. I could never keep the nitrates and phosphate low in that tank until I took out the loose marine pure balls I had in there. You will have pods regardless, but as for extra bio-filtration, best to put the LR rubble in a mesh bag to take out and rinse during water changes. You will find sponges and feather dusters and other calcifying worms living in the back chambers as the tank age. The loose rubble just makes it hard to clean.

As for your bottom chambers, I would probably throw 2 to 3 pre-bagged purigen in there for insurance. The purigen will can sit in there undisturbed and every few months just pull it out to check if its spent. Recharge them when they are spent and you'll be good to go.  The detritus that settles there is a pain to clear out If you have the LR there. 

[WhatsReef]

Thanks for the input. I don't quite understand why it wouldn't make sense to put live rock in the outer chambers. Why wouldn't they be functionally the same as the live rock in the display area and work to REDUCE nitrates and phosphates... will it function that way assuming I keep it clean of detritus by keeping it bagged and pulling it out and shaking it off into the display area once a week to release pods and keep detritus from building up?

 

[Clown79]

Liverock or liverock rubble in back chambers makes it very difficult to clean the back chambers, which need siphoning every few weeks or detritus builds leading to nutrient issues as well as poor filtration. This leads to other issues like algae out breaks

 

The one way to do it to prevent a negative out come is placing LR rubble in media bags, which means removing them every time you need to siphon the chambers.

[RustyRocket]

20 hours ago, WhatsReef said:

Thanks for the input. I don't quite understand why it wouldn't make sense to put live rock in the outer chambers. Why wouldn't they be functionally the same as the live rock in the display area and work to REDUCE nitrates and phosphates... will it function that way assuming I keep it clean of detritus by keeping it bagged and pulling it out and shaking it off into the display area once a week to release pods and keep detritus from building up?

 

Follow Clown79's advice, shes on point there. 

I do think you are over estimating how much pods you are producing and how effective the pods are.
If you're really conscious about them, you can make a pod haven within your display. Think that will work out better