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Coral Vue Hydros

Easy Refugium Fuge Light for the Nano Cube


steelhealr

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hey really really appreciate this mod that you have discovered!

 

here is a picture of what I did!

it is a natural energy saving coiled light says 60w 5750k but only uses 13w of electricity so no heat problems! refelctor, bulb and socket about 10 bucks! I run it like you do opposite main tank light cycle and its really cool to watch the little buggers running around and I have noticed a major increase in coral health and pods all kinds of little things that made me go by a huge magnifying glass to watch them in their little worlds cheato is very green and growing like mad I am loving it!!!!!

thank you!!

 

IMG_0253.jpg

 

I angled the light for picture normally I have it flush with the tank. I cut out the fuge area a little lower in the back and I put black electrical tape along top frame in back there was some light leaking. now the fish and the main tank inside walls are getting pods from this back chamber I am sure of it

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$25 for 9" and $40 for 12" I like my 10 dollar set up better and no shipping and handling not to say nanocustom is wrong in anyway!(chris and company ROCK!) I just tried to save money with good output and both of those units would use more than 13 watts of power?

my idea came from this page---

http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html

 

and this thread was started way before the refugium light at nanocustoms was available if I am not mistaken?

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I have read through this thread and tell me if im wrong but what information I got from it was in the second chamber put LR rubble in the bottom and some chaeto on top of that and put light to it.? First chamber cut sponge in half and put some type of carbon bag"filter" under the sponge.? Any response would be greatful.

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I'm the same guy as reefer9391

Yup that it but make sure that you have a mech. filter between the fuge and the pump. Bits of chato can break off and clog the pump I have the mod on my tank for 4 days up and running works great. I have a 100w flood light though in a hole for light bulbs for terruims. (AKA herp tanks)

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stoney waters

I have had my fuge running for a couple months now. I have to clean the glass about once a month. Lately I have had some coraline starting to take hold on the rear glass.

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stoney waters

It is in my tank. A few small spots along the edge where the black mask was cut. The spots were only the size of a BB. Nothing that concerned me to much, I just scraped them off when I rotated the chaeto. I have larger areas growing on the side walls but I just let them be.

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I'm new to the whole fuge thing but i'm very interested in putting one in my 24gallon. In my very limited research I thought you should use sand in a fuge. Would you be able to do live rock rubble in the 1st chamber with filter floss on top, heavy crushed coral in bottom of second chamber (I would think live sand would be best but it would probably get kicked up everywhere with the flow) with cheato on top, then my fission skimmer in the third chamber (if I can get it to fit with the heater and pump) maybe a small piece of sponge between the skimmer and pump. Just trying to figure out my options as I'd like to have the skimmer and a fuge if possible.

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Well, sand and crush corals can get into your pump and damage so it might not be a good idea, the best way is live rocks. Your skimmer should be in the first because if its the last chamber, it will skimm off macros and pods and will not feed your tank. Also it will skim some benificial organism from the fug.

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That's a good idea, will suck to have to remove the skimmer each week to take the floss out to replace it but that would be a great way for catching those micro bubbles.

 

So first chamber would be skimmer on top, filter floss on bottom

Second would be live rock on bottom with cheato on top

Third chamber would be heater, sponge to catch loose cheato, then pump

 

Maybe I can fit the heater in the first chamber, although that would be one more thing to remove and I'm not sure how cramped the space would be already.

 

Guess I'll have to try it all out. Thanks for all the ideas

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ah yes, even better idea, thanks once again. Maybe I can have egg crate as the divider up top, then keep my heater in the third chamber and possibly add more live rock. Still just trying to think of the best way to utilize those chambers

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I have the same result as stoney waters. I am getting coralline algae back there also.....I have to assume that this means there is adequate lighting now. I did maintenance tonite..pulled the chaeto out and rinsed it in aquarium water. Be aware that as the chaeto thickens, it may need to be rinsed. A lot of 'dirty' water came out...cleared after 3-4 rinses. The LRr ubble base, tho', was nearly devoid of detritus on vac'ing....cool.

 

Going back to what stoney said, I now have to scrape the inner back glass to keep it clear for lighting also.

 

As for the chaeto and clogging....your Maxijet 1200 should come with a cylindrical sieve/strainer that fits on the intake. This keeps my pump clean. I simply pull off the sieve when it visually appears to be clogging, rinse it in the sink and replace. Pump has never clogged from chaeto. SH

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stoney waters
you rotate your chaets? why?

 

After a while the chaeto will grow so dense that the back side of the fuge will receive less light than the side closest to the light. I can see that the color of the chaeto in the back is dark green and near the glass it is bright and healthy looking.

From time to time I will pull it out, thin it down a bit and rotate it when I place it back in. My light is so intensely bright with the reflector and being so close to the glass it makes the chaeto grow like (well) chaeto. I have found I have to do this about every 3 or 4 weeks.

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Hi, just wondering if this DIY would effect the company's warrenty? Just worried in case my glass breaks! B)

 

Also can I put the main and refuge lights on timers?

 

Thanks!

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