[sgarron]

I didn't go with a sump for this tank, next one definitely though. Is a HOB refugium useful? And is it worth it?

[mtfabel]

Yes they are a very beneficial peice of equipment. Mainly so because you can grow macroalgae in it and pods will thrive in them and can easily swim into the main display for your fish to eat.

[reefdaddy725]

Everything is relitive. If the question is do you need one the answer is no. However if the question is what will a fuge do for my tank the answer is yes macro will lower nitrates and pods as stated above are a good thing for most fish and esential to others. I have a large fuge and I am growing mangrove trees in it along with macro's and have rduced the amount of skimate my skimmer produces as well as lowering my nitrates back to almost 0 it is a big acoplishment with a reef that has been up and running for over 6 years. My nitrates used to run around 50 always even after water changes so to be back to 0 I think a fuge is something that I would have on any tank I ever set up again.

[admann]

Will a HOB fuge work with a 180 gal or mayby use 2? Seems like most the pods would not make it through the pump if fuge was incorerated into the sump. I am still planing and trying to decide which way to go. PEACE

[mtfabel]

Hes talking about a HOB and the pump is only for intake. It just uses a bulkhead to drain back into the tank. His question was are they useful and are they worth it? I answered his question exactly the way he asked it. I would never use a HOB as a main source of filtration though, especially not on a 180.

[admann]

Originally Posted by mtfabel

Hes talking about a HOB and the pump is only for intake. It just uses a bulkhead to drain back into the tank. His question was are they useful and are they worth it? I answered his question exactly the way he asked it. I would never use a HOB as a main source of filtration though, especially not on a 180.

no, I meant for me and my 180 gal tank. and not for main, I will still have my sump. my question was will a large HOB fug work for my 180 gal, and second question was how many pods make it through a powerful return pump? PEACE

[glampka]

Ideally your refugium should be 10% of what your tank size is. So if you have a 180 gal tank you should have roughly 18 gal for a refugium. You're not going to get that in a HOB. I wouldn't use a HOB for that size tank. A powerful return pump will probably suck all the pods out of the refugium depending on how close the pump is to the refugium & what kind of suction you have.

[mtfabel]

Well with the kind of HOB fuge i got the return doesnt use a pump. It just flows right out into the tank. The pump is on the in side of the fuge. So it sucks water in from the tank and then gravity feeds it back out thru the other end of it. The pods never go thru a pump at all. I only use it for the simple reason that it allows such an easy transfer of pods without hurting them. That way they make it to the tank alive.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I think a lot of pods will amke it thru a return pump,they are tough little critters.Its the skimmers that give them he**.

[mtfabel]

My HOB fuge doesnt have a skimmer on it, so no worries there for me.

[CyberJester]

Originally Posted by mtfabel

My HOB fuge doesnt have a skimmer on it, so no worries there for me.

Yeah but if they are going into the tank and you have a skimmer hooked up to the tank inevitably they are going through the skimmer. Poor little fellas.