My Fuge Sucks!

[thebanker]

I tried creating a denitrifying fuge out of an aquaclear 110 filter. I think it is sucking, big time, for this purpose. Here are my thoughts.

What I did:

Took out all filter media, put in LR rubble, chaeto on top, along with a couple of nerite snails, and a few loose mushrooms I plan on selling, or whatever. I took off that black flow-shield thingy that is on the end of the induction tube to reduce flow. Also I have a bag of purigen in the impeller chamber, and a coralife mini PC fixture on top, which runs at night.

Why it's good:

My chaetomorpha grows steadily, and I have a place to keep my pagoda cup so my filefish and trigger don't eat it. Also it gives me the small thrill of having another aquarium.

Why it sucks:

I think the LR rubble is accumulating detritus and general "crud" which has turned my makeshift fuge into a nitrate factory. I think this is the case, because the glass directly in front of the filter accumulates the worst algae buildup. Also, my nitrates are not any lower. The chaeto sometimes accumulates gunk, and when I shake it, I get debris blowing about my DT.

What should I do?

1. Shelf it, and install a GFO reactor
2. Pull out the LR and leave it bare bottom + chaeto + refugee corals
3. Run it as a mechanical sponge filter, when needed
4. Install cut-to-fit phosphate/nitrate sponges
5. Install cut-to-fit activated carbon sponges
6. Stick purigen bags or other new-age polymer media bags in it
7. Leave it empty and keep it for flow
8. Fill it with melted chocolate and dip pretzel sticks in it
9. Install egg crate, and make it a zoanthid frag-ugium (run the PC lights during the day instead of at night)
10. Mount it to a block of cement, and voila, abstract art

[woowoodengy]

leave the fuge alone and do more water changes. a fuge is not really for denitrification. its a place for pods and such to populate and help your tank overall. if you want a lower nitrates build a coil denitrator. or have a deep dsb. i still prefer regular water changes.

[thebanker]

Well here's the problem. I'm sumpless and the aquaclear takes up a lot of real estate on the side of my tank. Also, my motivation isn't to provide pods, but to help solve algae issues. If I had to provide for a needy dragonet, for example, I might feel differently. I do have a diamond goby in my stable, but he eats frozen food I add daily.

The algaes I'm battling are GHA on rocks, this powdery bubble-producing brown algae that appears stringy in places (dinos?), and film algaes on the glass. It seems as if my "fuge" is actually fueling these issues. I've reached this conclusion because the film algae is always the thickest on the glass in front of the fuge. The flow rate is too high, and the aquaclear's impeller is not interchangeable with those on smaller Hagen filters.

That being said, I feel that the live rock and chaeto are becoming a detritus trap, like filter floss, and contributing to my nitrate problem. Phosphates are usually undectable, but I'm using the API kit, which is not the best.

[mdntrdr]

Are you running GFO,GAC?

[BeanMachine]

8. Fill it with melted chocolate and dip pretzel sticks in it

That's my vote... mmmm, chocolate.

[thebanker]

Are you running GFO,GAC?

No, not currently. I'm considering this as an option, and I'd have to remove the fuge to do so. H.O.T. real estate is limited when going sumpless.

8. Fill it with melted chocolate and dip pretzel sticks in it

That's my vote... mmmm, chocolate.

My eclipse 5G system is getting this treatment if I keep the fuge.

[thebanker]

bump... want to get some more feedback, these things get buried so quick.