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View Full Version : Baby Saver as a refugium


Durbelethwen
06/09/2011, 10:25 AM
When I set up my next tank I was thinking of getting an in tank refugium. The other day I was at my LFS and while looking at algae scrappers I noticed the baby savers for sale and made me wonder if I could use one for a refugium. I was looking around today and I found this baby saver:
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=14698
compared to this refugium:
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3621

thegrun
06/09/2011, 10:45 AM
I think all the baffles in the baby saver would make it difficult to clean and get proper flow. There are some nice HOB refugiums available.

Lynnmw1208
06/09/2011, 11:50 AM
if you're worried about cost, why not just get some acrylic make a box, and drill holes in it? basically the same thing really. some models put a pump inside to provide flow

Mr.Tan
06/09/2011, 12:17 PM
not to thread jack, but does anyone know of a good DIY for building a HOB refugium? seems like a good alternative for those who don't have room for one under the tank (like myself).

I have an old HOB filter from my freshwater tank that is just sitting around not being used, its a Whisper EX30 (if anyone is familiar). could this be used?

Palting
06/09/2011, 12:26 PM
That or something simillar was actually my first refugium. All the baffles and dividers come out, I drilled a few extra holes on the sides, then placed it high up in the tank close to the lights and close to a return. I later "upgraded" to a cheaper but larger version, an acylic box I found at Walmart. Same thing, drilled holes all around, made several of the holes bigger so I could stick some of the suction cups in it. Of course, now I have a 20 gal dedicated refugium and a whole new tank and system, but this should work. Here's a pic of my DIY version, it's up in the right hand corner of my previous tank:
http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab71/Kalawing/002.jpg

Mr.Tan
06/09/2011, 12:31 PM
well my only problem is with how it would come back into the tank... It uses more of a "waterfall" and isn't actually sitting down in the tank. Would that even be possible? i mean, i guess i don't really know how that would work. Like could i put the sand and rock/etc.. inside the filter housing and then put a eggcrate over the top? the waterpump would then pull water from the tank and run through to the other side to the refugium and then run into the tank? i feel like im getting the wrong idea about this

Palting
06/09/2011, 12:49 PM
Sorry about that , Mr. tan. I was talking about the in tank baby saver or smething simillar as a refugium.

To your question, Mr tan, HOB refugiums are constructed on the same principle as the HOB filter: water gets pumped in from one side and overflows as a waterfall off the other side. Two things, though. You can put a screen to keep your macroalgae from drifting into the DT, and you have to provide light for it.

Mr.Tan
06/09/2011, 12:59 PM
Sorry about that , Mr. tan. I was talking about the in tank baby saver or smething simillar as a refugium.

To your question, Mr tan, HOB refugiums are constructed on the same principle as the HOB filter: water gets pumped in from one side and overflows as a waterfall off the other side. Two things, though. You can put a screen to keep your macroalgae from drifting into the DT, and you have to provide light for it.

All good, i was becoming confused and assumed you were talking to me :lmao: ....so essentially it would work out fine as long as I have some sort of light over it and use a screen to keep macro from going into DT? Sounds easy enough.


so:

Light, live sand, some live rock and macro would be all I need to make myself a small HOB refugium? Can you recommend some good algea that I can scoop up from the LFS? i mean, im not to familiar with everything still!