Refugium = salt creep

[package]

I have a HOB refugium powered (as they likely all are) by a small power head pumping water into the refugium and then back through an elbow dumping water back into the display tank.

The purpose of the HOB was the display is nearly BB, with just some rubble and I wanted a place to get a bigger pod population growing.

The water dumping back into the display contains bubbles which rise to the surface, pop and create salt creep everywhere.

I tried putting a hole in the top of the elbow dumping into the tank. Putting a sponge of some type, defeats the purpose.

Short of scrapping the refugium, what can I do to eliminate this bubble popping issue?

[package]

ttt

[porksmash]

If you put a pipe from the elbow to below your main tank water line that should help quite a bit.

[package]

The pipe from the HOB fuge goes about an 1" under the water line in the main tank. It also came with another elbow that puts it a total of 2" under water with a turn. I added the elbow back on. I did not want to angle it toward the overflow because any pod being dumped into the display, then into the overflow is of no value. I think I am going to point it toward the back glass. Unreal how a little splash turns into a block of salt in a couple of days.

[Leena2674]

I have the same setup on my office tank. I had to cover the outlet pipe with some plastic mesh so that the very curious cowrie snail I have would quit trying to crawl up it (causing the fuge to overflow). The mesh also helped with the bubbles/salt creep.

[Psirex]

I rotated the outlet so the water hit the back wall of the tank - no bubbles no salt creep...