DIY Refugium Conversion

[ChrisCummins]

CONVERTING THE AVHO600 INTO A REFUGIUM

This is a step by step guide of how I converted a hob aqua vital into a refugium. This was a bodge job, it looks ugly but it does the job. :)

PARTS
Aqua VitalHang On Back 600
MDF
1 Brass Hinge
1 Brass Latch
3 Nails
Tin Foil
11W PL Light
50mm PC cooling fan
Acrylic


TOOLS
Coping Saw
Sharp knife
Sand Paper
Wet and Dry
Araldite
Aquarium Silicone
Wood Glue


Thanks,
Chris

[ChrisCummins]

Step 1 - The parts
It all starts of with a box. This box was bought from Aquatics Online and cost me £16.99.

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/9871/01box8rr.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Take the filter out the box.

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/4475/02bits1jm.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

At this point I did a freshwater test, although this is unecessary.

Thanks,
Chris

[ChrisCummins]

Step 2 - The Surface Skimmer

This step covers the conversion of the intake into a full surface skimmer. First, remove the inlet pipe from the filter and take the surface skimmer attachment. Lay these out.

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/9931/03inletandskimmer6vm.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

You will notice the surface skimmer attachment is made of two parts. Seperate these.

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/3301/04skimmer1lg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Take the inner tube of the surface skimmer, which looks like this.

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/559/07skimmerintake4ys.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Using a small drill bit, drill lots of holes in the centre section of the pipe. This is to reduce the strain on the inlet slats in the lower half of the pipe.

For neatness, I also decided to remove the excess pipe from the surface skimmer inner tube. This will reduce the amount of pipe in the tank. First, assemble the filter with the surface skimmer attachment. Now, hang this off the back of the tank you intend to use it on and adjust the height of the surface skimmer attachment as necessary until you have it so that the skimmer strainer is the same or slightly more than this height in the water level:

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/8881/22skimming5kc.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

When you have it happy, remove the filter from the water and mark or score on the how much excess pipe there is below the surface skimmer attachment. Remove the inner tube and cut the pipe off at 1/2” below the point scored, as in this picture:

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/3310/08skimmerintakechopped1ex.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Now reassemble the surface skimmer attachment.

Thanks,
Chris

[ChrisCummins]

Step 3 - Blocking the intake tube.

If you assemble the filter with the surface skimmer attachment, you will notice that the pump is still sucking up water from the bottom of the inner tube of the surface skimmer. (the bottom of the pipe in the below picture)

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/559/07skimmerintake4ys.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

As I wanted this refugium to only take water from the surface, I wanted to block the bottom of the surface skimmer. To do this, I first took the strainer attachment which is supplied with the filter.

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/4664/05strainer4by.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Then, with a sharp knife, I cut off the end cap of this attachment, going around each support until it came off.

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/8494/06endcap4wo.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

This end cap is sanded down and kept to the side. The rest of the strainer can be discarded.

Thanks,
Chris

[ChrisCummins]

Step 4 - Completing the surface skimmer

Now we have a collection of pipes remaining. From left to right:

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/9074/09pipes1wl.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1) Main intake
2) Strainer - don't know why I included this in the photo as this is discarded a the end of the last step
3) End cap
4) Surface Skimmer inner tube
5) Surface Skimmer

Now we need to concentrate on the main intake tube.

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/4015/10intake9wf.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Reassemble the filter as in the end of step 2, and ajust as neccessary until you get the correct height for the surface skimmer. Now, if you follow the main intake tube down with your eye from the top, you'll see some of it overhangs the holes you drilled earlier in the surface skimmer inner tube. We don't want this as the inner tube holes need to be unblocked and free of obstructions. Make a mental note of how far the tube gets down the surface skimmer inner tube and take the filter out of the water. Work out how much of the intake pipe will need to be removed as to prevent it blocking the inner tube holes and cut there.

Now disassemble the surface skimmer atttachment. Make one last double check that everything is ok then apply silicone to the inside of the connector between the surface skimmer and inner tube and reassemble. The silicone will just make sure there is no leaks anywhere.

Now, you should still have the end cap lying around from earlier, now is where it's needed. Invert the surface skimmer attachment so that the intake grates (the widest part) are at the bottom. You are now presented with the very bottom of the intake tube. Place a small beed of silicone on the lip of it and push the end cap onto it. It should make a butt joint. Now leave the skimmer for 48 hours to dry and cure. It's now complete.

http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/9213/11completedskimmer0mi.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Thanks,
Chris

[ChrisCummins]

Step 5 - Creating the pre-filter
As the whole of the filter compartment is going to be used as the refugium, we cannot use any of the slot in filter media that is supplied. However, we still need a small amount of pre-filtering, just to prevent debris cloggin it up.

Cut a small peice of acrylic (my acrylic was from an old hood splash cover), the width of the gap that the water flows through after the pump. Cut this to a desired length as so it prevents water travelling straight from pump to refugium, but forces it to travel up over the acrylic. Silicone this acrylic in place.

http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/5650/12bulkhead8co.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Notice now that as the water is pumped out of the pump outlet, it will flow up and over the acrylic into the refugium. This creates a perfect place to put some filter wool in, as the water will be forced to pass through it.

Thanks,
Chris

[ChrisCummins]

Step 6 - Creating the grate

To stop the macro algae from flowing straight out of the filter into the tank, a small grate must be created. Cut a peice of acrylic the width of the water outlet and around 30-35mm tall. Drill many little holes in it and silicone it in place.

http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/7073/13grate8hb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Thanks,
Chris

P.S: My knowledge of plastic is equal to that of a common snail's, so I messed this stage up completely and cracked the acrylic in a few places.

[ChrisCummins]

Step 7 - Creating the Hood

The filter comes with a splash cover, however, being opaque, this is useless for letting the light in as I require for my refugium. So, I chopped the hood at the top, and cut a peice the same size as the one I'd just chopped off in acrylic and siliconed it back together.

http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/1716/14top8hh.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Thanks,
Chris

[ChrisCummins]

Step 8 - making the lighting fixture

This is the one section I wish I had spent alot more time and care on, as bodging it will produce poor, unaesthetically pleasing results.

The 11W PL Light is too long, and creates an overhang. The reflector I made for it is made out of MDF. Make a box 260mm x 50mm x 60mm for the light from MDF. I wanted it to be hinged so I could see into the fuge for quick inspections. Here is it after it's first undercoat, done with some old grey wall paint lying around.

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/7707/15lightfixture5kl.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

And here it during it's first coat of black spray paint:

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/1333/16blackpaint7ud.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

To create the reflector, all of the sides which would be facing inwards towards the bulb were coated with a thin layer of PVA, then a sheet of aluminium foil was pressed to them, and the sides trimmed and left to dry. This is far from perfect but better than nothing.

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/7739/17silverfoil5tp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Thanks,
Chris

[ChrisCummins]

Step 10 - The finishing touches
It's finished. Switch all the power on, test the water level, get 'er filled up and we're off!

I went to the lfs to get a bit of live sand and live rock rubble. I ended up leaving with half a bag of live sand, 3 chunks of live rock and a handful of macroalgae for £2.15 :wd:

Please post comments, suggestions, questions and feedback! :)

Thanks,
Chris

[ChrisCummins]

PICTURES

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/1025/18lightoff4az.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/6006/19coolingfan4kt.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/2036/20hood9gd.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/7366/21front3zd.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9646/22skimming5ae.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/7661/23fuge8qx.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/5529/24skimmer6vt.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Thanks,
Chris

[exmt]

Good job there. :D

edit: sorry, missed your last post.

[ChrisCummins]

Thanks. :)

It's been running a few days now, and overall I'm happy with it. The only problem is when you turn it off the fuge empties half it's volume into the tank, which could flood it if it's nearly full.

Thanks,
Chris

[austin552]

Chris,
Looks good. I did a Millenium 2000 conversion with a clear acrilic top, 10W grow light, Cheato, LS and LR. Had a couple problems though. The sand washed up into the cheato and into the display tank so that was removed. Lots of bad stuff was sucked into the cheato from the display before my skimmer could pick it up. So I found myself washing out the cheato often. My intake was not surface level though.

http://www.imagecabin.com/?view=114949077278da576f349c589055ee2f3ccef714f7

[ChrisCummins]

Looks cool Austin. I haven't had any problems with sand yet.

Whats the blue thing in that pic?

Thanks,
Chris

[rsxs1212]

i would imagine you can do this with any HOB filter right???? maybe a little bit different but basically the same principle right

[austin552]

Chris,
The blue thing is a air inducer, I believe its called. Do you have the flow wide open or turned down?

[ChrisCummins]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7504572#post7504572 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rsxs1212
i would imagine you can do this with any HOB filter right???? maybe a little bit different but basically the same principle right

I guess so, I read about the aqua one conversion on here, but can't find aqua one's here in England.

ATM Austin I have the flow quite low, although I'm not sure how high I should have it?

Thanks,
Chris

[louist]

Thanks for sharing this DIY tutorial.

I modded my AquaClear 70. The advatnage of the AC70 is that you don't need any extra acrylic (unless you wish to do the clear top mod), just cut up the media tray and use that.

[austin552]

Chris,
I am not sure about the flow either. I turned mine down because I don't have the grate so keeping the cheato down was a issue and I wanted the skimmer to pick up more waste. Are you guys using a skimmer also? Why are you skimming from the surface?
Austin

[Mr.Nudibranch]

I would imagine it would not skim as good on just the top

[rsxs1212]

actually on the top that is where all the most dirty stuff is that you want to skim. thats why we do surface skim. if you just surface skim you have to make sure you do have enough flow through the tank to keep water moving but at the surface thats where the main skimming is. thats why skimmers are most effective when the pump is closer to the surface

[austin552]

Hmmm... I will have to see if I can move mine up a little.

[rsxs1212]

are these as effective as those in a 20 gallon tank?? i mean i guess it has all the same stuff this just is less of it. so i guess what i am saying is what is the maximum size aquarium you would use this on?? i was going to do an insump refugim but this would be alot easier, its going to be a 75 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump.if anything i would do it to a marineland 350 which has two chambers instead of just the one that is done here. hmmm more stuff, more flow....maybe it will be good