I’m making the leap into Refugiums. Thoughts on the best substrate/light? Anyone know where I can get 1/4” acrylic?
Starting a Refugium
- Thread starter wantsummora acropora
- Start date
Can you share more details on your setup? The size/placement/layout of the fuge will determine ideal lighting.
Fuge can be bare bottom or any sand you would normally use in a reef tank. You can add miracle mud under the sand if you're into that
Fuge can be bare bottom or any sand you would normally use in a reef tank. You can add miracle mud under the sand if you're into that
There's a number of websites that either accept basic measurements, have their own design tool, or accept .STL files where you can get acrylic laser cut for you at pretty decent prices.
OnShape isn't terribly hard to learn to use for really basic stuff. I was going to use it to design an overflow weir to be 3d printed for my 20-gallon until I got an offer for a much better tank.
OnShape isn't terribly hard to learn to use for really basic stuff. I was going to use it to design an overflow weir to be 3d printed for my 20-gallon until I got an offer for a much better tank.
That’s useful. Thank you
So the fudge will be limited to 17”L x 7”W. That’s all the room i have. There is a pump in the same chamber that can’t be moved but the pump doesn’t pull from that chamber so no risk to the pump. I do have 5 probes and my ATO float in that chamber but walling it off gives me the aforementioned dimensions.
Let me know how it works out for you, and what method you go with. Curious to know how it plays out cost/effort-wise. I'd love to custom-build a display 'fuge, myself.
My grandfather (R.I.P.) used to to a lot of work with acrylic, but I did not inherit his tools or materials. I've often thought about doing some DIY acrylic stuff for a reef, but it always seemed that by the time I did that, and put in the time and effort, I might as well just shell out the $$, unless I have some notion of getting into doing custom acrylics as a side business or something. *-knows I've got enough space in my shop to start up something like that, but not really the inclination - I work enough hours in my full-time job, and I'm guessing the profit-margins are pretty thin unless you've got bulk acrylic and your own laser CNC.
My grandfather (R.I.P.) used to to a lot of work with acrylic, but I did not inherit his tools or materials. I've often thought about doing some DIY acrylic stuff for a reef, but it always seemed that by the time I did that, and put in the time and effort, I might as well just shell out the $$, unless I have some notion of getting into doing custom acrylics as a side business or something. *-knows I've got enough space in my shop to start up something like that, but not really the inclination - I work enough hours in my full-time job, and I'm guessing the profit-margins are pretty thin unless you've got bulk acrylic and your own laser CNC.
Yeah, very thin margins. You can just look at Etsy and see there is no end of acrylic reef products. A lot of stuff I probably couldn’t even think of on top of that.
I do enjoy making my own stuff though. Plus there is nothing like customization.
See, that I utterly agree with. I was really looking forward to DIY'ing a filter system, until I saw I couldn't build it for less than I could buy rather better.
I'd dig DIYing an advanced fuge, sump, filter, etc. to my exact specifications someday, but I have to be strategic about where I spend my money for the time being.
Not to mention all the stuff being done with 3D printing. I *really* need to get an FDM printer that can do polycarb, ugh.
I keep thinking about getting a printer but i need so much reefing gear that’s far down the line.
Same. Don't want to buy a cheap or "starter" printer, only to have to spend the same money and then some on a better one in just a few months or a year or so.
Sadly, my resin printer cannot cure dental resins (they require light down at 360nm or something weird like that, instead of the 420nm that cures standard resins), otherwise I would be printing up a positive storm of stuff.
Good one isn't cheap, but the materials kinda are, and once you have it, the possibilities... sheesh. The stuff I see at printedreef is inspiring.
Heyyy, isn’t 420nm within our reef light spectrum?
I bought a few things from printed reef I think
I bought a few things from printed reef I think
Yeah, that's top-range UV (~360nm to 420nm, or 430nm, depending on who you ask), which is a big chunk of what causes fluorescence in our corals and other animals. It's the frequency of light least-filtered by water - another reason it needs to be clear and clean, because rayleigh scattering in cloudy water reduces PAR - and so the one most available to our corals, what they have adapted to use/need - precisely why natural reefs appear the color they do.
I'm hoping to keep bristleworms out of my tank, if I can. If there get to be enough I can see, I'm interested in trying one of their bristleworm traps.
