CPR BakPak as a Fuge?

hebygb · 03/15/2009, 08:10 PM

Does anyone think that it is possible to turn an unused BakPak as a hang on fuge?

My plan is to have the intake in chamber 1, (where drain hose terminates) and the outbound of the BakPak in the center chamber (skimmer section).

The fuge is a 15 gallon AGA tank, The display is a 29 gallon 24 x 24 x 12 tide pool.

Plan is to throw rubble at the bottom of the BakPak and then have Chaeto in the center section.

Thoughts?

redfishsc · 03/15/2009, 09:51 PM

If you already have a 15g fuge on a 29g tank, using the BakPak as an additional fuge will benefit you nearly nothing. If your current fuge isn't cutting it, beef up the light or run it on a 24/7 lighting schedule.

It might, however, make for a very interesting "specie" tank. If it's one of the longer ones, you could keep something VERY cool in it like sexy shrimp, fire shrimp, or perhaps some soft corals. Having it attached to your main system will provide much nicer water stability in the BakPak fuge than a normal tiny "nano" system like that would all by itself.

ZAPCOnj · 03/15/2009, 11:30 PM

I wouldnt do it. The back pack's 2nd chamber is so small that anything you put in there will be rendered pretty much useless. any rubble you put in there will catch all sorts of stuff that will eventually break down and case some nitrate problems. this is one of the reasons so many people take the biobale out of that chamber. there is also not enough room for chateo to roll... it's pretty tight.

I run my SR2's with nothing in chamber 2. once in a while i'll toss in a bag of carbon for a few days but nothing more than that.

hope that helps

hebygb · 03/16/2009, 06:38 AM

Thanks for the replies.

Redfish, I misspoke... Its a 15gallon sump... (I had fuge on my brain).

Perhaps I will create an "in sump" fuge by redesigning the baffles to divert some of the inbound water into a fuge section.

ZAPCOnj · 03/16/2009, 08:48 AM

to help give you some ideas here is an ADHI sump set up that i like alot.

I have a smaller version of it on my 40gal

the only thing i have in my DT is the overflow and a vortech. everything else (skimmer, heater, reactors and pumps) are in the sump. IMO its alot cleaner looking.

GL in your build!

hebygb · 03/16/2009, 09:51 AM

ZAP - Do you skim prior to the fuge... or do you not skim at all?

ZAPCOnj · 03/16/2009, 09:57 AM

The skimmer is in chamber 1 of the sump. you can see the collection cup peaking just by the white inlet tube. in this pic i'm using a CPR sr3 but now i'm using a CPR Backpack in chamber 1.

hebygb · 03/16/2009, 10:58 AM

I guess I have always been of the school that says not to skim before fuge, but then again plenty of unskimmed water is reaching the fuge.

How do you think it would work using chamber one, as the fuge, and the center chamber for skimming?

hebygb · 03/16/2009, 10:58 AM

I guess I have always been of the school that says not to skim before fuge, but then again plenty of unskimmed water is reaching the fuge.

How do you think it would work using chamber one, as the fuge, and the center chamber for skimming?

ZAPCOnj · 03/16/2009, 11:03 AM

it all depends on how you have it set up. if you were to do that you would have to make chamber 1 larger. remember the skimmer is not skimming every drop of water that enters in to chamber 1

for a fuge you want to make sure you have enough room in it for the chateo to roll and move around. the flow from chamber 1 in to 2 allows for a ton of water movement.

03/15/2009, 08:10 PM	#1
hebygb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Elmhurst, IL Posts: 2,207	CPR BakPak as a Fuge? Does anyone think that it is possible to turn an unused BakPak as a hang on fuge? My plan is to have the intake in chamber 1, (where drain hose terminates) and the outbound of the BakPak in the center chamber (skimmer section). The fuge is a 15 gallon AGA tank, The display is a 29 gallon 24 x 24 x 12 tide pool. Plan is to throw rubble at the bottom of the BakPak and then have Chaeto in the center section. Thoughts?

03/15/2009, 09:51 PM	#2
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	If you already have a 15g fuge on a 29g tank, using the BakPak as an additional fuge will benefit you nearly nothing. If your current fuge isn't cutting it, beef up the light or run it on a 24/7 lighting schedule. It might, however, make for a very interesting "specie" tank. If it's one of the longer ones, you could keep something VERY cool in it like sexy shrimp, fire shrimp, or perhaps some soft corals. Having it attached to your main system will provide much nicer water stability in the BakPak fuge than a normal tiny "nano" system like that would all by itself. __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers. Last edited by redfishsc; 03/15/2009 at 09:58 PM.

03/15/2009, 11:30 PM	#3
ZAPCOnj Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 59	I wouldnt do it. The back pack's 2nd chamber is so small that anything you put in there will be rendered pretty much useless. any rubble you put in there will catch all sorts of stuff that will eventually break down and case some nitrate problems. this is one of the reasons so many people take the biobale out of that chamber. there is also not enough room for chateo to roll... it's pretty tight. I run my SR2's with nothing in chamber 2. once in a while i'll toss in a bag of carbon for a few days but nothing more than that. hope that helps __________________ when people say you are annoying it means that you are WISE

03/16/2009, 08:48 AM	#5
ZAPCOnj Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 59	to help give you some ideas here is an ADHI sump set up that i like alot. I have a smaller version of it on my 40gal the only thing i have in my DT is the overflow and a vortech. everything else (skimmer, heater, reactors and pumps) are in the sump. IMO its alot cleaner looking. GL in your build! __________________ when people say you are annoying it means that you are WISE

03/16/2009, 09:57 AM	#7
ZAPCOnj Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 59	The skimmer is in chamber 1 of the sump. you can see the collection cup peaking just by the white inlet tube. in this pic i'm using a CPR sr3 but now i'm using a CPR Backpack in chamber 1. __________________ when people say you are annoying it means that you are WISE

03/16/2009, 06:38 AM	#4
hebygb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Elmhurst, IL Posts: 2,207	Thanks for the replies. Redfish, I misspoke... Its a 15gallon sump... (I had fuge on my brain). Perhaps I will create an "in sump" fuge by redesigning the baffles to divert some of the inbound water into a fuge section.

03/16/2009, 09:51 AM	#6
hebygb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Elmhurst, IL Posts: 2,207	ZAP - Do you skim prior to the fuge... or do you not skim at all?

03/16/2009, 10:58 AM	#8
hebygb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Elmhurst, IL Posts: 2,207	I guess I have always been of the school that says not to skim before fuge, but then again plenty of unskimmed water is reaching the fuge. How do you think it would work using chamber one, as the fuge, and the center chamber for skimming?

03/16/2009, 11:03 AM	#10
ZAPCOnj Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 59	it all depends on how you have it set up. if you were to do that you would have to make chamber 1 larger. remember the skimmer is not skimming every drop of water that enters in to chamber 1 for a fuge you want to make sure you have enough room in it for the chateo to roll and move around. the flow from chamber 1 in to 2 allows for a ton of water movement. __________________ when people say you are annoying it means that you are WISE