Blue Ocean REF 15 Hang On Refugium Aquarium Filter Nursery

Solid little refugium that i am very pleased with because it helped keep my nitrates and phosphate down to a minimum. Investment in this hang on refugium is worth it for most saltwater tank owners.

Set it up. It worked great until about a week later the side seam just busted apart and all that water ended up on the floor. As acrylic cement is supposed to literally bond the two pieces into one, I can only guess as to whether or not the proper glue was even used. I can't even begin to describe how upset I was to have the water from the refugium plus about a quarter of my tank on the livingroom floor.

This was half the price of name brand versions of the exact same thing so I was expecting something cheap. It wasn’t. Very heavy duty. I am not sure how good the pump is as I returned mine because it didn’t fit my tank. The overflow stick way out so my cover wouldn’t fit. Seems like it wouldn’t have to be so large.

Perfect! This is identical to the aquapfuge 2 except for the pump...amd the pump on this is quite! I run mine with a marinepure block that I had to trim a 1" off to fit in center, as well as chemipure blue and poly filter attached to "egg crate" in first chamber.... In essense, in using this a s a large hob filter...mostly for the marinepure which axts as both a large bacteria filter and also for denitrifaction. Highly recommended!

I’m not overly happy with this product. I can see a visible repair in the acrylic. It’s a smooth and professional done repair, yet it seems like I’ve received a repaired unit. I would have returned it, but I bought it before Christmas (2016) and set it aside to work on later. I tossed the box so I’m out of luck. The acrylic is not as thick as the CPR Aquafuge, so the REF 15 is at max size. The pump that came with my unit was a powerhead, not the pump pictured. I had to add a 1/2 pipe to both the pump and the powerhead to fit them together. Not happy. But it’s here, it’s working, but I will not buy another one as I had planned on for my other tank.

This thing is small and easy. works perfectly, I even got rid of the pump and connected my canister filter to this with an elbow.

I bought this to save a few bucks rather than buy the higher priced Aquafuge 2. If you are willing to do some repairs, and can deal with a rather loud pump, then this could work for you. My unit arrived broken, the center mount was snapped off, but I opted to repair it with Gorilla Glue rather than deal with the replacement process. It’s an ugly repair, but it seems to be sturdy. I also noticed a leak coming from the water exit, but was able to fix it with silicon sealant. My biggest gripe is that the pump is rather loud, so I ended up buying a Tunze Silence. Also take note that you will need a check valve to keep the water in the refugium from draining into the main tank when the pump is turned off, potentially causing an overflow.

I did not set this unit up right away after I bought it but when I did, it leaked. I attempted to fix it with silicone but before long it leaked again. When I requested the courtesy of a refund, they only replied that it was outside the return period. I have a similar refugium made by another company and it has worked flawlessly for years. Don’t risk the water damage that will likely ensue if you use this Refugium.