Ideas for the 29.

[Double-O-Zilch]

Alright, I'm between jobs, got too much time on my hands and the tank is a ways from cycled. Still I can't leave it alone. I went and got 3 of the xenon puck lights I used to build the fuges. I don't like the look of them as main tank lights, too yellow. So I was trying to decide what to do with them. My latest and greatest idea is to remove the wall between the 2nd and 3rd chamber and make that whole area a fuge. My goal with the 29 is to be completely natural except for some carbon, if it's even needed. I already have a good bit of chaeto in there and was thinking about adding some sand and a mangrove and attempting to bonsai it. I used to be into bonsai trees so I am familiar with it and think that would be an awesome combination with this hobby. The other thing I've noticed with both cubes is that when the water level is high, ignoring the min/max lines on the side of the tank, the water in the 3rd chamber has a film on it. My first idea was to add an air stone to stir the water. 2nd idea was to raise the pump but then I thought about the water evaporating fast as it seems to do with the fuge lights. Has anyone seen this done before or have any ideas on if this would be a good idea?

[Double-O-Zilch]

Just got done researching till my eyes hurt and came up with nothing. I've seen tons of sump/fuge in stands but not utilizing the cube itself. Seems like a waste to have a chamber just for the pump and not expanding the fuge. Think I'm gonna go for it.

[Regric25]

I have a 29 gallon BC with the middle chamber as a fuge and it works great.

I also keep the water level at the top of the little window on the side.

I did not take out any walls though. What i did was put rubble in the bottom of the middle chamber up to the bottom of the back window and put chaeto right in front of that little window in the back. Then i stuck an LED puck light in that window.

I took out the BC filter on the far right chamber and put a bag of carbon in it with a heater. The third chamber is normal with no mods. In the middle chamber there is that little grate on the top... I put some filter floss on top of that to get the particles before it does down to my fuge.
I hope this helps Good Luck!