Want to build a Refugium!

[chickenofthesea]

Ok, so I am selling my larger system due to a move to Hawaii in July. I want to stay involved with the hobby so I got myself a pico tank from a fellow reefer because this will be much easier to use and easier to slip past the wife I am going to start a thread on it shortly (once I have decided the direction I wont to go) so you fine folks won't be hounding me for pics while I'm still deciding what I want and need.

So... the first problem is, I need help building a refugium. I dont like anything that I could find currently on the market and I dont want to modify a HOB filter cause I know I wont like the look when its done. So I was thinking about making something custom that will meet my needs and look custom, not rigged. I have simple plans but I dont have the tools or the know how to complete such a project. Can anyone help me? I will of coarse purchase the materials and document the entire thing so others can follow the build. Oh, and beer can and will be supplied by this guy. Take a look at what I have so far and let me know if you think you can help or if you just have some suggestions to improve my project.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/821/refugjpeg.jpg/

On the left is the tank and the Refug. put together from the side with the lighting, the middle is a front view of the refug. and on the right is a 3D view. I have not placed any of the plumbing in the 3D pic other than the intake and pump along with the heater but I didn't forget them.

 

[Peppie]

This was my design for a HOB filter/fuge/skimmer. It is for a 29gal tank. I never built it. It could be down sized to fit any tank. The water flow concept will still apply.
I have the tools and the material. Would need to work out some details on what you want. And what you can afford.

Shoot me a PM if you are serious about a HOB build.

 

[Sascha D]

One thing to consider about Hawaii is that its illegal to have corals. You can have LR but you can't harvest it from the reef. Theres really only one LFS to get anything on Oahu and they don't even sell rock. Every so often you see crabs, urchins or a feather duster but thats about it. Koaloa beach park is the best place to find rock on the beach. The sand is pretty good too, diverse makeup.

 

[Spinner]

Hello,

This is one of my backpacks from many years ago with a simple design easy to build. I used a 250gph pump with a skimmer first chamber then refugium which gravity feed back to main tank. The bulk head in refugium chamber was placed so it would surface skim back to DT.

Good Luck!