diy refugium help please

[yetex]

I am thinking of putting a refugium in the stand under my 75 gallon tank. I am going to have to cut my stand to even fit a ten gallon tank. (Just because the way it was built)
But i don't understand all the parts that will be needed for this so could some one please help me.
I want one that is safe where i wont risk an overflow on my living room floor. This is very important to me because i live in an apartment house on the second floor and my neighbor has already got their ceiling washed once from one of my aquariums.
But what parts would i need for this?
I really need to know the basics on this, my tank is a 75 gallon that is not drilled
so im guessing the main parts would be an overflow and a return pump
i might even consider putting a refugium just next to my tank or possibly running the tubing to a larger tank in the kitchen
Thats one option that i would love to do ( I have a large area in the kitchen that i could put a 29 gallon tank in)
So just give some options on the best way to do this and it would be appreciated.
by the way every thing on my ank is hang on so maybe i could make this a sump/refugium and move some of that stuff off it
basically i need help.
and any one that has an idea for me (well when im ready your more then welcome to come over and help me set it up)

 

[yetex]

Well i have deceided that having the fuge in the kitchen would be the best ( that way it could be larger) but my aquarium is in the living room I measured and the distance would be around 5' to 6' away (and thats going around a corner not a straight shot to the kitchen)
Now i just need help on ways to get the water there and back to my aquarium
And I do want to have this in an aquarium not a rubermaid container. (i want to have the viewing pleasure of the creatures in the fuge) I also might want to add a skimmer, heater into this. So im looking at a 29 gallon or possibly larger.
any ideas for me?

 

[yetex]

What type of a pump would be needed for this type of a situation and overflow box.
This is a project that i will be gathering parts for over the next couple of months
im not going to run out and buy a bunch of stuff im still just trying to plan everything out first.
DvSKiN i understand what your saying about the baffels but what happes in case of power outage. It doesn't happen that often here but i am concerned about it.

 

[yetex]

So what brand of pumps do you guys recommend for this type of operation?

 

[zafirablanca]

Why not make a sump in your stand to house all of the ulgy equipment/ baffles, etc. and leave room for a couple of extra gallons there in case of a power outage. If you use anti-siphon holes on your return lines and maybe a proper check valve, you should not risk overflow. You could also house larger/ better in-sump equipment there. Surely you will need more equipment if you are planning to add a fuge anyway (extra/ larger heater for one).
You could still make a refugium to have on display and not have to put in equipment/ baffles.
I think that a sump/ fuge combo would be quite unattractive if on display/ in sight.
However, a refugium that contains strictly refugium material would be quite attractive and interesting, especially with mangrove trees. I have the book 'The Concientous Marine Aquarist' and there is a chapter that discusses this.
IMO, this would take about the same amount of work, avoid overflow issues, leave opportunity for upgrading eqipment, and create a more attractive display.
Good Luck,
-Christine

 

[yetex]

Your right about having the skimmer on display
maybe i will just stick with the hang on skimmer and do just a strictly fuge
If i did do strickly a fuge how many baffles would be needed?
The thing is that my uncle built the stand for me and i don't want to go cutting it up to make room down below

 

[zafirablanca]

Baffles are to get rid of excess bubbles in the water, usually resulting from sump turbulence and skimmer output.
The rufugium should have slow flow through it, so bubbles shouldn't be a problem, therefore baffles not necessary.
Have you considered getting some acrylic sheets and assembling a sump inside of you stand? I have heard that it is pretty easy. Just 5 pieces of plexiglass and a tube of welding solvent. That way you get around cutting your cabinet to install a tank inside it. I know some people here have done it.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck
-Christine

 

[yetex]

So basically to do this right the parts i will need are as listed to get a refugium
29 g tank
lighting
overflow
return pump
pvc pipe
am i missing anything
If thats really all that need it won't cost very much to pull this off

 

[yetex]

DvSKiN how would set the baffles in a 29 g refuge only tank?
What preventive measures can be taken to prevent flood?

 

[zafirablanca]

No baffles necessary in a refugium.
Baffles do not slow down the flow, they just cause the water to hit various surfaces to force bubbles to rise out of the water. If you feed the refugium with the proper flow, you will not have a bubble problem.
Baffles can also be used to seperate the rufugium media from the rest of the tank and its equipment when building a sump/ refugium combo tank. But for a seperate set-up, no baffles in the fuge.
I would strongly recommend still thinking about a seperate sump. For sure keep the hang on skimmer in your display tank.
Oh, and add a pvc ball valve to your hardware shopping list. Install this in the return line just after the return pump. This will allow you to trim back the pump if the flow needs adjusting. I also installed a swing check valve at that point as well. This can be an assurance against flooding. But, there is alot more to that issue. Please search for the "how many of you use one way valves' thread for more information on using and choosing check valves.
You want to drill a small hole ~1/4" just at or below the water line on your return pipe in your display tank. This will also provide some flood insurance. Broomer5 had a good diagram of this in a recent post, also the 'one way valve' thread.
Add live sand and macro algae to your livestock shopping list. Check out getting some mangroves for your refugium, especially if it will be on display.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck,
-Christine