Mini-Refugium

[clownfreak]

I'm working on putting together a mini-refugium but on a very tight budget. Another problem is that I am not willing to drill the tank. What I have is a 3 gallon plastic tank (that I would be willing to drill), an Aquaclear 20, and a Whisper EX70. I am getting some mangroves this weekend that will be housed in said refugium. Would my best bet be to obtain a "proper" return pump and build a overflow box? I was hoping to possibly connect it to a filter and use that for flow, or modify the filter somehow to pump the water into the fuge and have it overflow back to the tank. An added bonus would be if I could put my HOB Skimmer (Reef Octopus BH-100) on the fuge.

Tank: 25g with 30lbs sand, 25lbs live rock, 2 occy clowns, and 3 BTAs. There is no sump and everything is hang on.

Thanks!

[LPS_Blasto]

Hang the refugium higher than the tank. Put a powerhead in the tank and pump water uphill into the fuge. Drill a hole up high on the side of the fuge and install an overflow bulk head to return the water back down to the tank.

[JCR's Reef]

There are a ton of threads on here how to do it cheap. The site has been kinda acting up here lately on my end with the server, but I would search for DIY refugium or something like that to generate more ideas in the direction you are wanting to go. Rubbermaid containers, acrylic from lowes to build your own, etc..

[clownfreak]

Server has been slow for me too. I have been looking at different designs and the idea LPS suggested has been the best so far. My other idea is to cut and bend the acrylic to create a lip and pretty much make the little tank into a filter. Any idea of how I could make this a hang on so I don't need to build a cabinet under it?