Buy or build?

Grab your ba!!$ and build ;D! Like said previously, you will be proud of it. I built mine and I went with slots up top. I also put a few holes towards the bottom for lower water movement. Add some various algae and critters will surely come!

CowboyUp [smiley=cowboy.gif]

 

Hey ScooterGuitar!

Here is a link to my DIY fuge/sump

http://www.3reef.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Refugium;action=display;num=1089244685

When you do yours, start a thread too so we can see! BTW, I am a girl, and I made my own!! LOL You can too!

The only thing I probably would have done differently, is to use marine epoxy to hold the baffles in place. Some of the silicone is coming loose. It's not a problem yet but some strategically place epoxy would keep it more secure, then silicone the rest.

Other than that, it's working great! Have fun!

 

Ya know, I saw marine epoxy and almsot got it, but didn't knwo if it was safe. Basically, what I have decided on for now is, put the refuge all in the front of my 20 gal lenghtwise. one long piece of acrylic and one small piece teeing off in back (hopefully the aqua seal will be ok), in theory it should work, but we'll see. Yes, I will snap some pics along the way. THis is my trial run (I think Sunday!) and hopefully get a 120 or larger afetr the first of the year and really make an all out go of it!
I wanna thank everyone for all the advice and encouragement!
I have to brag, made an off-topic impulse buy last night...A beautiful red nose American Pit Bull Terrier pup! "ZoaBella RusaZen" Such a cutie!

 

Got my peices cut! Drilled 7, 3/4" holes near the bottom. Gonna make it tomorrow. I will use a rubbermaid to put my stuff in for two days until the aqua sealant is cured, says 48 hours.
Think I need some holes towards the top of the baffle, or with the ones at the bottm be enough and just let the top overflow into it? Sure owuld be a pain later to try and get in there and drill more once its done!

 

If you want a quick clean build of a 5 gallon ref. Try this:
get a Lee or Penn Plax 5 gallon critter container, 1/2 inch pvc stick, 1 ball valve (threaded with 2 threaded hose barbs) 1 tee, 1 hosebarb (pvc non threaded if using hose for return and not hard plumb return) two bulkheads, set of heater holders suction cup style, 1 pvc end cap, pvc glue and about 3 feet of hose. Drill the critter container at 2 inches from top (bulkheads give you drill bit size) go slow and support the tank with wood its really easy. Insert bulkheads, cut return line and insert tee,run from tee to input part of ball valve, out of ball valve to a pvc spray bar mounted 3 inches below top of tank(held in place buy heater holders) out of second bulkhead run back to sump. I use a wire rack from Target tpo raise ref above sump slightly while it sits next to it. The return feeds to ref and the ball valve controls the feed. it the free flows back to the sump and into the tank, what i like about this set up is cheap, stays under the tank, easy to make, and it puts clean and skimmed water into the fuge but also send a little of evrything to the tank and fuge. I use live sand and rublle in the fuge, light it with 18 watt pc's and grow what ever i want including propogating stuff. no sales pitch here but you can build it yourself for about $65 including light or write me and we can figure a way to trade and I will build it for ya