New skimmer purchase (happy) + question

So I bought a prizm skimmer last night for 30 bucks used at my fish store. They retail for about 110 so I was happy. I got home and plugged it in and it leaked. Today I went and replaced the o-ring and now it works like a charm. Look at all the crud it pulled already.



Now my question is that I want to build a new stand so I can mount the lights because as you can see I now can't close the lid. So I was thinking why not build a double decker and put a refugium up top. I tried to put it below before but with two pumps, and it didn't go well, to much adjusting. So I figure I can just put it higher then the display tank and drill an overflow in the top tank this way I can also have pods up there and not have to worry about them getting destroyed in a pump.

 

Interesting...how are you going to pump the water up there?

 

Sounds like an awesome idea. Build a stand hood combo. Make the hood tall enough to enclose the upper fuge and leave a display window. That would look awesome. If you do this I would put your DT lights on drawer slides to make pulling them out for maintenance easier.

 

Currently I have an extra pump lying around thats rated at 760 gallons per hour. That should be enough because the flow through one shouldn't be that strong. And I like the idea of the display window I was just going to make it like a shelf but that sounds alot nicer thanks! K+

 

You could have some interesting inverts in there like a mantis. It would give you something cool to look at after lights out.

 

haha don't put that idea in my head!! I've been saying that eventually I would get rid of my 25g freshwater tank and get one. Instead I re-amped it for the the time being
At the moment I was going to do some chaeto and mangroves but do I need miracle mud? I almost bought a hang on the back fuge last night and the owner tried to convince me it would only be beneficial if I bought the mud. Which I don't think is true. I was just going to do a deep sand bed, maybe a rock or two for pods to chill in.

 

wow I need to change my curtains haha