Things You'll Need
- 30-gallon acrylic tank
- Drill
- PVC piping
- Silicone sealant
- Submersible pump
- Plastic egg crate
- Live sand or rock
Instructions
Drill two holes the size of your PVC piping on the opposite sides of an acrylic 30-gallon aquarium tank for your inflow and outflow pipes. Position the hole for inflow higher than the hole for outflow.
Place a submersible pump in your main aquarium or your sump.
Attach PVC piping leading from the submersible pump into the inflow hole of your 30-gallon refugium. Seal PVC into place with silicone sealant until it is watertight.
Place PVC leading from your outflow hole back into your main aquarium or sump so the water enters the main aquarium above water level (to prevent backwash.) Seal it up with silicone sealant.
Place a base of plastic egg crate two to four inches above the refugium floor. This creates a space called a "plenum." According to the article "Jaubert's Method, the Monaco System, Defined and Refined" by Julian Sprung, a plenum helps to oxygenate water and break down organic waste.
Add a thick bed of live rock or sand (rock or sand containing beneficial bacteria and other tiny organisms) on the refugium bottom.
Add plants or animals you wish to propagate in your refugium.