Building a Refugium

[Givmeanf]

I'm back on this refugium.
When I look at piping diagrams of aquarium systems, the refugium is just part of the overall flow of water down to a sump that includes the refugium and there is only one pump.
If I am going to use one it is going to be remote from my AIO tank.
The AIO tank has three sections; filter, biological, and pump sections.
I have to assume I would pull water from the middle section of the AIO tank pass it through the refugium, then return it to the middle section.
OR am I wrong?
Right now, I have ceramics and some charcoal in the middle section. (And I am performing a fishless startup cycle. NO2, NO3 are high right now.)
When I look at diagrams of self-contained refugium's there is a pump to return water to the aquarium and an overflow line to the refugium.
I don't see how that works with my aquarium.
How am I going to get water from the AIO section of my aquarium to the refugium and back?

Below is an example of what I am looking at.

 

[skrappy]

In my opinion you are going way overkill. If you really want a refugium just get one of the hang on back ones. If you want to plumb a whole other tank to your AIO for a refugium you are going to run into headaches on many levels; you will either have to drill a hole in your AIO for a drain line, or run a siphoning overflow and those are a power outage flood hazard, and you will have to have the refugium below the level of your AIO. If you try to put them next to each other and use two pumps you will absolutely end up draining one of the two tanks and causing a flood. Hang on back is really the only reasonable option I can see for a refugium on an AIO.

 

[chaples55]

I 3D printed a refugium insert for the rear compartment of my IM 15 AIO. I've also seen people diy it using a media caddy and putting macroalgae in it instead. Alternatively, a cheap "hack" is to get an aquaclear HOB filter and turn it into a refugium. There's examples of this on YouTube and elsewhere. You could also use an overhead acrylic filter that kinda works like a mini hang on back sump like this: https://a.co/d/42qHtHG

 

[Givmeanf]

I 3D printed a refugium insert for the rear compartment of my IM 15 AIO. I've also seen people diy it using a media caddy and putting macroalgae in it instead. Alternatively, a cheap "hack" is to get an aquaclear HOB filter and turn it into a refugium. There's examples of this on YouTube and elsewhere. You could also use an overhead acrylic filter that kinda works like a mini hang on back sump like this: https://a.co/d/42qHtHG

Show me a picture of your insert. That could be my ticket too.

 

[chaples55]

Pics, video, and link to the 3D models are all here https://atlantareefclub.org/threads/chriss-im-nuvo-fusion-15.1193333/

 

[bdishman]

Would this be of interest? Reef Casa. The Planter and Nova the refuge light.
https://reefcasa.com/nano-reef-tank-upgrades/