refug questions (new setup)

so I have been searching over a few forms and see different designs, but i'm not sure what the benefit if each is?

1. intake / refug / return

2. intake/ return/ refug

3. one of my friends gave me a 20 H tank setup like this. my main goal is to put my skimmer in there and get rid of my hob filter. would this setup work good?

4. I am unsure of what kind of return pump is good. I am using 3/4 pipe and a raise of 4ft.

Thanks!

 

A popular way to set one up now is skimmer / return / 'fuge. This way you can split the flow to each side (less to the 'fuge), and the 'fuge also gets 100% raw water.

For a pump, a Marineland NJ1800 would be good for your application I think. It should do around 250-275 GPH at 4', and has a 3/4" outlet. You could have 150 GPH going to the skimmer side, and 100 to the 'fuge for example.