Two tanks to MAKE one sump?

I have a 10 gallon tank that holds a skimmer and return pump to my display. There isn't much room for me to add a fuge but I would like one.

So my idea is to get a 2.5 gallon tank and use that as a fuge. Just don't know how I will plumb it to the 10 gallon.

My thoughts... I am thinking I will either have water enter the 2.5 gallon from the skimmer section (also where water enters the sump) and then exits via an overflow or just simply a big bulkhead and strainer to the return section.

Would that work, or should water enter from the return section, to the fuge, and exits to the skimmer section?

I think I will drill the tank for an overflow and use a small pump to supply water to the fuge. Just not sure where I will place the pump. It will either go in the return section or the skimmer section into the fuge and exits the opposite section.

 

To get the most out of the fuge you will want to split the water from the tank between the fuge and the skimmer section. The water from the fuge then returns to the sump return section.

 

Ok that sounds good. Would I need to adjust the return pump with the added fuge?

 

No it will work fine. You only want to turn over the fuge 1 or 2 times and hour at the most.

 

Ok so I will just add a tee or something to feed the fuge and drill for a bulk head to get the water to the return section. Should be good enough without adding another pump

 

here is photo of how I connected two aquaria under a tank using bulk heads