Taking the Plunge. How's this sound?

[Noobeef]

OK. First, a little about myself. I have had many very successful freshwater fish tanks. I had one that was so established it no longer needed a filter and I only had to do water changes every 5 months. I have tried a couple salt tanks (one a joint venture with my brother) and they both had some mixed success. After reading some forums and doing some of the podcasts, it appears one of our biggest blunders was not using live sand or live rock and trying to get it going from “dry” scratch. We also used backpack filters with filter bags and active carbon as the only mode of filtration.

From reading posts and listening to the serious hobbyists, this is what I have, and what I’m planning on going with. Let me know what you think.

What I have:

I have a standard 29 gallon tank. Plain old 2’6” X 1’ tank. (Would like to get bigger, but apartment complex only allows 30 gal or less)

100 watt heater

My plans:

20 pounds live sand + 10 pounds regular sand

25 pounds live fiji rock from LFS (it will be fully cured)

Instant Ocean in 25 gallons of RO water

A backpack filter for a 30 gallon tank filled with a combination of live rock pieces and Seachem Matrix Biofilter Media I have thought about getting a backpack filter for a 60 gallon tank and filling it with the above mentioned things to make the secondary area bigger.

API Saltwater test kit

Now, that’s my tank and filtration plans. Please let me know what you think about this as an initial setup to get the cycle rolling. I have also heard some people SWEAR by protein skimmers and other people say they hurt filtration because they remove some cool bacteria. I also will get a powerhead eventually, but without any coral I am hoping to wait on that expense (with all the other stuff I'm getting up front).

Even though we don’t plan on rushing anything into the tank, EVENTUALLY we want to have 1 percula, 1 bicolor pseudochromin, 1 cleaner shrimp, a couple small hermit crabs and either a flame hawk or a dwarf angel of some sort (this will be the last fish we add). I feel this is a pretty low bioload for the tank size (3 small fish, a couple crabs and a shrimp). Are these fish all compatible with a reef tank?

Where I really need help is lighting because for some reason, I can’t understand what people are talking about as it pertains to reef lighting and what I need. I know I’m supposed to have around 3-5 watts per gallon for a reef tank, but there are all these different types of light and stuff that no matter how many times I read it, it doesn’t make sense. I know information similar to this has been posted, but since every setup is different, I'm curious as to what people think about my proposed start.

And one last question. I live in Orange County CA. This is going to sound either smart or completely insane. Is it advisable to pull a little water from the ocean and put it in my tank to get some good bacteria in there? Like I said, that could sound completely logical or insane. I'm interested to see which.

Thank you in advance.

[Reefbaby]

Hi Noobeef! Welcome to TR!

Okay....sounds like you're doing your research! Good for you! Have you, by any chance, used this tank for a freshwater system or have you ever dosed copper-based medication in it? If so, you might want to consider trying to get that stuff out of the silicon in the tank. The copper is pretty toxic for most invertebrates.

Filtration - I, and most of those here at TR, are proponents of protein skimming. A skimmer is mostly removing dissolved organic compounds. Bacteria are typically not affected by this. Some people worry about plankton getting ripped to shreds in pumps (which are part of the skimmer compilation); however, they usually do not decimate an entire population. In terms of bacteria, if you are going with live rock and sand, you will have so much bacteria within these substrates - so NO WORRIES!!!! I actually had a huge bacterial bloom in my tank recently and my skimmer actually stopped producing!!! I was almost wishing it would get some of the bacteria out of the tank!

Are you planning on having corals at some point?? If so, I would seriously recommend investing from the get-go in a skimmer!

Your fish load and selection sounds okay for the tank. You're not going with large fish or tangs that need lots of space to swim about.

Lights - again, so much of this depends on what you want to do with the tank...if you want to have corals, then your needs will be much different.

Ocean water - this is debatable. There are a lot of potential parasites in the ocean waters. You would NOT want to get these into your system. In addition, depending on where you collect the water from, there could be a lot of toxins present. People that DO collect water for their systems typically travel a ways out, where the currents are strong and the water is deep, in order to collect clean water. I would recommend starting out with manufactured salt mixes. It's much easier to know what you're working with. If bacteria are your main concern, starting out with live rock and sand would be your best, and safest, bet!

[Noobeef]

Cool. I am planning on adding coral at some point down the line (4-5 months at least). I don't plan on putting in anything ultra delicate until MUCH later. So for soft corals like some hearty shrooms, etc. what type of light is best?

The tank is new, so no copper in the sealant from ich meds.

[Reefbaby]

Personally, I LOVE T5 lighting. There are more and more tanks using these types of bulbs and are getting just as good of results as MH lighting. They are also more energy efficient.

If you have dough to spend, the Solaris LED lights are also pretty cool, and also very energy efficient. I find it difficult and confusing to talk about watts/gallon, because each tank and lighting system is soooo different.

If you're a handy person, you can even build your own lighting system with the different kits/components. Shrooms don't need a ton of lighting, but if you're wanting to go with corals down the road, then why not start off the appropriate lighting?

Check out some of these links, where there's hopefully a bit of information to get you going!

[Noobeef]

Thank you very much. The other question I have is for filtration. Like I said, right now I'm going to go with the backpack filter that came with the tank. I was thinking about getting a 60 gallon ready backpack filter instead thinking at that size it would almost be a mini sump. Or would it be worth my time to creat a 10 gallon sump under the tank in the stand?

[Reefbaby]

IMHO sumps are nice to have...you often can fit much more into them (such as a skimmer!); however, if you can't drill your tank, then maybe that's the best option for you. Do you have space for that kind of backpack filter?

[Noobeef]

I have space for a 60 gallon backpack filter, yes. Is it worth buying a 60 gallon backpack filter to use over the 30 gallon one the tank came with, or is the difference they would provide negligable?

[Reefbaby]

I'm going to PM our sumpzilla master (JustDavidP) and see what he has to say!

[rroselavy]

IMHO sumps are nice to have...you often can fit much more into them (such as a skimmer!); however, if you can't drill your tank, then maybe that's the best option for you. Do you have space for that kind of backpack filter?

I was just perusing a cool dealer site who sells overflow kits and diamond bits for drilling your tank. Even has some tutorials and instructions for drilling your own tank. The video of someone with a hand-held drill drillling a 1.5" bulkhead even gives me enough confidence to do it myself!

[rroselavy]

Welcome to TR Noobreef! Good to have another SoCal reefer on board. Make sure to go to that Marine Aquarium Expo in OC in April (in your neighborhood).

I have a standard 29 gallon tank. Plain old 2’6” X 1’ tank. (Would like to get bigger, but apartment complex only allows 30 gal or less)

Hmm... Your problem with that 29g is not the volume so much as the dimensions. 12" from front to back will prove pretty tough to arrange LR and provide space for flow and maintenance. 30" long is OK, but you will have to hang your light fixture, or come up with a custom hood since most fixtures are 24" and 36" long. Not necessarily a deal breaker, but you could pick up another 20-30g tank of better dimensions for relatively cheap ($50). A 30g breeder tank (36lx16dx12h) may serve you better.

20 pounds live sand + 10 pounds regular sand

If you are not planing on a DSB (4+"), an inch or less for SSB is recommended to prevent your bed from being too much of a nutrient sink.

25 pounds live fiji rock from LFS (it will be fully cured)

This is a bit light on the LR, IMHO. I would recommend more like 30-40 pounds.

A backpack filter for a 30 gallon tank filled with a combination of live rock pieces and Seachem Matrix Biofilter Media I have thought about getting a backpack filter for a 60 gallon tank and filling it with the above mentioned things to make the secondary area bigger.

Like RB, I would recommend a sump in a stand. This will help reduce noise and clutter, provide space for a refugium, and you can add up to 20 more gallons to your system without having the apartment complex know that your tank is more than 30g.

To overcome nitrate accumulation over time (in about 1-1.5 years, many nanos have their nitrates climb to 30ppm and above), I recommend agressive water changes (25%/week) AND efficient protein skimming AND a refugium. Get a good protein skimmer, not a $30-$60 piece of junk. Protein skimming can allow you to feed less sparsely, allowing your fish and corals to thrive.

Now, that’s my tank and filtration plans. Please let me know what you think about this as an initial setup to get the cycle rolling.

Give you tank plenty of time to establish the cycle. Keep track of your parameters, and watch for a major diatom bloom. The diatom bloom is a welcomed sight as it usually means you cycle is nearly established.

Unlike some, I do not think you need a decaying shrimp or other booster in your tank to start the cycle (although it probably cannot hurt); there should be enough decaying stuff that you could not remove from your LR to launch the bacterial process.

I have also heard some people SWEAR by protein skimmers and other people say they hurt filtration because they remove some cool bacteria. I also will get a powerhead eventually, but without any coral I am hoping to wait on that expense (with all the other stuff I'm getting up front).

Cool bacteria. I like the sound of that...

Bacteria can multiply at an exponential rate. This thread by Eric Borneman, entitled "The Building of a Reef (tank)" illustrates how bacteria would handily consume the volume of your tank if there wasn't something to stop it. That "something" is a food source, or lack thereof. Our LR and sand provide enough substrate for an immense amount bacteria to live on/within. I wouldn't worry that a Skimmer was removing a small percentage. Your bacteria will grow back in leaps and bounds.

I would get good flow now, to help break up and keep the food and detritus suspended instead of getting trapped in your sandbed and LR. Two Koralia Nanos to provide opposing flow would be perfect.

There is strong argument to get corals first and then fish later. Corals can help you process the nutrients in your tank while deriving a good portion of their needs indirectly from light, while fish are messy and put greater demand on you to add nutrients to the tank. Either way, just go slooooow so the tank biology keeps up with you.

Even though we don’t plan on rushing anything into the tank, EVENTUALLY we want to have 1 percula, 1 bicolor pseudochromin, 1 cleaner shrimp, a couple small hermit crabs and either a flame hawk or a dwarf angel of some sort (this will be the last fish we add).

Hawkfish in general have been known to pick on snails, hermit crabs, ornamental shrimps, and small fishes. They can be pretty aggressive, so proceed with caution, especially in a small tank. If you do chose a flame hawk, add him last, and feed him well.

Where I really need help is lighting because for some reason, I can’t understand what people are talking about as it pertains to reef lighting and what I need. I know I’m supposed to have around 3-5 watts per gallon for a reef tank, but there are all these different types of light and stuff that no matter how many times I read it, it doesn’t make sense. I know information similar to this has been posted, but since every setup is different, I'm curious as to what people think about my proposed start.

I love this topic, even though I believe that flow is as important as light. I too heard 3-5 watts per gallon when I started out, and I (after only 2 years) now know better.

A MH watt is not the same as a PC watt is not the same as a T5 watt is certainly not the same as a LED watt. Think not in watts/gallon but in depth, spread and heat transfer, (and ultimately - PAR). The closer the fixture to the coral, the more PAR there is. Therefore you, could get the same results hanging a 65w fixture hung 6" over a coral than a 130w hung 12" over a coral. A deep 24"+ tank is going to need a much brighter fixture to provide useful radiation on the bottom than a 12" deep tank.

Spread is pretty easy. MH, PC and T5 have very wide spread, and provide decent coverage from front to back in many tanks. For example, a tank can get away with just one MH bulb for every 24" of length. These bulbs cast light in all directions. This is why we use reflectors to recapture some/most of this otherwise lost radiation. The more efficient the reflector, the more radiation your bulb will shed on the tank. You may be able to get along with 20-30% less wattage by having an excellent reflector. Although pricey for T5 fixture, I really like the looks of Aquactinics fixtures for their efficiency and reported minimal heat transfer. Running a tank without the need for a chiller is a big plus in my book.

This brings me to LED fixtures. LED fixtures are terribly expensive and have very narrow spread (perhaps too narrow, making it a bit tricky to cover front to back without hanging the fixture higher). Otherwise, they have little to no heat transfer, can have reduced "leaked" light from your tank(see, limited spread has its benefits ), have a long bulb life, can be electronically dimmed and can save 30-40% or more in electric bills. I purchased one of these, and although I like it well enough, sometimes I think I could have done as well with a high end, 4-6 bulb T5 fixture. But then I would be changing bulbs out every 8-12 months. Hmm, I'll stick with the LEDs.

And one last question. I live in Orange County CA. This is going to sound either smart or completely insane. Is it advisable to pull a little water from the ocean and put it in my tank to get some good bacteria in there? Like I said, that could sound completely logical or insane. I'm interested to see which.

If you are interested in using natural sea water, you shouldn't draw the NSW yourself. You should buy it from a retailer at $0.60-0.70/gallon, or simply go to the Scripps Institute and try to access their public spigot (but not within 2 weeks after a rainfall). I've never been, but I used to buy NSW from a store that got their water from them. You could google (or search on RC) for the location and access times.

As far as bacteria is concerned, assuming that you are not using dried, baked or otherwise "dead" rock, rely on your LR to provide that for you. Choose your LR wisely. Some people love LR for the bio-diversity, some people revile it and use only dead rock. I found a piece with some beneficial Halimeda alga on it (as well as some other micro algae) and they sprung back to life - even after an extensive "lights out" curing process.

Lastly, since your in OC, check out a Pacific Reef store closest to you. I keep hearing great things about this mini-chain of stores, but I do not live that far south to make the trip practical.

[JustDavidP]

Whoah.. lots of good advice here I was getting from work, to baseball, then to cook dinner and get the kids down... and now.. here I am to read this Good thread.

I'm going to comment on a few key points. If you want my drivel about other issues, please do let me know.

You say you don't want to do corals and such right now and were looking to do a "Fish Only with live rock". That's fine, but in the future, if you do want corals, you will have to reconfigure and therefore, spend twice the money. ALL reef configurations can be used for fish only, and if and when you want, you can upgrade lighting and such, and go full blown reef. Your call...my opinion

If you go "fish only" the "Backpack" is okay. Basically (for the benefit of readers), you are speaking of a hang on the tank or HOT filter. These are fine for fish only (FO). I use them for my seahorse fry tanks and other fish only systems in my home. Personally, I don't use media in there, but live rock rubble and foam pads to catch detritus. I clean them weekly. You can use these filters, canister filters, whatever your heart desires with a FO. But using them on a system that will eventually house corals and other sessile inverts will result in higher nitrates than you want. (My opinion) I'd invest in a decent HOT skimmer instead, for a tank of that size.

Sumps.... ah...what is there NOT to love about em... they hide equipment from the display, can be configured to hold a refugium ... or not.. and grow some of the funkiest life in your system. Again, my opinion only... if you can do one... do it. Besides all the benefits listed above, you increase your water volume, which is always a good thing. Mother nature is more forgiving when it comes to additional volume.

Fiji rock is dense, as mentioned above, try to equal pound of rock per gallon (more if you can). I love Fiji rock. More porous rock = fewer pounds per gallon.

I'd rethink a dwarf angel in a tank that small. They like to roam. They'd fit...yeah...but be happy? Not sure about that.

If you want to use natural salt water, do listen to the podcast on the topic. There is lots to be said. Bottom line is this, if you can get "good water" (listen to podcast) then go for it. If there is any chance of getting questionable water, pass, and mix your own from a good commercial mix.

Lighting.. it's not that hard. For a fish only, you could use a simple fixture sold from All Glass Aquarium...with the single tube. Basically, it's what is "pretty for you". For corals and other photosynthetic life, you need to replicate the sun. The watts per gallon rule is a good starting point, but is not a perfect recipe. Basically, to reach 4 watt's per gallon for your tank you would need a bulb configuration of 120 watts. See.. 120 divided by 29 = 4.13.... over 4 watts per gallon. Be sure to read about "temperature" of light to ensure that you are in the right kelvin scale for coral and not for algae

Dave

[Noobeef]

I want to thank everyone for the good advice. Ironically, I can only post at work as it's when I have the most time.

You say you don't want to do corals and such right now and were looking to do a "Fish Only with live rock". That's fine, but in the future, if you do want corals, you will have to reconfigure and therefore, spend twice the money. ALL reef configurations can be used for fish only, and if and when you want, you can upgrade lighting and such, and go full blown reef. Your call...my opinion

I would love to be able to start off with the corals, but I can't front the money right now (I'm one of those people who refuses to go into debt other than a car or house ) for the tank, the skimmer, live rock, live sand, tank stand AND the nifty lighting fixture. I'm hoping I can make it as reef ready as I can now by getting everything but the lights cause I know that will run me close to 200 bucks (maybe a little less).

I wouldn't worry that a Skimmer was removing a small percentage. Your bacteria will grow back in leaps and bounds.

I would get good flow now, to help break up and keep the food and detritus suspended instead of getting trapped in your sandbed and LR. Two Koralia Nanos to provide opposing flow would be perfect.

I'd invest in a decent HOT skimmer instead, for a tank of that size.

I think I will invest in a protein skimmer after reading a few replys like these.

30" long is OK, but you will have to hang your light fixture, or come up with a custom hood since most fixtures are 24" and 36" long.

My LFS has a unit they sell that's 30" that has like 4 different bulbs. It has the blue light bulb and other bulbs. (I'm still not too bright, pun intended, when it comes to lighting so I don't know what the bulbs are all called) It costs 180 bones so I'm going to hold off on that unit until I get some corals.

Sumps.... ah...what is there NOT to love about em... they hide equipment from the display, can be configured to hold a refugium ... or not.. and grow some of the funkiest life in your system. Again, my opinion only... if you can do one... do it. Besides all the benefits listed above, you increase your water volume, which is always a good thing.

OK, I'm interested, but I would like to know how I can set one up WITHOUT drilling the tank. Reefbaby showed me a DIY sump that used a siphoning mechanism. She also gave me the link to Melevesreef.com to show me how to make it. Unfortunately, I would probably flood the entire apartment building and proceed to burn it down with an electrical fire if I made that thing. I would rather develop some sort of pump that pulled the water out like a backpack filter and then dropped it down into the sump then pump it back in from the sump. Simple. Is there anyone who can give me advice on how to make such a contraption? And if it is possible, what should I put in the sump and how should it look when completed? Pictures would be sweet! If that sort of thing is not possible, would it be in my best interest to get a 60 gallon spec backpack filter to create more water volume? It would seem to me (the newbie) that a filter of that size would act almost like a mini-sump. I could be wrong. It's happened before.

Hawkfish in general have been known to pick on snails, hermit crabs, ornamental shrimps, and small fishes. They can be pretty aggressive, so proceed with caution, especially in a small tank. If you do chose a flame hawk, add him last, and feed him well.

Bummer. In the salt tank I had in the past, he was the coolest little dude in there. Everytime I walked in the room, he jumped around and came right to the front of the tank and watched my every move.

[Reefbaby]

HOT or HOB refers to "hang on tank" or "hang on back" skimmer, which is a skimmer that *literally* hangs on the tank vs. sitting in a sump beneath the tank. If you're not able to build a sump, then this would be the best option for you.

However....back to the sump and overflow...you can ALSO get a HOB overflow! Pretty much what Melevsreef did, you can actually buy from some online vendors. It's a type of box that sits on the back (or side) of the tank, has a siphon that keeps the flow going, and brings the water down to a sump beneath the tank. In the sump, you can have your skimmer, fresh water top-off system, refugium, whatever....and then you just have a pump that pumps the water right back up into the tank!


Here's a couple of links for you:

Marine Depot - if your aquarium does not have built-in overflow, CPR Continuous Siphon Overflows/Prefilters are the best means for getting water from an aquarium to a filter system without expensive modifications to the tank.






I personally have never used one, but I have read good reviews on them....plus, it saves you the hassle of trying to build it yourself!

[Noobeef]

Well, those definitely seem interesting. Something that is concerning me with the siphon method is overflow. If for whatever reason the siphon was broken (algae buildup, something getting caught in the tube, whatever) wouldn't the return pump overflow my tank? And going the other way, if there was a power outage wouldn't the above mechanism empty (until it got to low for the siphon to break) extra watr into my sump until it overflowed?

[KAN]

Well first to TR. Wow their a lot to reed to just get to the bottom I guess I should be reading around the forms more often to keep up with everything. Cause I'm pretty new to all this stuff and Wow they gave you allot to read.
About a sump they are a good idea like the others said. Cause since my first tank did take off so good and when I tough my tank plans out again I add a sump and from doing water test to see when the tank is done cycling. I noticed that the levels are not going up as fast as when I set the tank up the first time.
Melev's site is a good one I think anyway. Plus he has his on podcast. Which if you ask me I think it funny. But most people would think their Teenagers running around drinking beer and doing a pobcast at the same time.
Melev has on his site some were but can't seem to find it right now. Probably should have booked mark it. But Melev has some were on his site of how a sump works and how they are usely setup but here is a good pick I found on his site. Melev's Reef - Sump Model A The way i know is cause I 'm looking at making my own sump to save some money and I can make the way I want to work with my setup. Wow I think this is the longest thing I wrote in a long time.

About the Overflow I just noticed what Reefbaby posted. I heard allot of bad stores about cpr and was told if I got one to get a extra pump to keep on hand. Their are float sensors out their that you could get and put in your display tank that would shut the power off to the return pump if the water get to high.

[KAN]

O and one more thing if you didn't fill your tank up yet you could go to you local fish store and get them to drill the tank for you if your worried about losing the siffen and cold save some money in the long run.

[Noobeef]

O and one more thing if you didn't fill your tank up yet you could go to you local fish store and get them to drill the tank for you if your worried about losing the siffen and cold save some money in the long run.

It's already filled with plain salt water (no rocks, no sand, nothing). Im trying to figure out something in my head right now. I'll get back to you after my lunch trip to Home Depot.

[JustDavidP]

I want to thank everyone for the good advice. Ironically, I can only post at work as it's when I have the most time.

Shhh.. that's what I'm doing.. and as Bobby said, on your tax dollar

I would love to be able to start off with the corals, but I can't front the money right now.

Again, in the end (just like I did years ago) you'll spend more money replacing what you purchase for a FO. The filter you are looking at (canisters etc) cost 100 bucks or more. A skimmer for your system is only a few extra dollars. Good choice on the skimmer purchase. I agree, you can hold off on lights for now.

OK, I'm interested, but I would like to know how I can set one up WITHOUT drilling the tank.

Then use an overflow box like Christi showed you. There is no fool proof way of pumping out of the tank, and pumping back in. If either end fails, you still end up with a flood. You probably couldn't match the same pump rate (which you'd need to do) even if you used the same pumps. They all run a little different.


Dave

[JustDavidP]

Wow... I'm soooooo proud of my Talking Reef family.. You are all great lil' salty helpers

D

[Noobeef]

OK. Here’s my thinking. I found a nifty looking gadget (you’ll have to tell me if it’s a good product/company or not) that skims as it overflows. Here is the LINK for the gadget. Now it says it will not lose suction and let the tanks overflow in the event of a power outage. I’m a conservative person by nature, so I will want a backup plan. Now for my crude, Microsoft Paint diagram and what it is supposed to be saying.



The sump at the bottom is a 10 gallon aquarium. I figure I will fill it up to around the 4/5ths mark. In the event of a power outage where the O/F unit continues to siphon away, there would be 2 extra gallons room in the tank and plastic container below it to catch any overflow. By the time the sump AND the plastic container are full, the main tank should have lost enough water that the O/F unit can’t suck the water up anymore. In the event of siphon malfunction, I will place the return pump near the top of the water line so it can only overflow the main tank by a gallon at most. I can live with 1 gallon of overflow if it came to that. Once again, this unit is supposed to be overflow proof, but one of the reviews from the customers said their unit did cause an overflow. Is this a good backup plan, or are there fundamental problems involved with my thinking?

Also, if this is a worthy plan, what the heck do I put in the sump? Live Rock? What? I feel like putting the lone heater in the sump is a bad idea. If the return pump OR the O/F unit have something go wrong, the water turns cold and everyone dies. I may put a second heater in the sump in order to have two in case one goes. So what do you think of my diabolical scheme?

[KAN]

Well I have 2 heaters one big on in my tank and a little 10w in my 10g sump. The reason for in case the power ever goes out and the pump doesn't come back on I still have heat in the tank or if one goes. Plus the heat seems to be even all around the tank better. Since my floor is kinda cold now. With that said you could turn the heater off in the sump in the summer and let it cool the tank down slowly. In the sump you could just put base rock in there. That you can get from a fish store. The overflow box I don't know to much about it but. I saw the same thing when I was looking for one then found out I should have got the balls and just drilled my tank and if it busted just fix it then. But I didn't and got a box for $42 with a U tube and it's been working fine so far. If you don't trust in them to much you could MSG Rob and ask him how his has been. I took the plunge with one cause Rob had one and did drill his tank so I figured that was good enough for me. And if you ask me anything that does two things usely means one of them don't work as good as the other or that just does one. Now about loosing the suction if you don't keep it clean. Ya it could get clogged like anything els.

[JustDavidP]

Okay... the two heaters.. good idea. Most of us do the same.

The overflow.. good idea. I like the self priming and non-siphon qualities.

Now, you need to match your return pump flow, with the overflow capabilities and you should be all set. There seems to be no flow rating listed for it. The aqua lifter system therein is only 3 gallons per hour, but what is the total flow rate capabilities? You'll need to know that in order to match it with the proper return pump.

As long as you run the sump low enough that it can handle whatever water empties during power outages, you will be good to go.

Dave

[Reefbaby]

having two heaters is a good idea....I, like many of us here, have two in my sump....the second one is set to 0.5C lower than the other one, so it only goes on if the temperature drops (i.e., the first heater fails). That way I'm not wasting the wattage with two heaters all the time. Since you DO have a turnover through your sump, there's not a problem with keeping the display tank to the proper temperature. I would advise against putting a heater in the display tank. Not only is it unsightly, but many slow moving creatures, such as snails, can get burned and hurt before they are quick enough to realize that they've latched onto something hot!

In terms of overflowing, or siphoning out your entire tank into your sump, you can also drill a small hole in the overflow siphon....this breaks the flow should the water level drop to a certain point.

Also, rather go with less volume in the sump...this will partly depend on which skimmer you decide to go with. but, don't fill up the sump to full or near-full capacity. There's really no need for it. You can, as Dave has done with his tanks, design a sump that has a refugium compartment in it as well. THIS compartment can have a higher level, with a deep sand bed and macroalgae.

[Noobeef]

having two heaters is a good idea....I, like many of us here, have two in my sump....the second one is set to 0.5C lower than the other one, so it only goes on if the temperature drops (i.e., the first heater fails). That way I'm not wasting the wattage with two heaters all the time. Since you DO have a turnover through your sump, there's not a problem with keeping the display tank to the proper temperature. I would advise against putting a heater in the display tank. Not only is it unsightly, but many slow moving creatures, such as snails, can get burned and hurt before they are quick enough to realize that they've latched onto something hot!

In terms of overflowing, or siphoning out your entire tank into your sump, you can also drill a small hole in the overflow siphon....this breaks the flow should the water level drop to a certain point.

I think the main reason I want to have a heater in the main tank is if the return pump were to malfunction, hot water wouldn't be getting to the tank which could freeze them. If the power goes out for an extended amount of time, they freeze regardless. But with one in the tank and one in the sump, if the heater in the main tank crashes, they survive. If the return or O/F unit crash, they survive. If the heater in the sump crashes, they survive. As far as the snails go, I'm willing to sacrifice a snail on the off chance he gets too close to the heater at the wrong time if it insures the rest of the tank better. Besides, I could take your route and make the sump one about 1/2 a degree warmer so the main tank one never turns on unless something goes wrong.

I'm less worried about the sump overflowing than I am the main tank. Like I said, I can keep something underneath the sump for emergencies. I can't do much about the tank itself.

[Reefbaby]

I guess it depends on the room temperature of your household. If the return pump were to fail and you were to have no flow from your sump to the display tank....the fish/corals can withstand a slight temperature drop.

In the end...it's up to you...I think it also depends on the size of your set-up. Smaller tanks, of course, would drop in temperature quicker than larger tanks...