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Here are some pics of a tank I set up at the local hospital. It's a Glasscages 180g reef ready glass tank with twin overflows. It's been running for about a month and a half counting cycle time and fish/corals are being added slowly. Lighting is 3x250w MH pendants from CoralVue using 14k bulbs...

Since you mentioned square pin end caps, I'm assuming you intend to go with PC's? You can buy a ballast at Lowes or Home Depot that will light them just fine. To light a pair of 65w PC's, buy a ballast that is rated for 4x32w. Either a Sylvania Quicktronic or an Advance Centium. Probably cost...

You got it! That will work. Your overflow will probably keep up ok, but it's best not to run them at their full capacity. The reason for this is if you get a partial blockage in a u tube, you may still have enough flow capacity to keep the tank from overflowing. Even algae growth in the u tubes...

If you haven't already bought the tank, I would suggest looking into a tank with an internal overflow. External overflows are risky although some are better than others. You are depending on a siphon...if it ever breaks for any reason, you will have water in the floor. Internal overflows do not...

Is it possible to connect the two sump containers with a piece of pipe? Here is the problem...you will never be able to balance the flow perfectly. Even if you get it working just right, your pump flow will change a little as water levels in the sumps change or as a bio film builds up in the...

You can't go wrong with Eheim although the Emp 400 is an excellent filter and will run for years. I also like the Aqua C skimmers, but I would suggest the Pro for a 55 gal tank...the regular Remora isn't enough. You may have some trouble with the pump coming loose as well so you might want to...

Check with www.aquariumwaterfilters.com . They have a line of ATO's from Oceanus that will do what you want to do. You can either run the water thru a shut off solenoid or you can buy a unit that will turn your pump on and off. I've installed a couple of their systems and have had excellent luck...

Ok, while I admit that submersible pumps have their place, I don't like them and here's why. They add heat to the water. They are louder than externals. They don't last as long as externals. Although they all say they can be used externally, I don't trust the seal/gasket on any of them I've ever...

A 120 is a pretty deep tank. I would suggest 250w halides. That would allow you to keep pretty much whatever you wanted assuming you have enough flow, ect... 150w MH would allow you to keep most corals, but you will need two of them. A MH bulb will light about 2' x 2'. If you only use one, your...

I think that will be fine. I assume you are going to use 3/4" bulkhead fittings for the closed loop? Be sure when you have the tank drilled that you have the holes sized for the bulkheads you want to use. A 1" bulkhead takes like a 1 7/8" hole...or something about that size...I can't remember...

It's actually on a "countertop" looking cabinet that was built just for it. The architect didn't do what I asked for and there were some issues to work around...there wasn't room underneath for the wet/dry so I had to go with a large Eheim canister...no loss there...love those Eheims. It was...

I'll try to draw up a diagram and post it for you. PM me if I forget you...workin about 15 hrs a day, but I'm off for 4 days starting Sunday.

Ok...you don't want to tee back into the return line at the top of the UV. You want to tee as in your diagram at the bottom (red line) and then come out of the top of the UV with a line that goes straight up to the tank. This will allow you to adjust the flow thru the UV. So, you will have two...

I've never used the BakPak skimmer, but I've used the Aqua C Remoras. I would not go with less skimmer than the Remora Pro. The regular Remora, IMO, just isn't strong enough. I have a 29 gal that was set up only to provide a home for a clownfish that was no longer wanted. It has 2x65w PC, a...

You can get a flowmeter for about $7 (I think) from Dr Fosters or Marine Depot that will give you an idea of what your flow is. I would split the return and valve both sides. That will allow you to adjust the flow through the UV on one side of the return and let the rest go back to the tank...

Try a piece of styrofoam. These pumps typically are noisier than externals though...it's a very rare one that doesn't vibrate some.

I would say you need to replace the bulb if it's more than a year old. The quartz sleeve keeps the water off the bulb. As long as it's clean and not leaking, it's fine. Some UV units come with a wiper that allows you to wipe the crud off the sleeve without taking the unit apart. Others require...

1800 GPH through the sump is fine if you construct your baffles in a way that will control the bubbles. There will be a lot of microbubbles with that much water dumping into the drain end of the sump. What do you want in the sump as far as equipment? Will you be using an in-sump skimmer? If you...

I'll get some pics together...maybe do an article on it. You only need to backflush for about 30-45 seconds. There's no harm in running it longer though.

Check with www.floridapets.com .

Bigger is better. However, if you are willing to carefully monitor tank conditions and water parameters, a small tank is doable. I kept a 10 gal SW tank with some soft corals and an ocellaris clown for a long time. You can do a small tank for less money for sure. I didn't even have a...

As I said in the earlier post, you really need about 50psi. If you're below 40psi, you need a booster pump to get decent performance from the unit. Having two pressure gauges (see pics) will tell you when you need to change filters. A TDS meter ($40 or so) will alert you when to change RO...

It doesn't use LR in the sump although you can put some in there if you want to. The bioballs are for bubble control. Water flows into the first chamber full of bioballs and exits about halfway up the divider. Bubbles are dissipated somewhat by the bioballs. They also act as a very coarse filter...

Plumb the canister filter into the overflow using the bulkheads and PVC pipe. The only drawback to this is that you will have to keep the water level up in the tank or the filter will run dry. I have a 150g FW tank that is set up this way. It has dual overflows feeding a Eheim 2260 with the...

What type of sump did you have in mind? And how much flow do you have in the tank now without a sump? There are so many combinations. If your sump isn't going to incorporate a refugium of any type, then you don't need a huge amount of flow through it. The higher the flow through the sump, the...