pat8you
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have decided to forgo the 1st tank as per your advice. I can't risk the piano.
Probably a good choice. The salt creep can build up quite a distance away from even a tiny amount of splashing. I would not risk the piano either.
I would pass up the bioball/wet dry filter. You will have enough filtration with the sand bed and your live rock. The bioballs will sometimes collect left over food and waste that can disolve back into your water. I would have one section for your refugium/dsb, one for your skimmer and any other equipment you run, and the last one as a water reservoir and section for your pump. Remember the water level will lower from evaporation in the last section of the sump. So you want a decent volume of water in the last section so you don't have to top it off as often unless you are going to put an auto top off system on the tank.