noob with a question

[mandarinfreek]

hello all
ok I have had a 75 gallon reef tank set up with good success...this was my first, even had some xenias growing and starting to thrive. then I had to move and was reduced to nothing. got 75-80 lbs of live fiji rock (yummy) which is now dead from the lenthy move. i didnt have a sump set up on this as i was a novice and didnt have the funds...all i had was a few penguins dual bio wheel filters and a protien skimmer (backpac II) a few power heads, and a magnum canister filter which i later learned was not the best thing to run.

ok blah blah blah

new home=new tank

got me a 150gallon show tank.. horray for me

i dont want to use the penguins anymore so i have purchased a small 15 gallon sump with overflow box and pump. still gunna use the powerheads and protien skimmer. I dont plan on having many corals (just softies) mostly fish. Got sand bottom and plan on making it about 1-2 inches deep, and after the tank cycles i will seed it with live sand. rocks will be used even tho they are dead...booo hooo no more pretty purples.

heres the question
what other filtration should i use, or do I need??? I really cant think off the top of me head what else to put on there so I am asking my fellow experts for advice...lol

thanks
Ryan

[motorslave]

All the filtration you need is the Live Rock( it will re-establish bacteria) and the skimmer. For the rock you should have around .75 to 1.25 lbs per gallon. As for the skimmer, you might want to get a stronget unit. Get the biggest and best you can afford. This is one purchase that you should go all out on, the better the skimmer the getter chance of a happy healthy tank. I am in the process of building a 150 myself and the skimmer I got (MR-2 from My Reef Creations) is rated at 300g and when I add another injector it will add another 100 to 150g capacity. Skimmers are VERY important!

Robert

[mandarinfreek]

ahhhh ok ...well that about sums it up....what was the price tag on that baby...can you post a link...im feeling rich lately (and trust me IM NOT)...but screw it ...you only live once...but your tank can live forever...mwuhahahahahahahah



nevermind on the link i found it...man that thing is big....lol

[motorslave]

Yeah the stock version is just a touch too tall for my stand so Andy at MRC made iot fit at no extra cost and he is know not only for the quality of his products but also for his customer service! All the e-mails I sent to him were answered sometimes within minutes and always the same day. Even talked to him on the phone, hes great. I think if you go with one of his skimmers it would be a great move. I got the Gen-X pump to power it. On his site there is a list of package deals that save you some cash.

Robert

[wanareef]

You are gonna to need a bigger sump than 15gals for a 150gal tank. I would advise rethinking your equipment and asking more ?? before spending more $$

For a 150gal you should have at least a 40gal sump if not more. You won't have the full 40gals in there but when you turn off the pumps to feed, do maintenance, you'll need it. The average "overflow" of water when the pumps go off is around 3-4 gals, should be, but I'm build one for a local reefer that has 15gals of water coming to the sump when he's pumps are off - we are talking flood

[autochek]

I agree with both Wanareef and Motorslave. A good high quality skimmer is one of the most important pieces of equipment you will need. And a sump that small is gonna be a problem. Go with the largest sump you can get for the space you have. Also you may want to consider a sump with an areea for some macro algae (refugium). A great place to grow pods and have some nutrient export.
What size return pump are you planning on? Can your sump handle the flow? HAve you considered a closed loop system over the back instead of power heads?
I ask these questions becouse reefkeeping is an addiction. As soon as you build what you want, you want more and then even more. Start out as big as you can so you will have room for the innevitable expansion that will happen within the next year.
As far as skimmers, if you are handy check out the Geoff skimmer links in these forums.You can also get a great DIY sump/refugium on ebay.