ok..lets see here....
first....yes get rid of the bio balls...i was kinda confused for a min...most call a "bare bottom" BB (no sand),
deep sand bed = DSB.
stay away from DSB's are what most say...they tend to become unstable over time. this can be a hot topic and touchy depending on who you talk to. Typically most reefers will stop at 2-3" deep. this will keep gobies and shrimp happy but remain stable.
call the manufacturer first before you drill to make sure your tank is not tempered. Tempered glass is not drill-able...
you do not have to put your bulkheads at the bottom of the rear glass. you can put them higher and still achieve a durso or stockman standpipe on the exterior of the tank to minimize the sound and also save space on the interior if you need to.
dang i need a new digi cam..id just send some pics to ya! maybe next time!
to construct the over flow you can either bend it or make a 90* corner and glue them together. you can use any kind of acrylic to do this or you can buy them from most places that make acrylic tank items. i would not go less than 1/4" or so thickness. you can use
aquarium silicone to put in place. make sure you put a small 45* on the bottom back corners to fit over the existing silicone.
A 110 gal tank with 20X turnover rate = 2200 GPH. Also going with the reccomended turnover rate for your tank at 2200 GPH (20X per hour) this brings you to a 30 gal min. sump size. and you will need to be able to handle 7.5 gallons of overflow in case of either pump failure or power outtage.
paint= any paint on the OUTSIDE of the tank will be fine. use rubbing alchol to clean the glass then paint away! i have 2 tanks that are painted and have no problems. also have 2 with paper on the back nad no problems.
live rock will cycle your tank. if you already have a small reef then use those rocks, or new ones. YEs your procedure on cycling is fine. just test the water ALOT in the beginning so you can see the cycle and know where you stand.
I strongly reccommend using/buying an Ro/Di filter to handle your needs of water changes and top offs from evaporation. you can find them almost anywhere including used ones and new ones. I grabbed mine on E-bay for $40, 6 stages. 3 stages are carbon that i run first to remove chlorines.
light cycle: most say 10 hours. some 12. its up to you. really we are all trying to mimic the ocean to a certain degree. some a bit further inculding computer automation which will privide you with season changes, tides, lunar cycles etc.....
since your tank is 30" deep i would go with atleast 250 halides, and prefer 400 watters. this will allow you to have all types of coral.
a good skimmer: man, there are a bunch out there! MRC, ASM, AquaC, Bullet, euroreef, nautilus EX, on and on....use the pump that factory reccomends
i strongly reccomend against buying one to "get by". it will only cause frustrations, time and money. Buy the best you can up front and be done!
same with pumps, i reccomend buying a good relible external pump for several reasons, low heat transfer, saves space in sump, easier to service, quieter, etc.... iwaki, pan world, sequence, amp master, are the big dogs that most grab for first.
hopefully this will get you started!
here at TRT we love pictures of progress and tanks, so dont be bashful!
By the way: WELCOME TO THE REEF TANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BR
