Shrimpchips' big tank upgrade

[shrimpchips]

120g Upgrade!
This first post 'll keep as a table of contents of sorts.

Equipment:

Display tank: 120g (48” x 24” x 24”) Eurobraced regular glass tank with self-made stand

Main Lighting: ATI Sunpower 6x54w T5HO (Pending)

Flow: 2x EcoTech VorTech MP-40W (1 Purchased)

Sump: 30g custom sump (24” x 18” x 16”) (Need to rebuild)

Skimmer: Royal Exculsiv Bubble King Mini 180 (Purchased)

Return Pump: Eheim 1262

Reactors:
2x Two Little Fishies PhosBan Reactor 150 (Currently on 20g system)
MJ900 Feed pump (Currently on 20g system)

Dosing:
GHL Profilux Standalone 4-Channel Dosing Pump (Currently on 20g system)
Fauna Marin balling salts (Ca, Alk, Mg with Trace elements)
Vodka dosing

Controller:
GHL Profilux Plus II (Temperature, pH, LAN card) (Currently on 20g system)
10 Programmable outlets (6 plug digital bar + 4 plug analog bar)

Top-up: Tunze Osmolator

[shrimpchips]

For the last few months I’ve been planning an upgrade from my current system (20g/10g sump) to a larger tank. As I start to ramp up the build for real, I’d like to gather opinions and some feedback on what I’m thinking about doing.

The timeline of completion is around May or June next year. By then I’d like to have it filled and ready to go. This is going to be a relatively slow build, so enjoy the ride :)

At first, I wanted a 36 x 24 x 24 (90g), but when I showed my wonderful girlfriend how big the tank would be, instead of my expected reaction of “that’s way too big!!” (we live in a 600 sqft Condo in downtown Toronto) she asked “Shouldn’t I go bigger? You’re going to want to anyways. . .” So it became a 120g (48 x 24 x 24). She’s a keeper for sure :D

So first question:
I’m set on a 48” x 24” x 24” tank. I’m going to be going with a regular glass tank with Eurobracing. I’m thinking it will be an internal overflow in the corner with two drains – 1.5” durso and emergency. I might make the main drain a full siphon, as noise is a concern and I expect that it will be the noisiest thing in the system. I may also do an external overflow, but that depends on the added cost, and the clearance needed behind the tank. If it’s less than 6” that I need, then it may be considered further, if not, then it will be plumbed through the back pane.
Also, I was wondering if I should have the return go through the back pane or through the Eurobracing?
Additionally, should I go one or two return holes? The return will only be pusing around 500 – 600 gph. I only intend to push 4 – 6x the DT volume through the sump, and the main flow within the DT will be handled by the VorTechs.

Underneath the tank, the sump I am making is a 24 x 18 x 16 tank. I’m currently stripping it down to rebuild. I’ll post up a sketch I’ve made of the sump for critique later. It contains a skimmer compartment which drains into a chaetomorpha raceway, a xenia refugium which will also drain into the chaetomorpha raceway, and finally the chaeto raceway will drain into a return section. The return section will house the Eheim 1262 return pump, and the MJ900 feed pump for the phosban reactors, as well as the Tunze level sensors and probes for the Profilux.

Additionally, I’ll probably be adding additional volume in the form of a frag tank or other tank in the stand. I expect to be able to add 20 – 30g in volume.