Hi Rachel,
I'll try to answer a few questions of yours. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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Do you suggest dolomite or live sand or a ratio of both?
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I'd suggest a mixture of various grain sizes. Going up from sugar(aragamax) to the larger grain sizes. Here is an idea of the ratio.
As for the Dolomite I'd say no IMO. Dolomite lime is made to be placed on your lawn to help keep the pH up. When it is processed there is no concern over impurities such as metals toxins etc. Heck a guy digging the stuff up with his oil dripping backhoe could heed natures call and decide where better than off the side... The point I am making is that yes dolomite is cheap and readily accessable but at what cost? Another concern of mine is its chemical combosition. Dolomite is mostly Magnesium Carbonate not Calcium carbonate. What happens at the bottom of a DSB where the pH has dropped sufficiently to dissolve the dolomite and put the magnesium levels up above normal in your tank? will it have detrimental efects on the corals? the fish? I don't know for sure. And I'd rather spend the money to get what I know is made for aquarium use. Not my lawn(not that I have a lawn) [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] . This isn't a cheap hobby. More people need to realise this. All too often people cut corners thinking things will be fine and in the long run they have to spend the cash down the road anyways. With the inital investment made into what has been proven to work you
may very well save yourself some headaches down the road.
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In many ways tehse are both a good thing to have in a tank. A sump not only gives you the cahnce to increase the area of your system for nutrient breakdown it allows you to place your heater and skimmer out of sight. As well it gives you a place to have the effluent flow for a Ca reactor or Kalk stirrer. On a system of your size you are going to want a large in sump style skimmer. IMO & IME there are no hang on skimmers capable of handling a tank of that size and competantly keeping up. I have built HOT(hang on tank) skimmers and put them on a 90 with no corals. It barely kept up. If it wasn't for the tang the tank would have exploded in hair algae. IMO no skimmers are actually capable of what the manufacturer claims. Its business. Sumps are also a great place for macro algae for nutrient export.
Refugiums are what thier name implies. A refuge for critters that would normally be eaten in your main tank by predators of one sort or another. It is also a great place for macro algae for nutrient export. Have it drain into your main system with no pumps so its a constant supply of fresh food for the tank.
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its worthwhile to get the tand drilled
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Yes. It will make things a lot easier. Otherwise if you decide to have a sump you will need to have an overflow. And those are risky. If it gets blocked or the suction fails and your main return pump keeps going you will fill your tank and then overflow it. Now I am not saying this
will happen, but it can. Get it drilled. You'll enjoy it. My new 45 is drilled as is the 120 in my storage for future use.
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I also wonder if the uv sterilizer could be hooked up
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Yes it can be quite easily. I have never used one so can't help you much more than that. All you would need for plumbing is a pump that takes water from the sump and passes it through the UV.
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magnum 350 power canister filter drive a sump
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No. You are going to want a much more powerful pump on your tank than that. I am planning on putting a MAG18 as a return for my 120 if not something with more power than that. Take a peek in teh members tank forum and you will see what others are using to get a good idea. A lot of peole seem to go abotu 10 times your tank size for GPH. That is a guesstimate. You'll need to know what you want to place in the tank and what the demands for circulation are.
Well I hope that all helps.. If you have anymore questions dont hesitate to ask. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]