HELP please on new custom tank being built

[handyman]

New reef tank coming in 2 weeks, I need ideas for sump, flow rate, size of teeth opening on overflow, return etc …
New tank 72 x 20 x 24 150g ’W D H”, overflow on short 20” side with 3 wholes, 1 overflow 1 2' bulkhead, 1 return 1.5”, and 1 dry wire chase 1”. What is a good size overflow, what is a good size pump 5-10 time an hour, what is a good size return, skimmer and the big question what style, shape sump and why. I know this is a lot of what’s but I would like to get this right the first time. Is a 2' bulkhead a 1.5” inside measurement?

I currently run a 55g with a 4-5”sand bed a canister 304 fluval, live rock(about 20-25 pounds half of which I made myself), few too no water changes “once every 2 to 3 months 20%” nitrates stay between 5-10ppm at all times, even with my heavy feeding of chopped up whole shrimp(once to twice a week), flake(every day), phytoplankton(every other day), brine shrimp and cycliopeze(2 to 3 times a week). Wow I’m stuffed.
Any thoughts on the refuge on the back of that $100 bag of mud that’s being sold at the LFS?
Also what do you think of this http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/standpip ... _frame.htm

Live stock:
green Polyps
zenia pulsing
1 atlantic anemone
1 long tentacle anemone
1 brain Coral
1 plate coral
1 fire red shrimp
1 camel back shrimp
1 cleaner shrimp
1 electric scallop
1 flame scallop
1 maroon gold bar clown
1 yellow watchman goby
1 feather duster
1 red star
mushroom rock with worms/feathers of some sort in it
purple goniopora
alveopora
Snail’s lots, very prolific fun to watch
2 nassarius
2 large Mexican turbos
bumble bees, all types…
6 or so hermit crabs (the fire shrimp like to eat em once and a while)
Other stuff I can’t identify worms, small feather dusters, growth on rocks bumps don’t know, etc….

 

[Len]

Not sure where to begin, so I'll start with ....
WELCOME TO REEFS.ORG!

Ok, now to some of your questions. Since you haven't gotten the new tank yet, I HIGHLY recommend you get a reef-ready design (meaning it's got built in internal overflows). Most manufacturers make this type of aquarium nowadays and it really saves you a lot of trouble, not to mention it simply works better then any retrofit overflow.

A good pump for your aquarium is either an Iwaki MD55RLT or a Ampmaster 3000. Use the recommended return pipe diameters (1" and 1 1/2" respectively for those two pumps).

Euroreefs are highly regarded in this forum and I recommend them highly. Bullet skimmers are also very poweful but a bit more complex to install.

A good supm shape is a regular tall rectangle. Make sure it can hold enough water just in case the power goes out and some water from the main tank siphons back down into it.

If the bulkhead is stated as a 2" ID bulkhead, then it's a 2" ID bulkhead. Vendors for this hobby always lists their bulkheads inner diamter. A 1 1/2" bulkehad will need about a 2 1/2" drilled hole to fit.

I'll let Rich Durso discuss his own overflow design He's a regular member on this board and goes by the name reefland. FWIW, the Durso and Stockman overflows work.

My advice about asking questions on the forums: try to keep it to a few questions per thread because more people will respond and help. It's just when people are overwhelmed with a dozen questions at a time, they tend to avoid answering any of them (call it laziness)

 

[handyman]

Thanks Len,
I'll try to keep it to one thing at a time.

The overflow box on the tank that I'm having custom built is going to be on the short 20" side only. Its going to be 5"x12" with 3 wholes 1 for the over flow since there will be ony 1 overflow on this tank what size do you recomend for 170g and how many gallons per hour pump?

 

[Len]

heya. I'd use at least 2000gph. An Ampmaster 3000 is a good candidate.

Sorry, I'm not sure what you're referring to with the first question "what size do you recommend".