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I don't think that is a skimmer. It looks like an overflow box, in which case, the combs go up.

That depends on where the sump is located. Decide on what flow rate you want, then look at various pumps to see which ones will give you that flow against the pressure head you will have. I have a ReefFlow Hammerhead on my sump. The sump is in the basement, and the display is on the first floor...

Simply put, a HOB overflow is easy to install and fairly foolproof in the long run. You could drill the bottom of the tank (if it isn't tempered glass) and put in a standpipe, but why do so much work when either a drilled sidewall to an overflow or an over-the-top overflow will work as well.

If you want to mimic the ocean, just look around and see if you can find any charcoal there. What you will find are lots of bacteria processing the nitrogenous wastes produced by all of the life forms in the ocean. Even if you try a totally artificial system, the bacteria will proliferate...

Actually, you don't have to seed the tank with live rock, but having some speeds the cycle considerably. Inforbis' suggestion of Pukani rock is a good one. You want the rock to be highly porous so that in addition to the usual aerobic bacteria that will form on the outer surface, anaerobic...

Building a sump from scratch is so easy that it would be a shame to pay $250 for one. Just get a tank on sale (***** usually runs sales at $1.00/gallon) and some plexiglass to glue in as bubble traps/dividers. You can use bioballs, but you don't have to. Bioballs are highly aerobic, so you will...

I have used overflows from glass-holes.com for many years with no problems. One of my systems is very similar to what you are talking about - it is a 30 gallon breeder with a 20 gallon long tank as the sump. The sump is divided into 3 compartments by bubble traps made from plexiglass that is...

First, you have to have a system that can host an anemone. It has to be fairly mature (maybe 6 months to a year), and will need intense lighting. You indicate that the tank comes with FO lights, so you will have to research what kind of lights you want to have to support an anemone.

There's no way to know how good the Dr. Tim's is after freezing. Your ammonia levels might not even be true - did you test the kit against your LFS? Also, ammonia levels that high may inhibit the growth of the very bacteria you want to grow. You should make some water changes to get it down to...

Raising the temperature will also speed the cycling process as well. Good luck (which you don't really need since you are asking questions early).

Whenever I have a doubt about a piece of rock I soak it in bleach to sterilize it. You don't know whether it is live, partly live or fully dead. Partly live or live could represent aptasia, etc - things you don't want in your tank.

I agree with 2quills. That's why it takes a year or more for a tank to fully stabilize. My 220 has been up for 10 years and I will still see outbreaks of new hitchhikers that I have never seen before. Our systems are constantly re-equilibrating, and they are all different.

Room temp is too cool for most tropical marine fish. I would recommend getting two heaters, each one rated at half of the total wattage you need. That way, when one fails in the on position (and it will, sooner or later!), it won't be powerful enough to overheat the tank. If they won't fit in...

Yeah, I hear you. I had a volitans years ago and I learned that its mouth is much, much larger than you think it is.

This was mine. Thank hurricane Sandy for it's absence from my tank.

Water changes will help, as will adding Prime. Your tank was cycled, but putting in such a large bioload at once overwhelmed the relatively small bacterial population you had established. Take some time to let things settle down while making regular water changes. If ammonia levels rise ad...

I had a porcupine puffer with a niger trigger, a largish queen angelfish (6") and a christmas wrasse, and they all got along fine.

How about a harlequin tuskfish - member of the wrasse family, beautiful and hardy.

150-225 lb of rock won't fill the tank - there will still be plenty of room for livestock. If you have the space, you can put some of the rock in the sump, but the fish appreciate rock in the main display. Sumps don't generally come preloaded with skimmers, so you will have to do the research to...