Attempting first saltwater tank, could use some advice

[redone]

I've had pretty good luck with freshwater aquariums over the last few years and started thinking about trying my hand at saltwater. I don't want another gigantic tank in my house (already have a 75, 55 and a few small things), and read about Nano Tanks. I've searched through a few guides and watched a couple of videos.
My goal is either a 10 gallon or 20 gallon Long Aquarium, and I have some bits and pieces of equipment that may or may not be of use. I would like to do Coral and Live fish with maybe a couple of shrimp. I particularly like the looks of the Muchroom Coral, but don't know if that's appicable to either size of these aquariums.
My first few questions are concerning equipment, would an aquatech or marineland filter work? Why does everyone suggest a 40 gallon filter system for a 20 gallon tank? I'm sure there's a science there I'd just like to know why.
I live in the south and summers can get sweltering down here, I'm concerned that the temp in the house will mess with an aquarium that small. Is there a way to remedy this?
I've read guides thus far that state for the size aquarium I'm looking for, you don't need a protien skimmer (has something to do with live sand and rock, if I understand right), but when I read some of the forums, people suggest a protien skimmer. It's the same thing concerning a powerhead. I'm not sure what to beleivee.
A big questions I have is how to acclimate the fish. Years ago a friend who is no longer with us kept several very beautiful 150 gallon saltwater tanks, and I remember him mentioning it can take hours to get fish acclimated. Being a freshwater guy, I'm used to sticking the bag in the aquarium and slowly adding water over about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. Is there a different process?
How do you get soft coral to stick to the rocks?
At the end, I'd like to have very minimal equipment in the tank, such as filters, heaters and so on, since i'm looking for a small tank. I'd like 3-5 fish, shrimp, starfish if possible, ect.
I have already a 10 gallon aquarium, thermometers, various filter systems, various heaters, a few different models goods, buckets, cleaning stuff, test kits, ect.
There is a salt water fish store about 30 minutes away, but they primarily sell the fish and don't sell much in the way of actual equipment- actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't remember seeing any equipment, i think they are a mom andpop breeder that sells what they breed and that's it). Other then those guys, all I have nearby is a really good relationship with petsmart.
Please correct me wherever I'm wrong, or if I'm overlooking something major. Thank you so much in advance for the answers. I'll check back soon.
Edit: If it makes any difference, I would prefer a 10 gallon tank, something small and cheap incase I destory it. I'm thinking of this as a practice run for a larger tank one day way down the road.
Also, a friend said he would like to try a 5 gallon (pico? if that's the correct name) tank, is there anything special about that one that needs to be attended to? He said if mine was successful and I liked the forum he would join the forum and ask for some answers later on. If anyone would have any words for him, I'd happily pass them along.

 

[flower]

Hello and welcome to the site!
The smaller the tank, the harder it is to maintain. (the very opposite of freshwater tanks) The 55g you already have would be a perfect starter tank if you were willing to swap it out as salt instead of freshwater.
Anyway.....The wave is the life of the ocean and your saltwater tank, so the power head is needed. At least two directed in different areas is the beat method of creating the needed wave motion.
5 fish no mater how small, is too much for a 10g tank. 2 fish and a couple of shrimp and snails as a CUC (clean up crew). In saltwater the snails actually do their jobs of keeping the algae down, and that means you don't need to completely clean the tank like you do with a freshwater system....your CUC critters do that job.
The filters you have are fine. The mushroom corals do not require the fancy powerful lights that most other corals need. So you can save cash on the lighting. We use crazy glue GEL to attach coral to the rocks. Glob it on real thick, and hold in place for about 5 to 10 seconds and it stays put ...it does turn white underwater but it's okay.
You will need RO (reverse osmosis) water. Either you need your own unit of purchase it at a grocery store at the fill up station in jugs.
Heat could be a problem only if the tank goes over 84 degrees. If that is a possibility, you will need a chiller.
I purchase all my equipment on-line because the LFS just does not carry the good stuff.
You will need saltwater test kits...the lab type not the strips. Personally, I like the SeaChem brand the best ... The muli saltwater test kit.
As for acclimation: I float the bag just like you said. Some folks say the ammonia concentrates as soon as you open the bag and suggest you float the bag so the temps are the same and then dump the fish in. Some believe in the drip method...you put the fish in a container, then slowly drip the tank water into the container and net the fish out after an hour or two...temps were always a problem for me so I didn't opt for that one. I did just float my bags so the temps matched and then put my seahorses right in the tank...but they are the only fish I ever did that with, and one seahorse seemed very stressed, and I feared I would lose him...he made it but it worried me.... so...I floated and added water like you explained, on the next batch of horses.
Protein skimmer...I recommend you get one, but it isn't needed for the first 3 months...The Tunze nano skimmer is awesome, $160.00 best little skimmer I ever had. or the Aquaticlife nano is $60.00, it has a small cap but it works really well for small tanks.
I think that answers all your questions...hope it helps

 

[pezenfuego]

There are a few different ways to acclimate the fish. I usually opt for drip acclimation and then float the fish. A lot of hobbyists disagree with this because of the staunch temperature difference. Check out Snake's new hobbyist threads. He recommends floating them with the bag open (roll up the edges of the bag). Then slowly adding water from the tank to the bag (using a cup). Then you net the fish and place it into the tank. It is important that you avoid adding water from the bag into the tank. Sometimes it is unavoidable, but do your best.

 

[farsight32]

+1 on the bigger is better mentality. A small system, like a ten gallon, is easier to perform maintenance on, but has a serious drawback. Because you have very little water (after you add liverock and sand you could be at 7 gallons), bad stuff like amonia and phosphates can build up to toxic levels very quickly. This is why many people use sumps (a sump is another tank you have under your display), because the more water you have in your system, the harder it is for toxic substances to build up.
I know you said you wanted a 10, or 20 long, and Flower suggested the 55. If the 55 is out of the question I would definitely go with the 20long. It won't be much more in terms of costs, it still a small tank, and it would easily house multiple fish, corals, and some shrimp.
Whatever you decide, keep us posted. Tell us what you decide, post pictures of it, and please keep asking questions, we love it. Best of luck!

 

[redone]

Yeah, I think I'll go for the 20 gallon long in this case. I'm not interested in starting a tank just to make it suffer, and I'm sure I'll screw something up quick, hopefully a 20 wiil give me time to catch that. I do have a few more questions, once I start putting stuff together I'll post picks.
How do I attache a sump to the main tank? I've heard alot of people build their own ( I would prefer to do it this way), and I get what they do, but how they keep the water moving from the display tank to the sump? is there a pump? How do you keep one from overflowing. Also, is it possible (and in my case nessesary/useufl) to do a refugium?
And can somebody run me though how to add things? I've reread a couple of guides that do things in different orders. The one that sticks out in my head is to add a little water, add live sand, finish adding water, add rock, wait until the water clears up and test okay, add coral, add inverts, add fish. This one makes sense to me and my limited knowledge. and it takes time, which is how it probably goes. But I've read stuff about using the water you washed the sand with and mixing it with your salt water. Waiting to add rock. differnt time frames on adding coral. That sort of thing. I have 1,3,5, and 10 gallons, what would be appropriate for a sump?
And, in the long run, my goal is to eventually turn a 75 tank into a salt water tank (this would be years down the road, I have two freshwater Angelfishs and a pleco that let me pet them in there right now and am not interested it moving them or selling them). I can clone tanks up and down, can you do similar with Salt Water systems? In other words Could I take this 20Long and turn it into a 75 at some point?
Is there anything that does'nt mix in a saltwater aquarium? Like the way black moors will rip out live plants in freshwaters?
And just looking ahead, with rock and coral, what kind/how many fish would be reccomended for this size? Just asking to keep myself excited.

 

[flower]

Hi,
I started with freshwater tanks as well. I was so sure that I would mess everything up that I was afraid to try for so long. When I finally got the courage to try...I never lost a single fish from anything I did as a newbe. I didn't even have this site to guide me, just a saltwater for dummies book. If you want a 75g tank, that is what you should set up from the start. The biggest expense is in the beginning...as it is with freshwater. So start with what you want from the beginning and save yourself some money. You will not mess up, it really isn't any harder to do than freshwater fish, and we are right here to guide you every single step of the way. The fact you have us right here means your chance of success is around 99.9%...LOL..the 1% failure is if you don't listen to us. it's so easy that in a few months you will be laughing at the worries you had in the beginning.
FIRST you add some saltwater 1/2 to fill the tank. Use RO water to do the mix, tap water has too many chemicals to be safe and with RO water you only have what YOU want in the tank (fish do not need fluoride). So either have your own unit, or get water from Walmart at a jug refill station, or another grocery store that carries it. Some pet stores also carry RO water or premixed. Whatever you do, don't use tap water.
The next thing to add is the rock, you can't build on shifting sand. Build the rock 1/2 way up the tank and make sure each piece "locks" into the one below it by gently twisting and wiggling the rock to make sure it won't move anymore. Make some caves for the fish to swim through, and arrange the rock to look good for your pleasure to watch. A rock slide can kill the critters or break the tank, so making sure they won't fall is top priority.
Then add your sand around the rock. Let the tank clear and then gently add the rest of the water....it will stir it all back up again but it should clear real fast if you were careful when you added the remaining water. Once the tank clears...start you power heads (some run the power heads at the beginning, but I never did)
The basics of a sump start up:
A sump is super easy to do. You have the tank on the bottom...a RETURN pump sits in the sump tank...an overflow box or drilled holes is on the top main tank. On the return hose (PVC pipe) whatever you choose...make a small hole just below the water line. This hole will prevent the return line from back siphoning when the pumps are off. The sump can be split to have a refugium chamber, and that is a fantastic addition no matter how large or small. (The smarter folks like Acrylic51 or 2Quills will help you choose the right size pump and how to build your sump). A power strip should be used to make sure you can control the pumps while you work to get it set up. Have enough saltwater on hand and close by. Add enough water to cover the sump pump and turn on the pump...as water drains from the top overflow or drilled hole... the return pump sends the water back up. Keep adding the water keep it at 1 inch above the return bump until it stays at that level (don't let the pump run dry)....once the water stabilizes and remains at 1 inch above the pump, you are all set.
Then ...using the power strip turn off the return pump and the lifter pump if one is used. (2Quills or Acrylic51, Snakeblitz33 the list gets larger...LOL will give you those details as you go on what type of overflow) An overflow lifter pump is what I use on a CPR overflow box, they are not all the same, nor do they all need a lifter pump.
Anyway...once the whole system is off and all the water drained and stopped..the little hole preventing a back siphon...you look and see how high the water level gets in the sump. You can now safely add some more water to the sump. That line is where the water line will be and never overflow when the system is off, if there is a power failure or for whatever reason you turn it off yourself...now turn on the pumps again with the power strip button, and watch it to be sure the overflow is working right, and it should all flow perfectly. If it doesn't...hit the button and stop it before it overflows and it always helps to have someone on-line waiting with you...these guys will even get on the phone with you and talk you thru it if you are really nervous (like I was). I was so surprised how easy it all was, but the folks on this site helped me 100%, 2Quills even built me a fancy return gizmo for me. If you have the time read Flowers sump/fuge build..it's a long read, but it shows step by step how the guys pulled together to help me.
I used a canister filter for 10 years because I had no idea how to do a sump and was afraid to even try. After being on this site, with everyone's help I have a sump system on my 90g and then I set another system up on my 56g myself (2Quills told me what return pump I needed to get). I put my skimmer, ATO and heater...everything except the power heads, in the sump out of site, and it's wonderful easy to top off, do water changes and the refugium section is awesome. So much easier to maintain. I even kept the power strip as an automatic emergency shut off switch...with a touch of a button I can stop the whole system in the event of an emergency (the lifter pump has failed 3Xs on me, yet no overflows because I can shut the system off fast and easy) If I ever get a chance to redo things...a drilled tank is the way to go.
It all sounds like allot. but believe me, it's easier than you think. You will not kill everything...we are right here for you.

 

[flower]

Oh and about what won't mix...Saltwater fish are aggressive over space and food. So whatever fish you select will affect what else you can add later. So the best thing to do is to find that one fish you really like and want, and build your entire system on that. Select your rocks, corals and fellow tank mates to all get along with the fish of choice. The choice fish should be able to enjoy your tank for it's entire life, so make sure the fish won't have to be re-homed when it gets larger. Select a fish that can go in your tank at it's adult size. If you want corals...choose a reef safe fish.
Some fish won't get along with others of the same body type, color or food needs. We will help you with that selection as well.

 

[redone]

lol, one or two more stupid questions and then I'll stop asking until I have some actual equipment.
Is there a link to the guide for sumps?
With a 20 L, Would a Coralife Actic Blue be strong enough?
I remember learning that you can't touch coral in the wild, or something baout the reefs, so dumb questions, can you handle the coral in a salt water system with your bare hands? Just want to make sure.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Redone http:///t/393399/attempting-first-saltwater-tank-could-use-some-advice#post_3499526
lol, one or two more stupid questions and then I'll stop asking until I have some actual equipment.
Is there a link to the guide for sumps?
With a 20 L, Would a Coralife Actic Blue be strong enough?
I remember learning that you can't touch coral in the wild, or something baout the reefs, so dumb questions, can you handle the coral in a salt water system with your bare hands? Just want to make sure.
I have a 24g sump and 18g refugium on my 90g tank. I have a 20g long under my 56g tank. Any sump is better than no sump.
As for corals...some coral are toxic and sometimes people can be very sensitive to it. The doctor gloves (NON-POWDERED) are a wise thing to always use when handling coral. It is recommended that you also use goggles if you are fragging a coral..in case they squirt into your eyes or a piece of it's hard crust should land in the eye.

 

[snakeblitz33]

You're in good hands with Flower.
I'll stay out of the thread - This is your baby, Flower. Nice job.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/393399/attempting-first-saltwater-tank-could-use-some-advice#post_3499578
You're in good hands with Flower.
I'll stay out of the thread - This is your baby, Flower. Nice job.
Snake...I NEED you to jump in...our new member is getting into some tougher questions, and I won't be able to help much more than I already have. he wants some help to know what size return pump and how to do overflows and what is available. I can answer the simple stuff, but when it comes to real expert advice...we need the experts.

 

[redone]

I'm sorry for all the questions, I tried to read through a few guides and watch a few videos to get better grips on things before I started bothering people with it. But some of the stuff I've read and watched condradicts other guides, and a couple of things (like handling Coral) isn't covered.
Also, I can drill glass and that kind of stuff (have all the parts to do it myself, used to do it for friends), but I've read a dozen times it's better to use acryllic (sp?) is there any reason for this other than safety and structural integrity? And If I would a 5 gallon sump/refugium be all right for a 20L? I', hunting through Youtube videos on DIY Sumps. I've read stuff about overflow, water changes, and I'd like to try all of it. If it takes more time and costs a little more I think it'd be worth the knowledge.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Redone http:///t/393399/attempting-first-saltwater-tank-could-use-some-advice#post_3499690
I'm sorry for all the questions, I tried to read through a few guides and watch a few videos to get better grips on things before I started bothering people with it. But some of the stuff I've read and watched condradicts other guides, and a couple of things (like handling Coral) isn't covered.
Also, I can drill glass and that kind of stuff (have all the parts to do it myself, used to do it for friends), but I've read a dozen times it's better to use acryllic (sp?) is there any reason for this other than safety and structural integrity? And If I would a 5 gallon sump/refugium be all right for a 20L? I', hunting through Youtube videos on DIY Sumps. I've read stuff about overflow, water changes, and I'd like to try all of it. If it takes more time and costs a little more I think it'd be worth the knowledge.
These are the sump questions that the guys like snake are good at answering. I think it's okay to drill glass as long as it isn't the tempered glass. That's all I know, that tempered glass can't be drilled.
You will learn in this hobby that there are many ways to do things and get the same results...that's why you keep getting different opinions on the same topics. A 5g sump will be fine for added water volume...but how much room is in a 5g tank? You won't be able to put a skimmer in it or the heater, it's too small. The only thing that will fit in a 5g tank is the return pump and drain hose. If you are going to go with the 10g to 20g tank....I would just get a whisper HOB filter, and maybe a little HOB skimmer later on.
Kick start the first cycle of the tank with a piece of raw shrimp, and not a live fish. Put about an inch to 1.5 inches of crushed coral or live sand. Put your rock in first..about 1/2 way up the tank. Be sure to leave room between the rock and glass so you can clean the glass with a mag-float. Get a couple of nano power heads to place on opposite ends, and you will be all set. a 5g sump may add water volume which is good, but it really won't allow you to hide equipment, and so I think it's not worth all the effort it would take to set it up. I ran my 90g tank without a sump for 7 to 8 years...I used a canister filter all that time, and I kept corals and an anemone without a problem. I switched to a sump because I THOUGHT I had a nitrate problem...it turned out I had a bad test kit.
If in the future you decide to go with a larger tank...consider a sump system then.

 

[snakeblitz33]

If you want to go with a sump on a 20g long aquarium, I recommend that you buy the nano con dientes overflow from glass holes. It's about $40 and even comes with its own glass hole drill bit. The template is easy to use and I used it on my 75g tank without any problems. Great customer service and great product. I like the con dientes because of their design... it keeps snails out of the overflow. I also like it because it is a little quieter. If you don't want to drill, I recommend getting an Eshopps PF nano. It's a little noisier, but it can be quieted down with a maggie muffler.
I also would recommend getting a mag drive 2, which pumps out approximately 250gph - it will be enough for your head height, but I highly recommend going with a 10g sump over a 5g. The 10g will give you a lot more room and will allow you to add some necessary equipment to run your system. In a 10g sump, your first "chamber" that you use a baffle on you can put a filter sock on your overflow pipe and you can also fit in a protein skimmer. I really like the SC Aquariums brand skimmers - but they changed their name and I have no idea what they are called now. The other skimmer I would recommend for a small tank like this would be a Tunze DOC 9002. It's about $135 - which is a very decent skimmer and is underpriced IMHO.
Your ten gallon sump should have at minimum two baffles. The first baffle after your filter sock and protein skimmer should be just big enough to easily get your skimmer in and out for servicing. The glass should be held in place 1" above the bottom pane of glass. If you want a middle chamber with macroalgae, you will need another baffle 7" tall from the bottom pane of glass and 1" away from the first baffle. The last baffle should go from the bottom of the glass up to 7" and the last chamber should be big enough to get your return pump in and out easily for servicing. I highly recommend using PVC over vinyl plumbing.
The middle chamber of your sump can hold some course sand - depending on what type of macroalgae you are going to add. I like to use chaetomorpha algae for a macroalgae and it doesn't require a sandbed to attach to. You may want to put a small Azoo pump in the macroalgae / refugium chamber if you are going with chaeto so that the chaeto gets a little more current then what your return pump is giving.
Your heater can go in your return pump section of your sump - or it can go next to your filter sock and protein skimmer - wherever it fits best.

 

[redone]

Lol, Now I know I'm talking to the right people. I would have tried to turn that 5 gallon into a sump and realize I can't get anything in there. So, I'll plan on the ten gallon. Thank you for pointing that out, I would have been a little devistated over that.
I'm trying to find a sump design somewhere out there that I can link here to use as a reference point.
I'm trying to look up the Shopps PF nano, If I can get away with not drilling, I will.
I have plenty of PVC already around, do I need be concerned about the glue I use? Or another method entirely?
Should I add the display tank and the sump together when using a heater? a heater for 30 gallons now?
There's a way to dictate the micro algea? Do I have to purchase that or will it come naturally? I've seen the word Cheato here and there, I finally know what it means now, lol.
And from reading I think I know the answer to this already, but just to be dead certain, if I do the sump, do I still need to worry about a hang on back filter?
Next Post I'll just write up everything I have and what I know and you guys can just tell me what I'm missing or screwing up. I figure that'll be less hassle for you. Thank you guys for being so patient.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Redone http:///t/393399/attempting-first-saltwater-tank-could-use-some-advice#post_3499759
Lol, Now I know I'm talking to the right people. I would have tried to turn that 5 gallon into a sump and realize I can't get anything in there. So, I'll plan on the ten gallon. Thank you for pointing that out, I would have been a little devistated over that.
I'm trying to find a sump design somewhere out there that I can link here to use as a reference point.
I'm trying to look up the Shopps PF nano, If I can get away with not drilling, I will.
I have plenty of PVC already around, do I need be concerned about the glue I use? Or another method entirely?
Should I add the display tank and the sump together when using a heater? a heater for 30 gallons now?
There's a way to dictate the micro algea? Do I have to purchase that or will it come naturally? I've seen the word Cheato here and there, I finally know what it means now, lol.
And from reading I think I know the answer to this already, but just to be dead certain, if I do the sump, do I still need to worry about a hang on back filter?
Next Post I'll just write up everything I have and what I know and you guys can just tell me what I'm missing or screwing up. I figure that'll be less hassle for you. Thank you guys for being so patient.
Nope - regular PVC Cement and solvent. Wait for at least 24 hours for it to cure - and make sure you leave your ball valves wide open so that the solvent can permeate and harden correctly. Red Hot Blue Glue is what I usually use. Very fast stuff.
I would get a heater for the entire volume of the system. Your 10g sump will only be halfway filled - so your looking for one that is right around 25 to 30g. Although, many people on here like redundancy and prefer to use two small heaters just in case one fails, the other one will work for a little while until you can purchase another.
Dictate macroalgae? As in pronunciation? Training it or something? You purchase the specific type of macroalgae you want. Although, I have had many pieces of live rock sprout macroalgae over time... its typically not the most efficient growers. Chaeto is perhaps one of the fastest growing macros and one of the easiest to harvest, and there isn't much of a risk of it going "sexual" and nuking your tank compared to other macroalgaes (caulerpa varieties).
Your sump will now be your filter, your skimmer, your heater, and make up the bulk of your biological filter. You can also run a two little fishies reactor with a little carbon every now and then. Or, just put it in a carbon pouch and put it in a high flow area of the sump. In essence, it's a huge filter.

 

[redone]

Question on overflow, I think i'll go with the hang on overflow system, if I ever upgrade or anything like that I'll drill, but since this is new, I won't destory anything yet.
What should I be looking for in a return water pump? I'm thinking my sump will be 2-4 feet below the display tank. I'm also concerned about the size of the pipes I'm using. On the intake and what drops down to the sump I can go overboard, I guess (correct me if I'm wrong). But on the return I could use a pipe too small and basically turn it into a water gun. Is there any math involved here that will simplify the issue?
Should I anticipate putting sand/live rock in the sump? I remember my friend from years ago having sand in his, and I dare say he had rock, but maybe not. Can I expect to buy microalgea from any mom and pop aquarium shop?
AquaClear Powerhead 20 - 110 V, 127 Gallons per Hour - Figured I'd go with this unless somebody had something to say about it.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Redone http:///t/393399/attempting-first-saltwater-tank-could-use-some-advice#post_3499779
Question on overflow, I think i'll go with the hang on overflow system, if I ever upgrade or anything like that I'll drill, but since this is new, I won't destory anything yet.
What should I be looking for in a return water pump? I'm thinking my sump will be 2-4 feet below the display tank. I'm also concerned about the size of the pipes I'm using. On the intake and what drops down to the sump I can go overboard, I guess (correct me if I'm wrong). But on the return I could use a pipe too small and basically turn it into a water gun. Is there any math involved here that will simplify the issue?
Should I anticipate putting sand/live rock in the sump? I remember my friend from years ago having sand in his, and I dare say he had rock, but maybe not. Can I expect to buy microalgea from any mom and pop aquarium shop?
AquaClear Powerhead 20 - 110 V, 127 Gallons per Hour - Figured I'd go with this unless somebody had something to say about it.
Eshopps makes great HOT overflows. You won't go wrong.
I paired a Mag 3 with an Eshopps nano and dialed it back with a ball valve. I plumbed it in with some PVC. It won't be a squirt gun by any means. Since you dial it back so much it won't be squirting water at all. If you want a cool little device to make some waves, look into a "Nuvo Universal SpinStream Nozzle." Or some other oscillating nozzle. I know there is one out there for like $11 but I can't find it at the moment. But, it's not necessary anyways.
You don't have to put sand or rock in your sump if you don't want to. I don't put sand in my sumps at all. Though, I generally do fill my return pump chamber with some live rock and keep it topped off regularly. It's "mAcroalgae." Macro means "Big." Micro means "small." You want to buy Macroalgae. Typically, many live fish stores worth their salt (pun intended or not) should have a decent macroalgae selection. (as a side note, don't buy halimeda algae unless it has roots directly on a rock... or just don't buy it at all because it grows slow. You want a fast growing macroalgae such as chaeto.)
I would not go with that pump. That's truly a squirt gun with a deflector. I'd go for something like the Koralia nano 420 over that any day. OR, you could purchase a modded maxijet.... OR, you could purchase a maxijet and install a hydor 360d water deflector / oscillator on it for some degree of wave making.
By the way, mods hate it when people post links to products and forums that aren't part of saltwater fish retail or forums site... Just wanted you tah know.

 

[flower]

LOL...NOW my new friend...You are in good hands. Snakeblitz can walk you thru the sump portion of setting up step by perfect step..I'm still following along in case there is anything I can offer for advice. I did do 2X 30g tanks and used the bottom one for my sump, so the same size sump tank is not a bad way to go at all.

 

[snakeblitz33]

If you have the typical 20g long stand, a 20g long won't fit under it, you would have to custom build your own stand... But, I feel like using a sump that is slightly smaller than the display will give better water flow through the sump and allow for better gas exchange and less stagnation... Anyways, now I'm rambling!
I've put fourty four 30g aquariums on a 300g horse trough before (twice) with a good amount of success. Lotta plumbing an ingenuity involved. lol
P.S.
Thanks Flower.