Need filtration suggestions on my new 90 gallon tank

[red^gun]

Hello,
Ive just filled my tank & sump with water & added the salt, still need to be adjusted, but my question is, what are the essential filtration required to my saltwater aquarium.
& what is the filtration required to remove the floating objects or debris as the sump sucks the water from the top only!!!right?
This is my tank (Ive made the stand my self to accommodate the sump and to hide the pipes at the side of the tank;
This is my old stand:

This is the new one which I made my self:

The following is my filtration system:
the sump:

The overflow box (from glass-holes):

& this is illustrates my tank setup:

Please note that Ive used my external filter as a return pump, it sucks the water from the return chamber, back to the top of the tank where the built in filter is there; i will add bioballs in the future there.
is it ok to place the skimmer in the return chamber?

Is this filtration system is enough?& note that my external filter has a built in UV lamp.
Any suggestion will be highly appreciated :-D

 

[meowzer]

BEAUTIFUL TANK.....it's different
I am no expert, BUT I think I would have the skimmer on the left where the water comes from the dt....then let it flow thru the fuge...and then back into the dt

 

[geoj]

You can put a filter sock around the output of the overflow pipe to remove particulates.
What are you going to keep in the tank?

 

[red^gun]

thanks meowzer,yeah, I think it is better, but unfortunately, there is no space for it in the left side, as I thought I would buy smaller skimmer.
Geoj; very good idea, I will definitely put one.
But still I'm confused, how am I going to remove the submersible particles.

 

[flower]

I have seen that design before...it's beautiful. The main filtration is your live rock and sand. I believe you need some kind of polyfiber in the sump. Meowzer has the skinny on that. We were talking about it just last night.
Do use a skimmer if you are going to have a reef. Also some more power heads, the Korlia are nice, they have a magnet and stay where you put them. It might flaw the look a little but the current is the life of the ocean and your tank.

 

[spanko]

What exactly is the built in mechanical filter in the top?
I believe having the external filter remove water from the sump where the skimmer resides will cause you problems with water level fluctuation and the resultant inefficiency of the skimmer operation. Skimmers need to be where the water level is as constant as is possible, and you are going to see the evaporation of water in your system manifest itself right there. This of course unless you have a good Automatic Top Off control system.

 

[red^gun]

hello Flower, thanks for always welcoming me, yes, I made it,Ive changed the stand to accommodate the sump, we talked about it if you remember; I will have the live rock in the future. as I will make it a reef tank.
I will definitely buy another power head, the one I placed is only for salt mixing right now,
& spanko, you are right, i was thinking about it, the water level in the return chamber already reduced due to the evaporation, I guess I will have to place the skimmer in the fuge area :-S & I don't want to be very complicated by installing the automatic top off control system..
Thanks for the recommendations, any other?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ReD^GuN http:///forum/thread/380710/need-filtration-suggestions-on-my-new-90-gallon-tank#post_3314368

hello Flower, thanks for always welcoming me, yes, I made it,Ive changed the stand to accommodate the sump, we talked about it if you remember; I will have the live rock in the future. as I will make it a reef tank.
I will definitely buy another power head, the one I placed is only for salt mixing right now,
& spanko, you are right, i was thinking about it, the water level in the return chamber already reduced due to the evaporation, I guess I will have to place the skimmer in the fuge area :-S & I don't want to be very complicated by installing the automatic top off control system..

Thanks for the recommendations, any other?

ATO is not at all complicated...believe me, I have one and installed it without help...I am a total idiot on stuff like that as a rule. You will be glad if you do.
How to install JBS Auto Top Off Unit:
Hang the ATO unit on the wall next to the fishtank or behind it, it has a slot for hanging. Place one sensor at the top of the Display tank at water level. The other sensor goes in the holding tank near the bottom of the tank. A clear hose I got from home depot fits on the pump (sold seperatly) and is placed in the holding tank (if the water gets too low in the holding tank the ATO will not come on and this protects the pump from burning up), the other end of the hose goes in the Display tank. The pump is plugged into the ATO unit and the unit is plugged into the wall.
From then on, you need only keep a watch on the holding tank and keep it full, if there is any evaporation the ATO kicks on and refills the tank to the exact spot it should be at. SG is aways perfect.
I even use the ATO for water changes.
I have my tub with fresh RO mixed saltwater. I have a power head in there to churn the mix for 24 hours before use. I attach a hose to it to go into the display tank (or sump). I unplug the top off water plug and replace it with the plug from the power head in the mixing tub. I use the skimmer to wet skim..this draws out old water from the tank by attaching a small tube from the skimmer to a 5g jug. (my skimmer has a little nipple that is made for that) As the jug fills with old water the ATO refils the tank with new saltwater. It is done so quiet and slow that the fish are not at all disturbed.
When the change is finished I replug in the top off tank pump to the ATO and dump the jug, return the skimmer to regular use and I'm all done.
LOL...I get full use of my ATO..it really made my life easier. Water changes take an hour...I watch TV and keep an eye on the jug. I refill the top off tank every couple of days, because I only have a 10g holding tank right now....If I am going out of town I have a big 37g plastic garbage can (marked fish only) I fill that with RO water and put my ATO sensor and pump in there, next to the tank...It lasts a little over week.

 

[red^gun]

Wow, thanks flower for the brief discribtion, but one Q though; the water in the holding tank wont get bad as there is no flow in the holding tank?& you keep the water at the same salinity or only RO water??

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ReD^GuN http:///forum/thread/380710/need-filtration-suggestions-on-my-new-90-gallon-tank#post_3314418
Wow, thanks flower for the brief discribtion, but one Q though; the water in the holding tank wont get bad as there is no flow in the holding tank?& you keep the water at the same salinity or only RO water??

Its just plain RO water, every 3g of water I put in I add a tiny pinch of alkalinity booster about 1/4th teaspoon, this helps to stablize the PH, someone on the site recommended I do that, and it works....I do have a little mag power head in there for circulation...I forgot about that one. sorry. I never had the water go bad, it gets used up too fast, but being the over achiever worrier I am for stuff like that I added the little power head.
That little ATO unit made my life so easy..so I pass the info long. The reason I got it..I was topping off at the top of the tank like I had always done, but that time a tiny drop of the water splased up and got to my brand new $70.00 MH bulb and it burst. I paid $99.99 for the JBS unit and there are cheaper ones out there. It is so worth it.

 

[red^gun]

Thank you flower for these valuable information, I guess I will try to install that system later,because I don't have a decent place for such extra small tank at the moment..
but without the ATO system, how many time should I add water to the tank approx to avoid damage the return pump by a very low level in the return chamber?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ReD^GuN http:///forum/thread/380710/need-filtration-suggestions-on-my-new-90-gallon-tank#post_3314433
Thank you flower for these valuable information, I guess I will try to install that system later,because I don't have a decent place for such extra small tank at the moment..
but without the ATO system, how many time should I add water to the tank approx to avoid damage the return pump by a very low level in the return chamber?

Water evaporates not salt. So keep the water level always the same, keep an eye each day, if the level drops add some RO water to bring it back to the original place. Your SG will climb as water evaporates, you want SG to remain the same all the time. It isn't all that hard, just keep the water at the same level.
Your sump should never run dry, so no need to worry about that pump.. An ATO tank is different, if you keep letting it go without refilling it, the tank will eventually empty and burn up that pump, so a safety sensor makes sense...in a sump the whole tank would be empty before the pump was exposed.
They make real skinny plastic garbage cans, when I get my sump installed I am going to run my ATO from one of those and set it next to my tank...I don't know where you would put one on your set up, it is so self contained and beautiful, maybe against a wall.
I hate looking at clutter, and my tank is in my living room...I put a table cloth over my water change container so it looks nice, a piece of board over the top and you have a little table...You could do something like that, only you would know it contained water.