Need some Expert Advice

[mr. green]

All, I need some expert advice on pumps, equipment, tank etc. Here is what I have so far:Tank-90 gallon AGA w/overflowLR-will be getting 90-100lbs live rock
Sand-will be going with 3 inches of regular sand, and 1 inch of LS to top off
Fuge-ordering acrylic to build my custom fuge.
Skimmer-probably going with a reef devil deluxe
Here is where I need the help.
Pump-What SIZE pump would you recommend and how much flow from the fuge to the tank. My stand is going to be 35 inches tall and the tank is 24 inches tall.
Power Heads-I guess this would go along with the pump, but how big, I figure on 2, and what size.
Lighting-I am going to go with T-5's due to heat considerations and the design of my hood, but how many and what wattage or size? I guess the 48's would be choice due to tank length, but how many would you say to do if I wanted to get into a reef in a few years. MH's just scare me. Oh, and what bulb combo would you use?
Skimmer Question-The skimmer is going to be submerged in the sump, but does the pump get plumbed in the return, or does it just circulate the water through the skimmer and return it to the sump?
Sand Question-What type of regular sand do you use, like Home Depot sand or something from the pet store.
These are just a few that are sticking point with me right now that I am pulling my hair out reading 100 different things

! All help would be appreciated.
Thank you

 

[mr. green]

Giving a bump!!

 

[trainfever]

Well you need at least a 10x turnover rate for your tank, that would mean you need at least 900 gph. If you plan on doing a reef tank, then you would need to increase your turnover to 20x. That would be 1800 gph. I would get a return pump with a 900 gph flow and then if more flow needed, make up the difference with powerheads or a closed loop system.

 

[trigger11]

I believe I can answer one of your questions. Your in sump protein skimmer will have it's own pump that should come with it. Or least say the pump is extra. And then you will need your return pump to the tank. As for the answer to your T-5 lighting question I recommend asking that over in the DIY Equpment forum and that will probably improve your odds of finding what you are looking for. I think a main question you will want to be able to answer is what kind of reef will you be wanting to have later. From my limited understanding the T-5's should allow you to keep most corals. But they still are usually not powerful enough to keep anenome's where you would want the metal halides. Best of luck with the set up.

 

[1journeyman]

Research sand bed depths. 3 inches is generally considered a danger zone. Go shallow or deep.
A moderate depth sand bed like 3 inches is too deep to get properly cleaned by critters, but too deep to be anearobic. You end up creating a garbage dump.

 

[jason490]

up to you on sand, but I would highly recommend going with ALL live sand. Don't mess up a good tank by putting play sand in a saltwater.

 

[mr. green]

Thanks everyone for your responses so far, anyone is welcome to add anything additional. You just read soooo much and everything is different so this helps.
journeyman, how deep would you say to go?

 

[1journeyman]

Do you want shallow or deep?
A shallow bed should be less than 2 inches. Probably closer to less than 1 inch.
A deep bed should probably be over 4 inches.

 

[aztec reef]

i agree, either go Deep or go home(shallow)
my deep sandbed ranges from 4-5 1/2" in the back areas..

 

[mrinelfrlz]

Originally Posted by Aztec Reef
i agree, either go Deep or go home(shallow)
my deep sandbed ranges from 4-5 1/2" in the back areas..
in the back areas???
ok i have a question can you go deep 4-5" in back and around the front of your LR and let it slop to around 3" in front then
will this work