New tank help

[icon83]

Hey everyone...I just bought a new 75g tank and I'm starting to put everything together in my head...I currently have a 29g tank which I am planning on using as a sump for my new tank...I havent used a sump before so I have some questions...I already have an overflow box and a 500gph return pump and I understand the basic plumbing...I plan on keeping 2-200 watt heaters in there and I plan on hanging my Emperor 280 which is my current filter on the back of the sump...now i don't know if this will be enough filtration for the 75g...I am beginning to look at protein skimmers b/c I have read how important they can be in maintaining proper nitrate levels...i would like to get an in-sump skimmer of some kind, but I don't really know how to use one....I've been doing some research on these boards but I felt i'd get more specific answers if i asked about my own set-up instead of reading about other peoples....Well I like the idea of having chambers in the sump to direct the flow..Where do I get baffles from and how do I use them?...also, should I put bio-balls in the sump??...how about live rock??...what kind of in sump skimmer do you recommend and how do i use it??...and is it a bad idea to put my Emperor 280 in the sump?? Any advice would be greatly appriciated...it seems like there are so many different ways to do things and I would like to hear from people with some experiance using different methods and their recommendations....thanks!!

 

[icon83]

I'm doing some more rading and i'm starting to think maybe i'll make part of the sump tank into a fuge...what are the benefits of this and is it hard to do??

 

[turningtim]

A refugium (algea scrubber) that removes the malnutrients that the fish create. You use macro algea in the fuge that will absorb the trates and phosphate from the tank naturally. Also it adds water volume (good thing) and more bio-filtration by way on a sand bed. A small LR rubble pile can be placed in the fuge for pod reproduction (free fish food) as they go unharrassed. It also goes a long way to reduce nusiance agleas b/c the stuff that they feed on is being taken away by the macros.
TangMan has a thread with a 29 that he's working on. give it a look. Ideally a 29 is a little small for both, but if you have the room and the gumption you could do a stacked system.
Let me know
Tim