Plumbing   8/6/06
I have been reading your site info and it is the best available anywhere. I have a start up question. I have a 90 gal tank live rock, fish some invertebrate, no problems, I bought it used from a pet store, so it was turn key. My wife liked it so much she bought and surprised me with a 300 gal glass for my birthday. Need advice on how to set up the filter first. It is from glass cages in Tennessee. It is drilled on both sides with a overflow box on both sides, appears to be about an 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 hole in each box, with schedule 80 bulkheads. Is one hole in each a return and one a drain to sump/pump? What is the best way to set up, I'd rather do it right. I plan on about 300 pounds of rock, sand, fish and some inverts.  I thought about a closed loop using the Pentair triple combos, but you seem to lean towards sumps, refugiums, or could I use a combo of both. How do I start my plumbing, do I need a standpipe in the tank overflow, and how to get it back into the tank. If  you could direct me it would be great.
<Do read this link and related links above.  I'm pretty sure your answers will be found here.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/plumbingmarart.htm
James (Salty Dog)>

Too Much Filtration? And How To Plumb?   11/30/06
Hello crew !
<Hey there! JustinN with you this morning!>
I'm getting closer to set up my 75g Reef tank. But since I did some mod.s and I'm going with different equipment, I'm not sure how to  plumb the filters I think or plan to use.
<Ok>
    First my drain is 1 1/2" and will be going to the  refugium/sump thru a filter pad. I'm not sure if to use maybe 20-25  bio-balls. Then I have a Skimmer and also a Pentair inline mechanical  filter, which I don't know which one of the two should go first. Then water  goes to the refugium part with LR & LS & Caulerpa. Then finally goes  back to the tank thru a DE Vortex filter. Is this too much filtration?  If  so, then maybe the DE filter will only run for a couple of hrs a day.
    Filters: 1-Filter Pad
               2-Bio-balls    
               3-Skimmer
               4-Pentair  Filter
               5-LRLS,  Caulerpa
               6-DE  Vortex Filter
    Or should the Pentair filter go last ? Any  suggestion would be appreciated. Thank you.
<Your plan sounds laid out properly, however, I would bypass the Vortex filter and the bio-balls in the setup. The Vortex would simply be too likely to remove much of the benefits of a refugium, and is not necessary for daily operation. These filters are usually used to polish the water to a sparkling clean, every now and then. Bio balls have a tendency to become nitrate factories in a reef setting. Perhaps replace these with some more submersed live rock for denitrification? Hope this helps you! -JustinN>