System design and plumbing planning help

[AwesomeOceans]

Okay so I could use some help planning out the plumbing for my new system

So first let me describe the system: it is a 90gal display next to a 29 gal tank with a 20 gal long sump and either a 10 or 15 gal ATO. I also have a large HOB fuge that I don’t know if I should use or not.

Zach.Attack6 sold me his setup which you can see here for a full list of my equipment. He was running the system on a siphon- which I don’t trust, so I got both the 29gal and the 90gal drilled and I put in a 7.5” baffle in the sump for the skimmer to sit in a constant water level

So here are the various options that I’m not sure which to do in terms of design.
1) My original plan was to turn my 29 gal into a nice looking fuge/display
2) Turn the 29 gal into a half frag tank, half fuge- still as a display separated by egg crate
3) Turn the 29 gal into a full frag tank and use the HOB fuge
4) Turn the 29 gal into a full frag and partition part of the 20L sump as a refugium

Options for plumbing:
1) Have the display tank overflows fall into the skimmer portion of the sump. Have a waterfall into the rest of the sump- where I can keep some live rock and such and have the return pump. Have the return pump pump directly into the 90gal display. In the 90gal place a small (maxijet400?) pump to pump water into the 29 gal at a slow rate and have those overflows spill into the non-skimmer portion of the sump. (or into the skimmer portion?)

2) Have the display tank overflows fall into the skimmer portion of the sump. Have a waterfall into the rest of the sump- where I can keep some live rock and such and have the return pump. Have the return pump pump up and have a T-pvc pipe with a valve divert some of that return water into the 29gal. Have the 29gal overflows spill into the non-skimmer portion of the sump. (or into the skimmer portion?)

3) Have the display tank overflows fall into the skimmer portion of the sump. Have a waterfall into the rest of the sump- where I can keep some live rock and such and have the return pump. Have the return pump pump up and have a T-pvc pipe with a valve divert some of that return water into the 29gal for use as a frag tank. And then have another T-pvc piece with another valve divert some of the water into the HOB fuge which would then overflow directly into the 90gal display. Have the 29gal overflows spill into the non-skimmer portion of the sump. (or into the skimmer portion?) (This plan is depicted in a picture below)

4) Have the display tank overflows fall into the skimmer portion of the sump. Have a waterfall into the rest of the sump- which I can turn into a sump. Have the return pump pump up and have a T-pvc pipe with a valve divert some of that return water into the 29gal for use as a frag tank. Have the 29gal overflows spill into the non-skimmer portion of the sump. (or into the skimmer portion?)
You get the general idea of what my plumbing and fuge options are… am I missing something and what is my best bet?

 

[quagmire]

The 29gl should be a full fuge.
T off the return to feed it or use a seperate pump in your sump to feed it.
Fuge drains back to the sump.
Some will say that the fuge water should bypass the skimmer, your call on that.

Forgot to mention that you should make sure that your sump can handle the added water volume during a power outage regardless of what you use the extra tank for.

 

[AwesomeOceans]

The 29gl should be a full fuge.
T off the return to feed it or use a seperate pump in your sump to feed it.
Fuge drains back to the sump.
Some will say that the fuge water should bypass the skimmer, your call on that.

Forgot to mention that you should make sure that your sump can handle the added water volume during a power outage regardless of what you use the extra tank for.

But I'd like to have a place to frag my corals- and if I have the HOB what's the downside of using it...?

 

[quagmire]

If you do choose to hang a fuge just make sure its big enough to hold enough algae to actually consume nutrients. My display is 10gls less than yours and it takes a minimum of 2 gallons + of algae in my fuge at all times to keep up with nutrient consumption. Find out if the hob fuge works before you comit the 29gl to a frag tank.

 

[AwesomeOceans]

yeah, that shouldn't be an issue- I think it is a 5 gallon HOB (not 100% sure on that)- it is large though

 

[quagmire]

There you go then. Concentrate on putting together the most stable biological system you can before expanding on it taking into account the additional future bio load.

 

[AwesomeOceans]

I think I am going to go with design option 3 and plumbing option 3

 

[quagmire]

If you are starting this tank from scratch, I can't recommend enough to give yourself a few months to work out any wrinkles and let the tank mature before going on line with the frag tank. Once your stable, let 'er rip.

 

[AwesomeOceans]

The issue is that I already have corals- this system is an upgrade, and everything (clownfish pair, mandarin, snails, hermits, chaeto, peppermint shrimp, banded coral shrimp, brittle star, and 11 coral pieces) is sitting in a 15 gal holding tank right now. and can stay there until the system in set up... but I would like that to be asap.

The coral frag tank can physically be in the system without having coral in it, and I'd like to incorporate it because I plan on having it in the final system.

 

[quagmire]

#3 and #3 sounds good. Time to start plumbing and fire up the ro/di.
Happy to donate a lump of chaeto when your ready.

 

[AwesomeOceans]

most importantly I want to start my pod population off right haha- where are you located?