Filtration System
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I had originally used a 30g aquarium divided into 3 sections as my sump/refuge. I have recently upgraded my sump to a DIY acrylic sump/refuge built by Travis Hobbes, bigfalcon36 on Reef Central and WORC. The new sump measures 36" wide, 15" deep and 14" tall.
The far left compartment houses my ASM Mini-G skimmer as well as the input from my overflow. The middle chamber houses my return pump as well as my heater. The far right compartment is my refuge. In my refuge, I am growing chaeto as a nutrient export. I put a spraybar in there to create a "circular" flow across the refuge. This keeps my chaeto "tumbling."
I am using a Rio HF12 as a return pump. I originally plumbed the overflow using hard PVC, however I switched over to flexible spa tubing which cut down on the noise. I also switched from 3/4" flex to 1" PVC for the return line and that has greatly increased my flow.
This is my auto-topoff system. I am using an Aqualifter pump controlled by a float switch. I have a 5 gallon container in a cabinet on the opposite side of the wall behind the aquarium. I drilled a hole through the wall and ran a section of airline tubing and the extension cord from beneath the aquarium into the cabinet. The Aqualifter pump sits on the shelf behind the storage container and is controlled by the float switch in the sump. I have been using limewater as my top-off water and that has done wonders for stabilizing my alkalinity and calcium levels.
I currently have 2-Seio 620 powerheads to increase the flow in the tank. The Seios are similar to a Tunze Stream at a significantly reduced price.