72-Gallon Setup

STEP 1: Added 80 pounds of Southdown play sand. Why Southdown? Because it is 1/2 the cost of aragonite and is exactly the same thing! 100% sanitized and rinsed. I had the pleasure of hearing Anthony Calfo speak and he said ALL aragonite products (including Southdown) come from the same HUGE mine anyway. Southdown can be found at Lowe's and Home Depot. Mine was labeled something else, but it will usually say something about 'Tropical Sand' or 'from the Carribean'. Just check the back and make sure it is a Southdown product. I also painted the back of the tank with Krylon Black Lacquer to hide the plumbing. I used the lacquer based on a recommendation from Krylon's Customer Service Dept.
STEP 2: I built the Refugium/Sump from a 22-Gallon Aquarium (24Lx12Wx18H). I have an inlet chamber where the water from the overflow enters and the protein skimmer will eventually sit, then a simple divider wall to the refugium, then another divider to the pump chamber where the water gets pumped back to the main tank. This is in crude form and a top and bubble-trap will be incorporated.
STEP 3: Placed sump in stand. It would not fit through the doors, so I had to remove the main tank, remove a stand crossmember, drop the sump in, then re-assemble everything.
STEP 4: Because this is not a drilled tank, I purchased the Marineland Tidepool S.O.S. based on some reviews over at reefcentral.com. FWIW, it has been running for 2 weeks now and I am VERY pleased with the overflow box! It is dead quiet, maintains siphon after power failure and looks great with the smoked plexi input box against my black-backed tank.
STEP 5: To get the water back to the tank, I plumbed from the Mag Drive 9.5 pump through a 3/4" ball valve, to 3/4" reinforced flex hose to a homemade return nozzle made from PVC fittings and Flexible Ball Socket parts from Marine Depot.
STEP 6: Added RO/DI water to system with Instant Ocean salt to fill display tank and sump to desired levels. After flooding the living room floor this week, I'll be adding a check valve to the return line this weekend ... DOH! Chicago Party Bus
STEP 7: Added 40 pounds of cured Fiji live rock from the LFS and 5 - Green Reef Chromis to start the Nitrogen Cycle.
STEP 8: Made cover for sump out of 1/4" plexi to reduce splash from popping bubbles from return line. Also placed downtube on return line to reduce "splashing" noise. Added refugium lighting made from a standard chrome reflector with a 19W (75W equiv.) PC Spiral Lamp, 6500K Daylight bulb (available at Home Depot).