Beginner to saltwater tanks

Forgive my newness but where would tge reactor go... into the sump or somewhere else

 

Yes your reactor(s) will go anywhere you want really but if you have a sump and a stand I would place it in there and out of the way but in a relatively easy place to access when doing tank maintenance/replacing the media.

 

Basically they operate by having a small pump (such as a Maxijet or Cobalt 600/900/1200) inside your sump (usually the skimmer compartment) which pumps into an acrylic "reactor". The reactor is just a container that holds the media and is designed to efficiently flow through all of the media (it pushes water through it). From there you have the return dump downstream, which can be the return pump section.

As far as your equipment, I agree get rid of the HOB filter; you won't need it. I really like Eshopps HOB overflows. They are self priming, so you don't need a pump constantly running like you do with a CPR brand overflow or similar. From there, you get the largest sized sump you can that will fit under you stand. I was able to get an Eshopps R-200 (30 gallon) sump/refugium under my 55 by modifying my stand. But something in the 20 gallon range would be just fine.

For a heater, I would get an Eheim Jager. A 200W should be fine.

For circulation, (2) Evo 750's should be fine to start. If/when you get into corals, you may need to add 1-2 more. But you will be fine with those to start.

For a return pump, there are tons of options. I use a Marineland NJ3000 on my 55. Been running 24/7 for over a year without any issues. I can barely hear it and does not appear to run too hot or anything. So that is an option for you.

Finally, for mixing pump, save some money and just get a Maxijet 1200 instead of a Cobalt. They are essentially the same pump, except the Cobalts are made in Italy. I use a Maxijet as my utility pump; to mix salt, for water changes, to pump out sumps when needed, etc.).

Actually, the final final is what are you doing for lighting

 

Probably metal halide since i am going to have a fish only with live rock

 

Will this work for both mechanical and chemical filtration

 

For live rock I would get about a 1-2 per gallon and I believe that is the general rule of thumb.

 

In that case, I would not run metal halides personally. They run very hot and you need to keep on the bulb replacements. Instead I would recommend a cheap LED fixture.

As I think you know by now, reactors are not used for mechanical filtration. Fact is, if you have a sump/'fuge, you likely won't need any mechanical filtration at all. I don't use any on my 55 gallon/30 gal sump setup.