setting up a massive 8x2x2 marine tank

hey all i am planning to setup a LR and fish only 8x2x2, i am ordering the sump in 2 days does any one have a good sump plan i can use?
im looking at the sump to be 4ftx18x18ich with a protein skimmer, live sand bed maby with some marine grass/plants and a chamber for foam and Matrix...what does everyone think?
what size powerheads should i use inside the tank?

 

I would keep all powerheads out of the tank water and plumb all returns lines from the sump to rotate the water. Powerheads make the tank look cluttered in my opinion and they add heat to the water column.

The sump is a hole different ball game. Try: Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums

 

You will never get enough flow in a tank that size from the return lines alone. If you did, you would have too much water moving through your sump for your skimmer to work efficiently. You could run a closed loop, but that would get you into drilling holes, and I dont know if you want to get involved in that.

For a 240 gallon mixed reef tank you want to be running a minimum 7200 GPH flow total (30x turnover). Lets say you have 1200 GPH retun pump from the sump, you need an additional 6000 GPH. You could do something like 3, 4 or more Tunze 6085's or (a cheaper route) 4 or more Koralia Mag 5's. Adding a wavemaker will definitely help create more random flow as well. It will really be trial and error once you get yoru LR set up to see what flow you need where. 8 feet it very long once you start to try and generate enough flow to not have dead spots.

 

ok cheers mate

 

how would 4 of these be: Age of Aquariums - JVP-102B 5000lph

 

If you are going to spend that $$$ on powerheads then you should just go closed loop. I have the same tank here is my thread. hope it helps http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-off-your-fish-tanks/vegasfish-240-gallon-build-60681.html

 

thanks but after what i read its no help as my aquarium is already made and i dont want to be putting holes in a aquarium thats already built...i am going with a overflow box.,..

 

Closed loops are kind of a thing of the past. Everything has their pros and cons, but unless you get an oceans motions and plumb it so the nozzles are only in the tank, and not drilled into the side of the tank with bulkheads, CL's are a bit of a pain. This type of CL would still have more plumbing and use more electricity than the good powerful stream type pumps out there.

I would get a couple of vortechs, or tunze streams on a controller and be done with it.

Shoot for 30x turn over, if not more.

 

I would seriously re consider an overflow box if it is one that goes over the rim of the tank.

Those types, regardless of brand, and even with extra failsafes, are an accident waiting to happen.

Have the tank at least drilled for an overflow. You will be happy you did.

 

I have a closed loop and if I had it to do over again, I would have purchased a vortech mp40w. Much easier, less plumbing.