Starting from scratch! Need your help

Hey guys so here's where im at.
I have a 34g red sea max, and love it. But i need to get into the big boy stuff, so want to step it up slowly. I have 2 rectangle 55G freshwater tanks, used for gold fish for many years. Want to build a stand, build refugium, overflow, protien skimmer, rock, and whatever else i need out of pretty much scratch.
I have no idea what im doing but have a muscle car business and have plenty of fabricating knowledge. if you guys could give me ideas or answer my questions that would be awesome.

Problem being i started out with this red sea max, so i know absolutely nothing about under the tank stuff.

First question want to re-seal the 55g. What kind of sylicone should i use, or what is and what isnt reef safe?

Thanks

 

100% silicone from Lowes is just fine, all I ever use. No need to go to a LFS and pay 10 times the amount for 100% silicone.

 

I went to lowes and bought aquarium silicone I think DAP makes it.you can also use Ge 100% silicone (the one with the non mold stuff in it.) as far as a refuge/sump,I have a 55gal also with a 30gal tank turned into a sump refuge under it. you can just pick up a tank and buy the baffles and put them in or fabricate one from acrylic, as far as design goes there are allot of threads in the DIY section with different designs for sump/refuge.

also stuff like a skimmer I would just buy, not saying you can't make one, but there will be allot of test and error.

 

Nobody has come up with a good DIY design for a protein skimmer?
Hmm how much is a descent 1 for a 55 gal? The reason i ask is because this project is on a shoe string. Figure it will take a few months, and snowboarding and my 34g come first haha.

Not that i will deprive my tank of a good skimmer.

 

Also had another question. So would have 2 pvc siphon tubes with valves going down. 1 to the fuge side, 1 to the skimmer side, with a return pump in the center, that would go up split inside the tank and hopefully make 2 little jets. Now my question is how do i make 2 siphon tubes going down under inches of sand??

I've never had a chance to look at anybodys tanks so i dont know what im doing here.
Anybody have pictures of theres set up?

 

really you only need one pipe that splits into 2. here is a pick from the DYI section, it works real good I've been using it for about 4 months with no problems.
http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/nice-cheap-diy-overflow-29396.html

or you could make a overflow box:
http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/diy-overflow-box-46953.html
http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/building-weir-style-overflow-29456.html