Joe Russell writes...

Hi Bob,

I found your web site 5 days ago and I can stop reading all the articles, it is such a great information resource. I am getting ready to put an order in for a custom made reef tank. I have bin planning for mounts thinking about what size and the best way to set it up. (planning around my 36" twin bulb hqi light that I just bought 3 months ago.) The tank dimensions are 36" x 24" x 22".

I going to get the over flow mounted on the back wall in the center of the tank. The over flow is rated at 1500 gph .

I'm going to use a 1100 gph pump with one squid for mec. filtering. The two returns from the squid will be g in each far back corner, then I would like to do a closed loop system. And that is when I m not shore what to ask for. Do I get 1 supply to the pump drilled in the back wall of the tank and were? And 2 or 3 return holes in the back wall of the tank? And were should the holes be located. I was planning to use a 1200 gph pump for this.

Also I have 75 lbs of live rock from my 46 gal tank that will be going in to this tank and hopefully 70 lbs more. my plan for my aquascape is to do an island or a trench, with no rock touching any glass, except the bottom. I have had many fresh water fully planted tanks over the years. I turned my 46 gal. in to a reef tank in Dec. this past year and I just can't stop looking at it, working on it and reading everything I can get my hands on, this is the greatest hobby I have ever had. hope you can help me .

Thanks

Joe Russell