Plan a 120

[simplepleasures]

I am going to be starting a new tank soon and was looking for setup ideas.
The tank is going to be a 120 - 48x24x24 in acrylic. Black back with built in over flow with one drain and two returns plumbed to the top corners via the overflow. I am planning on using my current 40 with a micron bag for my sump. The tank will have a sand bottom, soft and hard corals, and always alot of fish.
I currently have a dual electronic 250 MH, g-1 skimmer, rio 1700, and
2x96 pc.

So here are my questions:
1. Should I use a single return pump and sell the 1700? and if so what pump, in sump or out of sump? How should I plumb the returns?
2. Only use the 2x250 and sell the 2x96?
3. Use the g-1 for now and upgrade to what skimmer later?
4. Sell my 20gal micron sack sump?

Here is what I am leaning towards:
One return pump. Only the 2x250 MH. Upgrade skimmer later. Use my current 40 as sump. And sell everything else.

Thanks for the input
Simple

[phishphood]

Sell the skimmer when you get the chance. G3 wouldn't be bad, it's what I have and will soon be running on my 120 cube. If you don't need the $$ that badly, I'd keep the PC lighting because it's a rather fast change in light. Right now when my 400W turns off, the fish still flip out because it's dark in the room otherwise. If you're only doing 2 returns I'd suggest something along the lines of a SCWD, but they do restrict flow unless you mod them. There's a great mod on RC that ends up having 1" pvc flow through the scwd instead of the ~1/2" I think it is.

[lucubrator]

If you can make the space in the 40g, keep the g1, and find another skimmer as well. Maybe an aqua c ev-series. They pouportedly pull out different things from the water. You can clean them on alternate days and always be skimming, and redundancy isn't a thing idea either.
I would also keep the 2x96, and just run actinic bulbs in them them to slightly overlap the halides. All the benefits, less cost.

[lucubrator]

Screw the 250x2, pick these up from danny:
Tek T5 (roughly 2x4')
if you want proof of t5's ability: check out iwan's tank

[Dakota]

I say plumb the returns with one outlet and a decent ( mag 9.5) pump and run a closed loop with something a little more oompfy. If you can, drill drill drill. It will look MUCH nicer.

[simplepleasures]

Thank you for the replys.
I am now thinking of keeping the 2x96's, as it is they woud do for a short time in a pinch. I am going to keep the G-1 for now and decide on another skimmer or just one larger one later.

Now after reading all the posts on external pumps I am thinking just one larger return pump with multiple returns. What do you think? I would tee the return above the tank and plumb pvc/flex to the each side of the tank with multiple outlets. Is this more energy/flow efficient or is running a return and a closed loop?

Thanks,
Simple
P.S. I have made a diagram and will try and uppload it if this doesn't make sense. Or try and find something a pic I saw on RC that was similar.

[phishphood]

Keep the flow through your sump to a minimum. Just have a semi-decent return pump.

It would be better if most of your flow was generated through a closed loop. Not sure in terms of energy-effeciency, but as far as flow, the return + closed loop is best.

[WanaLeime]

I agree w/ Phish...Your return pump should be no more than 3x-5x the volume if the display. By doing so, it helps miniumize the micro bubbles that goes back into the display. The mistake I made when setting up my 90,was that I was too concerned about the noise of the pump...tell you the truth the VELOCITY T2 is DEAD silent, but DOES DEFINITELY ADD HEAT to the water, about 2-3 degrees difference in temp. So a reliable/decent pump for return will be best. I personally like the look if PLUMBED tanks, makes it look so much more clean. It was my first time plumbing a tank so I made a lot of trips to HD =)l. Get a hold of Vinny73 on the boards, he knows what he's doing (if your going to plumb).

[lucubrator]

In my 60, I'm using a mag 3, with ~5' of head, giving like 250gph. The majority of that goes through the skimmer. Right now I have a quiet one on a closed loop, but in terms of gph/watt the tunzes are much greater than closed loops, and they're almost equivalent to external pumps in the initital gph/$. They do make rocks to hide the pumps, and if you're creative you might be able to aquascape around it.

[dlckid]

i got a iwaki 40 that was on my old 120 if you want it. also I am going to get rid of my euro reef 12-2 for cheap. matt