20g long- whats next?

So ive decided that after spending a long time on forums studying up Ive come to the conclusion that I think Im finally ready to start my tank..but i havent purchased any equipment yet because i want to do things not only slow but right the first time..

Ive read about the importance of cycling your tank, and waiting for the right time to add fish/CUC..along with other things like not rushing and not overloading your bio-load. I suppose its more of the not so obvious stuff that im struggling with


So far i have a 20g long tank and a stand i made for it
i plan on the tank being FOWLR
i will buy around 30# of live Rock from liveaquaria.com because they seem to be a very reliable site
also will be buying 20# of live sand

I know i need some of the basics...like a heater, salt, a hydrometer and basic test kits for amonia, nitrate, nitrite..ect..and a nice light system will come with time

I think ive decided on getting a Hydor Koralia Nano powerhead.
But what i wasnt sure about was should i buy two of the smaller models or one of the bigger model?

I really havent done my research on skimmers yet because there seems to be so many of them so i was kind of hoping for some help in the area or atleast a point in the right direction..



now here comes the part where im confused/undecided on... sumps/fuges
I understand their purpose and have done some basic reading on them but the plumbing of it gets me everytime to be honest.. I have a 20 gallon i could get from a friend or a 10 gallon that is empty in my house.
I like the idea of having a 20g sump/fuge next to(tank will not fit underneath main tank) my main tank but not sure if i should go that indept with my first tank or how i would go about doing one.. what do you think?


tips, suggestions, pointers? anything...its all welcome and appreciated

 

bump....anyone?

 

i'll take a shot at this, tho i have VERY limited experience.there are many ways to plumb for a sump/fuge. i'll go over 2. first is drilling a hole in the aquarium(usually an upper corner as that's safest), inserting a bulkhead and attaching tubing to the bulkhead to allow water to drain into the sump below. water then goes into the sump through whatever equipment you have down there(heater, skimmer, reactors, etc.)and is eventually pumped back up by a return pump. the second method is by a siphon overflow. this method does not require drilling, all you do it buy the unit (google eshopps overflow) and add tubing from the unit to the sump. this method has been know to have risks if maintainace is not followed but there is NO WAY i am going to open up that debate. again water through the sump, equip, and a pump pushes the water back up over the aquaium rim and into the display tank. again, i am no expert so i am linking other threads for you to see pics and read. hope this is allowed.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/filters-pumps-etc/sump-plumbing-troubles-54208.html
http://www.3reef.com/forums/filters-pumps-etc/eshopps-overflow-box-55577.html

search the site high and low. you will fins answers here

 

well i would definitely recommend a sump/fuge to increase your water volume, the smaller the volume the harder it is to keep your parameters in check.

that 10 gallon should do just fine, small but even if you just use it as a sump for your heater and skimmer to sit

 

About the live rock and sand, you could save a lot of money by using base rock and dry sand. you would also avoid getting any unwanted pests in your tank. you could use just a small piece of well inspected LR to seed your tank. you would get the same same end result, it may just take a bit more time.