Skimmer...

i c. Any good skimmer you would recommend for under $200?

 

Ive heard nothing but wonderful things bout the Remora hang on skimmers. But do you want to have a hangon skimmer???

Either go with an external skimmer in your stand. Or larger sump and get an insump skimmer. IMO no HOB..... HOB should be intended only for people with no sump

 

This one would work just fine.
Standard Skimmers Rated For 60 To 200 Gallons - D&T Aquarium Supplies- Product Info - Octopus Model 110 Needle Wheel Recirculating Protein Skimmer

 

good luck with price range.... but with your tank size its possible

 

So i just run the overflows to the skimmer then the skimmer output to sump?

 

yep and you use a ball valve on the drain from the skimmer, or a gate valve to adjust the water level in the skimmer. I can tell you that this little recirc would make a remora look sad when it comes to production. Plus, the octo pumps are easy to mod if you want.

 

Ok cool. So I'm gonna buy that light fixture and the only thing left to buy is the skimmer. I'll prob go with that octo that was suggested. Would the running the water to the skimmer then skimmer to sump effect the tank turnover? Or would it be ok?

 

Look at it this way, if you run your water straight to the skimmer, every single bit of water in your system is gonna get skimmed before going back to your tank. I do think this is the absolute most efficient form of skimming. Now with that being said, I do not have a recirc because I have a monster sump for water volume purposes and my octo skimmer was sold to me for 100 dollars and I couldn't pass it up. Just be sure, you don't oversize your pump. For a return pump, I would run a mag 5 and call it good. I would even put a ball valve on that just incease. If you have too much drain, you will not be able to plumb your skimmer this way.

 

I have a mag 9 for the return pump. So overflow to skimmer, skimmer to sump, sump back to display tank. That'd be efficient?

 

I'm just trying to help out so don't think I'm being bossy and anything I suggest is what I would do in your situation. So here is what I would do. I would make myself a spraybar and drop it in the tank behind your rock work to blow diagonally up toward your rock. This will give you flow back there and a fairly nice amount. Grab a mag 5, and use that as your return. A mag9 will most likely be overkill for that skimmer as you are only gonna wanna put 3 to 400 gal/hr through it. If you dump too much water in it, too fast it's going to overflow.