Help with 30 gallon sump setup

[fishnlou]

Hi everyone!

So im getting ready to place an order for what will be used in my new tank setup. The display is a 90 gallon and I will be using a 30 gallon(36 x 12 x 16) for the sump. The tank will have around 90 pounds of live rock In the display and a shallow sand bed 1-2". As far as stocking no more then 6 fish and lots of corals. About 1,800gph of display tank flow not counting return pump. Im still kind of unsure on how i will be setting my sump up. My current Ideas are listed below. Please chime in and let me know what you guys think will work best for my setup. Also feel free to add different suggestions too. Thanks

Option 1:
Sump compartment 1-Uplow algae scrubber(screen size 3"x4") and small skimmer(eshopps gen 2 psk-100 or Octopus NW110).
Sump compartment 2- Refugium (18" x 12" floor area) filled with some live rock rubble, shallow fine sand bed 1"-2", and lots of chaeto.
Sump compartment 3- Mag drive 5 pump for return.

Option 2:
Sump compartment 1-Uplow algae scrubber(screen size 4"x4") and room for a filter sock( sock would be used occasionally during tank cleaning).
Sump compartment 2- Refugium (20" x 12" floor area) filled with some live rock rubble, shallow fine sand bed 1"-2", and lots of chaeto.
Sump compartment 3- Mag drive 5 pump for return.

Option 3:
Sump compartment 1- Reef Octopus Extreme XS 200.
Sump compartment 2- Refugium (18" x 12" floor area) filled with some live rock rubble, shallow fine sand bed 1"-2", and lots of chaeto.
Sump compartment 3- Mag drive 5 pump for return.

My LFS suggests option 3 as he said he doesnt know much about upflow algae scrubbers and it seems like it would just create a ton of salt creep in that sump compartment. I personally like option 1 but, that could just be me tending to over complicate things.

[Subsea]

With respect to Option 1, considering the algae scrubber I see no point to the chaeto. You have much biofiltration with your concept. If you want compartment 2 to feed your tank, try a mud filter to maximize your biodiversity of micro fauna and fana. If compartment three is large enough, I would put rock rubble around the pump suction to maximize pods feed to tank.

[peanniello]

do you have pics and dimensions to your 30 gallon sump? im looking to build one