Upgrading to a 150 gallon... LOTS OF QUESTIONS!

[doma25]

So I just purchased a 150 gallon tank with a stand/canopy. This 150 gallon will be the tank I upgrade to from my 120.
The dimensions are 72?x18?x28?
Before I set up the tank I thought I would give you guys a little information about my current set up because I have a lot of questions on how I can make this new tank as nice as possible. I plan on setting up this new tank with some of my existing live rock and slowly transferring over the live stock. I want to have the new system running for a couple of weeks before I do anything.
What I have now,
Tank Supplies:
3 Aquaillumination Led lights
2 MP40 Vortechs
Reef Octopus sss protein skimmer
I have 2 sumps but both will not fit into the cabinet so I will need to get a new sump.
Tank Stocking List
2 Clowns
1 Hippotang
1 Flame Angel
1 Blue throat trigger
1 Royal Gramma
1 Chocolate chip starfish ( I know not reef safe but have had him for 4 years and it has some how adapted to being fed at the top of the tank with silversides. It doesn?t bother my corals much)
Various Inverts, Conch, Urchin, hermits, large green polyp leather(clowns host), zoanthid colony, assorted mushrooms/ric.

My main questions are:
What sumps do you recommend to get? I want it to be at least a 48? long.
Should I do an external or internal return pump? I also plan on running a cannister filled with BRS carbon .8 and one with ROWAPHOS
Should I put down Egg crate before I add LR and Sand?
I will be reusing most of my liverock, a lot of it is covered in hair algae? How should I remove it the algae... I also have a lot of liverock that is clear of hair algae because I have it in my sump.
Can I add dead rock with my exsisting live rock? How would you clean off old live "dead" rock?

My old sand bed is 4 inches deep?. but I now want a shallow sand bed ? How deep should I make it to ensure enough bacteria.

I want to plumb this setup to be extremely clean and quiet. Do you recommend PVC or rubber hosing.

What other fish do you recommend? I plan on adding 1 other small fish and 1 medium sized fish to add some movement and personality into the tank!

If the tank is barely a reef does it make sense to do a refugium?

 

[Pazzoman]

Tank Supplies:
3 Aquaillumination Led lights - Sounds good..not familiar
2 MP40 Vortechs- Awesome wave makers, but I recommend Jebao
Reef Octopus sss protein skimmer- Heard Reef Octopus is great skimmer, I like AquaC


What sumps do you recommend to get? I want it to be at least a 48? long.

Biggest sump possible is the way to go, how wide is the inside of your stand as well as length and height?
Should I do an external or internal return pump?

Hmm unsure which is best, Ive always used an internal pump as external normally requires drilling, also to save on electricity if you go with internal try laguna pumps.

Should I put down Egg crate before I add LR and Sand?

Some members suggest it I never did. Depending on how much sand you put you can add a cushion of sand first place rocks down gently and than put sand again to secure the rock aquascape' base.

I will be reusing most of my liverock, a lot of it is covered in hair algae? How should I remove it the algae... I also have a lot of liverock that is clear of hair algae because I have it in my sump.

Hate hair algae, very invasive. I would let those rocks simply dry out to make sure there all gone, even boil it if you really want to make sure lol. I would be careful about the rock in your sump since the water is the same throughout the hair algae seeds or whatever is what helps them spread could end up contaminating the rocks in the sump. Also recommend a phosphate reactor does wonders for my cousin.

Can I add dead rock with my exsisting live rock? How would you clean off old live "dead" rock?

If the dead rock needs to be cycled I would cycle it in a different container...if you haven't yet purchased them I would just buy dry rock---cheaper, pest free,no die off and will become live.

My old sand bed is 4 inches deep?. but I now want a shallow sand bed ? How deep should I make it to ensure enough bacteria.

Hmm unsure with this one theres eighteen "deep sand beds" or sand beds lol. Think you will be fine with just tons of rocks as well as an inch or two of sand...heck members even go bare bottom so its entirely up to you.

I want to plumb this setup to be extremely clean and quiet. Do you recommend PVC or rubber hosing.

Rubber, more flexible/easy cut/quite

What other fish do you recommend? I plan on adding 1 other small fish and 1 medium sized fish to add some movement and personality into the tank!

A pair of tigersharks as well as a manta ray, personally I think you can add more fish a ton more lol. Im not sure exactly what your intention is FOWLR or Reef or Predator Reef btw BLUE THROAT TRIGGERS ARE AWESOME!

If the tank is barely a reef does it make sense to do a refugium?

If there is room in your sump, it doesn't hurt up to you. Can just add more filtration media.