wisdom needed...new 75
 

I have recently aqcuired a 75 gallon bowfront with 15 gallon sump, CPR siphon overflow, return pump, deltec skimmer (for sump or hang on back), another smaller hang on back skimmer, lights and all the plumbing. I am moving my overstocked hair algae infested inhabitants into thier new home...eventually. I currently have a 30 gallon and 20 gallon that will meld into the 75 (30 has a hair algae problem...overstocked and my 2 year old 'fed' the fish a whole container of food on boxing day.)

I have 2 clowns, 1 orange spot goby, canary wrasse, and 2 damsels, 40 lb live rock and various corals.

I have cleaned everything, and patiently filled it with clean RO water and I cant seem to keep a siphon with the CPR ...the aqualifter doesnt seem to be working?

Also I am reading about the hazards of flooding (and drowning of my toddlers in the sump) with the CPR overflow I am losing confidence in the sump set up with the CPR...

Could I just run the deltec skimmer 600 as a hang on the back (it does have a place for carbon or media ) and add more live rock ...would that be enough?

Should I add a canister filter? or something else? or keep trying with the CPR...a new aqualifter...and better child locks on the cabinet?

Thank you for your help!

Can you have the tank drilled? It will be much easy if the tank is drilled.
If you are not comfortable with drilling the tank, I would suggest ditching the siphon overflow and the sump all together and run a sumpless system with deltec HOB skimmer. It's a great skimmer. No other filters needed.

I had child locks on my sump doors, and have a locking door to my fish room now, keeps the kids out. For their safety and the fishes :S. as for flooding, i found i ended up with more water on my floor sumpless than after, i was always sloshing water doing water changes, cleaning skimmer, etc. Might be just clumsy me, but once i got the sump everything seemed to stay much more controlled. Sloshing water inside a cabinet sucks, but it dries, sloshing behind a tank dries... into your house paint :S