New set up, need advice

[EquiReef]

So here is my idea for a sump/fuge. I want to run the 135gal and the 75 gal off the same sump This setup is going in an unfinished basement and the sump will be either beside the tanks or between them.

The sump will be 38 gallons with the fuge being 35 gallons. This drawing is horrible but you get the idea.

I want to run a phosban reactor and maybe a calcium reactor if needed but I dont know where I should run them from in the sump.

[freezetyle]

I would probably shoot to have a larger sump. In the case of a power failure you want the excess water from your display tanks to be able to run off and not overflow into your basement.

[hillegom]

I would switch your skimmer and return sections. Split the overflow water and have one of them go to the macro algae part. I would have this overflow empty into a filter sock on the right hand side of that refugium. Raise that tank so it is the same height as the other. This way, having a power outage, it would not spill onto the floor.
Add a ball valve onto one of your returns so that you could adjust the flow.

[EquiReef]

I have read mixed reviews on using filter socks. Some people say you have to change them very often (every three days??) or else you will have nitrate issues. What are your thoughts?

[hillegom]

Yes 3 days is good. Some people change them every week.
Some people can't be bothered.
Filter socks collect detrius among other solids, and copeopods too. If you don't collect the solids, then they will pile up somewhere and decompose "rot".
If you collect and take them out of the system, then you are doing a nutrient export kind of thing. Less nitrates your system has to handle, less water changes IMHO
All depends on your bioload, how many fish/corals/food you have in your soon to be system.

[EquiReef]

Originally Posted by hillegom

Yes 3 days is good. Some people change them every week.
Some people can't be bothered.
Filter socks collect detrius among other solids, and copeopods too. If you don't collect the solids, then they will pile up somewhere and decompose "rot".
If you collect and take them out of the system, then you are doing a nutrient export kind of thing. Less nitrates your system has to handle, less water changes IMHO
All depends on your bioload, how many fish/corals/food you have in your soon to be system.

Are copeopods not a good thing to have? I have a mandarin and have always kept an eye on my tank to ensure I have loads of them for him to eat. I even try and pick them out of the water when I do a water change to ensure I keep as many as possible (a bit OCD I know, but I would die if I knew he was hungry lol).

[hillegom]

Filter socks, wouldn't catch very many copeopods compared to how many you have in the system. Your refugium will grow way more than you catch in the sock. And then how many will die when they go through the pump, back into your display. For sure not all of them, but some.
I would not worry about the sock catching too many.
It does not matter how you do nutrient export, many ways available, you just have to do some.

[EquiReef]

Ok, that makes sense then. Filter socks seem easier to deal with than a sponge of some sort.

Best brand of skimmer to go with?

I have LEDs on my main display and Aquaticlife T5 on my basement tank and so far I am more impressed with the colors under the LEDS but I am still torn between the two. What is the best brand for each(LED and T5)? Thoughts on the PAR38 bulbs?

I think I am going to go with Eheim pumps for the skimmer as from what I have read they have gotten very good reviews.