Plumbing, sump, gear, and what-not...
Plumbing:
For the plumbing I used schedule 80 hard piping with Spears valves and fittings. No fancy colors. I like my coffee black.
Sump:
For the sump I used a Trigger systems Triton 44 sump which I modified slightly to accept the Spears schedule 80 bulkhead fittings instead of the cheap threaded adapters that come with it. This sump comes with two drain fitting adapter "plates" that are held in place with eight thumb screws. This is a nice feature that allows you to make it your own and customize the spacing. One comes pre-drilled with three drains and the second is just an uncut piece of acrylic for you to customize. This sump has a large refugium section which I only have a few pieces of extra rock and a MarinePure ceramic block in for now. I seeded the MarinePure block in my other tank's sump for about three months to accelerate the cycle. This worked out so well that this was almost an insta-tank. In hindsight, I could have gone faster adding fish and corals if I wanted to. There basically was no cycle.
Return lines:
I wanted to have lots of capacity through the returns to maximize the turnover with minimal pumps (or none) in the display. I know this is old school thinking, but I really hate having any equipment in the display. To accomplish this I ran two separate 1-1/4 inch return lines, one to each return. I kept the 1-1/4 size as long as I could, then reduced to one inch and finally reduced down to 3/4 inch right at the tank bulkhead. The tank comes pre drilled with three one inch drains and two 3/4 inch returns. So yes, my returns are larger than my drains.
I also replaced the return nozzles with 3/4 inch CPR eductors.
Return pump:
For the return pump I used an AC pump; sacrilege I know. I purchased two Skimz brand Leapord L160 (4200GPH) pumps from BRS when they were liquidating the Skimz line of products. I did not need them at the time but the price was right (75% off MSRP) so I bought them. The plan for this tank was that I would use two return pumps like I have done in the past, dedicating one pump to each return, but I decided to only use one to keep the entire system simpler. Now I have the other pump in "stock" to be a drop in replacement should (when) the one pump fails. Unplug the pump, loosen one union, tighten one union, plug in the new pump, done. The sump also has a pretty small return pump section. I could fit two pumps in there, but it would be very tight. I like having room to work.
Skimmer:
For the skimmer I used a Nyos Quantum 160 with a Vertex Vectra automatic neck cleaner. Automatic neck cleaners are fantastic. I do not understand why they are not more prevalent in the hobby.
UV:
I have a Pentair UV sterilizer that pulls from the skimmer chamber and returns through the secondary drain line into the refugium section.
Carbon:
I have a BRS mini five inch reactor for occasional carbon use that tees off of the UV line. Using a separate plumbing circuit for accessories it way easier then using return line manifold in my opinion. You can adjust the flow, turn things on on off; without effecting your return line flow and water levels. Once you dial in your return line and make the system ultra silent, you can keep it that way.
Other stuff:
I use an Ecotech Versa pump to feed a Korallin sulfur denitrator that then feeds into a Pacific Sun DC-2 degassing chamber that I have filled with Seachem Reactor media. Because the effluent if the Sulfur reactor has a low pH adding the second vessel full of Calcium basically makes a Calcium reactor without needing CO2 to reduce the pH within the reactor. This both controls Nitrates and maintains Calcium to a degree. This is not as efficient as a CO2 system and will only supply a fraction of the Calcium when compared to a traditional Calcium reactor. I control the flow rate or the Versa based on the ORP level within the Sulfur reactor. Too low speed up the flow, too high reduce the flow.
Controller:
I use a Neptune Apex with a Trident to monitor water parameters. Lots to be desired here...
Alkalinity:
I use a KH Guardian to monitor and supplement Alkalinity.
Ozone:
I use Ozone to keep the water crystal clear. This is time and ORP controlled and feed into the skimmer.
I am sure that I am forgetting a few things but this post is already pretty long. Photos soon.
Only the stands on the left side were modified and they do not support any real weight. They are more like a facia or facade. I only did that to match the profile of the tank stand. The smaller stands have the profiles oriented opposite of the larger tank stand. It looked goofy so I decided to change it around to match.
