Setting up external skimmer and biopellets

[smithben1983]

So I have a 180g mixed reef in my living room on the main floor and a 29g nem tank in my bedroom on the main floor, both are plumbed to a sump in the basement. Both tanks have there own drain going all the way to the sump and both are herbie drains. The sump is a 125g 6FT tank, at the moment I am running a Reef Octopus XS 200 in sump. I just picked up a Reef Octopus DDNW250 Dual 10†Recirculating Protein Skimmer and a BR-140 Reef Octopus Biopellet Reactor. I am trying to figure out how I should hook these into to my system.

1. The return bump isn't being fully used, so I could plumb the skimmer or reactor into that.
2. I could plump the skimmer to the return for the 180g.
3. I could run an external pump from the first chamber on the sump to power the reactor or the skimmer. The only pumps I have laying around are Little Giant MD4 and md5. Line to pump info:Little Giant Inline Water Pump I worry that these are to large and would be waste full. If I running both the skimmer and reactor off of one pump would it be hard to get the settings right?
4. I could go out and buy new pumps if I have to.

I plan to build a stand just to the right of my sump there for the skimmer and reactor.
I am looking for advice on how I should integrate them.

Here are some photos of the sump as well.

 

[smithben1983]

morning bump!

 

[smithben1983]

Any thoughts?

 

[KSzegi]

No experience with the skimmer but I would think you could run that off of your return pump - if it's strong enough - you don't say what size it is. Just put a valve on the line to the skimmer so you can adjust as needed. I'm running biopellets in the same reactor you picked up and have a dedicated adjustable pump for it - makes it easier to fine-tune and adjust flow as needed in the reactor - but this could be accomplished by a valve in line too. I would think the 'extra' pumps you have are a bit strong .... but again, usable. So long as there is enough pressure and flow and there is a way to adjust it if too mcuh ..... think after that the decision is more personal preference.

The only other thing that I can mention when you designing the plumbing set-up, which you probably already know, but worth mentioning just in case ...... the output from your biopellet reactor is best directed to the input of your skimmer. Something to keep in mind while deciding how to set up your feed pump/line to skimmer.