Small FOWLR filtration?

[Trever]

I'm setting up a 20 gallon Long with a 15 gallon sump, so around 20 - 25 gallons system water (displacement etc.). 8" weir into an external overflow.

It's going to have 3 small fish in it (pair of flameback angels and a midas blenny). I plan to do 10% water changes weekly.

I'm wondering what filtration I need besides a filter sock and a lot of rock? (I will be stuffing the DT with a lot of left over pukani.) It will be bare bottom because I don't want to clean sand and/or have critters that will take care of it. Likely a small powerhead will be keeping the bottom clean!

I'd love to be able to spin a bunch of chaeto under a light in the sump and call it done, but I don't know if that's going to work, and many threads say one should skim if choosing between a refugium or a skimmer. Above all, I want to keep it simple, and costs down.

This is my second tank, I'm still learning on my first, which is 7.5 months old and has a lot of hair algae (second "wave" of it, after the first nearly died off) but fish and corals are growing well (SPS/LPS/zoas). Either my first tank is still "new" and that's just how it is, or I'm not controlling nutrients properly, so I don't have filtration and feeding balance mastered when a tank is being hit hard with light. Leaves me feeling a little clueless for this FOWLR.

 

[KingTideCorals]

I'm setting up a 20 gallon Long with a 15 gallon sump, so around 20 - 25 gallons system water (displacement etc.). 8" weir into an external overflow.

It's going to have 3 small fish in it (pair of flameback angels and a midas blenny). I plan to do 10% water changes weekly.

I'm wondering what filtration I need besides a filter sock and a lot of rock? (I will be stuffing the DT with a lot of left over pukani.) It will be bare bottom because I don't want to clean sand and/or have critters that will take care of it. Likely a small powerhead will be keeping the bottom clean!

I'd love to be able to spin a bunch of chaeto under a light in the sump and call it done, but I don't know if that's going to work, and many threads say one should skim if choosing between a refugium or a skimmer. Above all, I want to keep it simple, and costs down.

This is my second tank, I'm still learning on my first, which is 7.5 months old and has a lot of hair algae (second "wave" of it, after the first nearly died off) but fish and corals are growing well (SPS/LPS/zoas). Either my first tank is still "new" and that's just how it is, or I'm not controlling nutrients properly, so I don't have filtration and feeding balance mastered when a tank is being hit hard with light. Leaves me feeling a little clueless for this FOWLR.

You can skim if youd like too, a fuge is going to be helpful and with a lot of rock you are giving your tank some space for beneficial bacteria. Something else you could add is bio media into your sump area to allow for more surface area to help cultivate more beneficial bacteria!

What fish do you want to add in?

 

[Trever]

@ReeferBlaine 2 x flameback angel and 1 x midas blenny is the pretty firm plan. I'm actually coloring my pipes on the tank build for these inhabitants, just to be a bit tacky...