RonS
Well-Known Member
Count me in the camp of "you can never have too much total water volume). I'm running a 40 breeder for my 48 gallon display tank. You definitely want that 20L if you can!
I wouldn't recommend going with a separate 10 gal for a refugium. For that to work, you will have to somehow get water to/from the fuge tank. That will mean more $$$, and more complexity (which means more possibilities for failure).
The only other option for mechanical filtration (other than filter sock / cup) are the roller-type units. These use a continuous roll of filter material, so you don't have to mess with it more than every 2-3 months when you change a roll. The other advantage is that they just sit in the bottom (or hang on the side) of your sump... so you don't have to try to mount a sock holder. To me, the more open the sump design the more flexible it is to add components later. The drawback, of course, is that these roller filters aren't cheap. But I'm definitely kicking myself for building the sump so that it can't really accommodate a roller now :/
I would take SilentDeath's offer on free glass. Acrylic is nice/safe to work with (you can use standard wood working tools), but you really need to use the good stuff, and it's not cheap. Some might say it's overkill, but I always use cell-cast acrylic. If you want to go that route, you can get it from Professional Plastics near Six Flags https://www.professionalplastics.com/AtlantaGA_AtlantaWarehouse - definitely cheaper to pick it up than to pay shipping!
