Need help on equipment choices from experienced Saltwater reefers.

Rollingrock · Jul 28, 2020

I am pretty new to Saltwater. My wife is now hooked on Saltwater tanks and is allowing me to move on up. I just speak the truth. I am married and the women picks what I can or can't do. ( Married Life). I am going from a 40G tank with a fx4 filter. My new tank is going to be a Planet Aquarium Mega Matrix 120G with internal overflow. I have decided to go with a Tideline 30x16 sump. Here is where I get confused on the sump equipment. My 40G uses a Tunze 9004 skimmer and I have learned to get better equipment. I should have got the 9004 DC. For the 120 Mega matrix I am now looking at the Nyos Quatum 120 but I don't know if its to small for the size of tank ? For a return pump I was looking at the Ecotech M2 Vectra. I am also seeing do I go with ABS bulkheads or Schedule 80 bulkheads ? I have noticed that if I do SCH 80 bulkheads my intake and return plumbing will be smaller, and I don't know if that is the right. I appreciate the help I can get.

JohnGP · Jul 29, 2020

Have you asked your wife which one to get? lol. Ok sorry, couldn't resist.

Snoopy 67 · Jul 29, 2020

Schedule 80 fittings can be used with schedule 40 pipe, done all the time.

JohnGP · Jul 29, 2020

Ok I'll try and throw my 2 cents in and not be a smart a#@. I do not currently use a Tunze skimmer but have in the past, however I am using an Aeroaqua Duo skimmer on my most current tank(140g) and have to say I absolutely love this skimmer! It is quiet, easy to clean and maintain and skims so well that it seems to strip the tank of gunk in a day or two. Excellent skimmer.

Again I do not have an Ecotech Vectra return pump though I've heard they're good, I do have the Reefoctopus VarioS 8 and it is an excellent return pump. Moves water as it should, super quiet even running wide open and seems to be reliable.

As for Schedule 80 fittings; I set up my current tank using both Schedule 40 and 80 fittings and used 1" S-40 pipe throughout, they all fit just fine so you shouldn't have any problems there. S-80 pipe is the same outside diameter as S-40 pipe however the S-80 pipe has a smaller inside diameter as it is thicker. Oh, do keep in mind that the S-80 bulkheads require a bigger hole to be drilled in your tank as their outside diameter is larger than the standard bulkheads like Lifeguard etc. I hope this helps you out a little bit.