NEWBIE: Sump question

[Jokes]

I got into the freshwater hobby a few years ago by accident really. I bought son a small tank becaue he liked fish and turned out to be something I really enjoyed and it progressed from there. But like everyone else knows, there is no comparison to a reef tank. I recently bought a 90 gal setup that I would like to turn into a reef tank. It is empy at the moment, I am currently buying all the hardware and equipment slowly. I don't know exactly what I want in the tank yet as far as stocking it but I do want corals at some point. I don't really know anything about corals yet. I'm currently working on my sump and I've done research and I am still kind of confused on what is necessary and what is not. So my question is what and how should I build my sump? I know a skimmer is needed, the most important thing. I first thought of using a trickle tower in the sump with bio-balls and stuff but I read somewhere that isnt good for reef tanks. I've seen designs where the skimmer went before the fuge and after. And some say a fuge is neeeded and some say not. So I'm really looking for some good advice to help me design a sump and all of it's necessities for a reef tank.

Thanks!

 

[wilfx]

first of all welcome. Second with a 90 gallon tank, if you use a tradition stand you won't have much room for a sump. There is no right way really. I have a 90 with a 30 gal sump. I think it is a 30. Any way I have 3 xcompartments, first is the drain from the tank, then skimmer, then return. In the skimmer compartment there is not much for for anything else. The first compartment was just a filter sock and some rock. I am just recently turning it into a small refugium with some chaeto, rock and hopefully a lot of pods. Basically to help control algae.

 

[Moe_K]

Marc Levenson has a great intro to sumps here:
http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

Like willfx said, there's no real right way to do it.
Most sumps I see, the water comes down on the left into the sump, there are baffles to remove the bubbles, then there's a big space to hold the skimmer, then more baffles and an area for cleaned water to collect and be pumped up to the show tank.