This is my ATS idea.

[WmTasker]

I am thinking about setting up a 56 gallon reef (30x18x24). My sump is going to be a 20G. I have always had a skimmer and a refugium on my reef and I am not completely on board with going with a ATS alone. So I have to fit a refugium, ATS, Skimmer, heater, return pump and top off float valve for RO Unit all in a 20 Long aquarium. Nice :D So this is my thought. Water comes from the tank into the refugium and overflow through the grates down the 12x10 ATS. They say a pic is worth a thousand words, so here it is. Tell me what you think?

[attachment=0:12t6hru7]20g Sump ATS1.jpg[/attachment:12t6hru7]

[SantaMonica]

Nice clean and easy setup. a 56 can't be too demanding, so that setup should work fine. Use one 23W CFL for medium filtering, and use two for high. Don't forget the rough plastic canvas.

[WmTasker]

Nice clean and easy setup. a 56 can't be too demanding, so that setup should work fine. Use one 23W CFL for medium filtering, and use two for high. Don't forget the rough plastic canvas.

I am making the plate removable for easy cleaning. I am going to make the plate out of 1/4" acrylic and I was going to possibly glue the palstic canvas to the plate. I was reading that you need 35 gph per inch of plate length. That give me a flow of 420. Will it hurt the ATS if the flow is closer to 600 gph? Can you have to much flow? Is there anything else I can do to the plate and canvas to make water beter with more oxygenation, flow or light? Using 2 bulbs is one.

Thanks.

[rygh]

You may want to make sure light is directed/shielded from the rest of the sump, or
you will end up growing algae everywhere, including hard to clean areas.

Make sure to measure your real sump return GPH. My pump was rated at 500 GPH, but I ended up
with 256 GPH measured after head/pipe losses. So my original 10" wide screen did not work well.

I put my protein skimmer ahead of my ATS, so that more pods from the ATS would survive into the main tank.
On the other hand if after, might pick out any algae residue.
I still have hopes of shutting it off someday.

[SantaMonica]

You can glue it, if you can get a glue to hold. Silicone might be best.

You can't have too much flow, as long as your screen is ROUGH. If not rough, algae will get washed away (you'll see bald spots all of a sudden.)

Distributed light is alway better. Best is continuous light all the way across (T5's).