F8 Upgrade, need some suggestions.

[G S P Freak]

Thanks! That would work out great! I cant say how many times I've spilled water everywhere doing a water change... I'm sure I'll still do it, but hopefully less often with a setup like that lol XD.
I'm glad to see the trash can is food safe too, definitely will get that over the walmart tub. Theres a home depot close, so I shouldnt have a problem finding it.
Also forgot to mention I plan on switching over to aragonite sand as my substrate for the 29g. I never got why people hated crushed coral and crushed shells until I went through over a year of cleaning it. That stuff sucks! all the sharp angles trap poo in lower current spots and all the detritus sinks all the way to the bottom of the large substrate pieces. This is one of the main reasons I'm so focused on high current, because in my tank if the current is too low, feces accumulate on the bottom... which really is unsightly. Hopefully sand substrate will allow me easier cleaing and not have to worry so much about current.

Thanks everyone for the help so far!

P.S. what's everyones take on sumps/refug for freshwater/brackish? I was looking at some online and they look great + add extra water volume without having a bigger tank.

[bertie 83]

If you can add volume and hide hideous equipment then that's a certified bonus. Finding something to grow in a light brackish fuge might be tricky tho.

[RTR]

A big +1 to bertie's comments above. I do it routinely. Finding light brackish adaptable plants is difficult, especially if you use Flourish Excel (I do) as it is toxic to the two best candidates (Anacharis and Vallisneria).

I have long suspected that we underestimate needed water volumes.

I also use reverse-flow UG filters (or plenums) routinely in my long-term tanks (most of my tanks). Rinsing internal mechanical sponge filters is much less work than vacuuming coarse substrates, and makes keeping the water quality up a good bit easier.

Many relatively novice hobbyists laugh at my "normal" set-ups, because they use so much equipment (i.e., $$$), but I am happy to trade money for less time and work per tank per week with the huge benefit that the fish live long, healthy lives and I am not their slave.

Everybody has to select the care level and equipment that is "right" for themselves as well as for their fish.