sump or HMF or both

Hi All
at the moment i have a 4 chamber filter tank behind my tank in general im happy with it. It doesn't need much cleaning, increases the total volume and keeps the tank perfectly clean.
With the new tank i would like to either do away with it all together and just use the Sponge method or put it underneath as a proper sump filter. The problem is who drills wholes in glass and any idears suggestions to the filter medium. At the mo i run 1st chamber wool, 2nd marbelships, 3rd filtersand 4th clear for pump and carbon etc if needed.
Any tips tricks suggestions NEW:idea::idea: ideas??

 

Marble chips and filter sand? Why marble chips? Doesn't the calcium content buffer the ph up?

Filter sand as in a DSB?

First - Filter floss/batting/Shade netting, possibly heater 1
Second and third - Peat/ceramic rings/Volcanic rock
Fourth - Pump return, possibly heater 1. Can also be a refugium

 

Hi Neilh
That was the idea of the marble to act as buffer.
The marble ships are what the industry tells you to take ceramic rings for, relatively porous and big surface.
I could or better should have the sand first and than the gravel but i did it so at the beginning God knows why, and never changed it
Why peat? have no problems with ph and water is as is already discoloured (Roots)
the ceramic rings idonow?? And yes tried to get volcanic rock.Any idea on the size sump for a 350L tank??

 

Forgot you are in Cape Town. Up here in JHB our water is alkaline, so need the peat for softening the water.

Sump size depends on the stand and what you keeping. The bigger the better. My new Discus breeder's sump is only slightly smaller than the display of 100X50X50 and my 6ft has a 4ft sump. So its really up to you