Commercial Display Tanks Filtration?

[t.Shaw]

Hey guys I picked up this 3 level commercial display aquarium from my LFS. Its three 70G tanks stacked ontop each other with built in overflow boxes. Each 70G is divided into three tanks too. Kinda like a breeder setup or something, youll see in the pictures. I got a pic of it and a diagram.

I have the bottom tank (all 3 sections) set up as a breeding tank for my two sets of paired Convict Cichlids, and a pair of breeding Mollies. Its overflow box whole has been plugged and I am just running a Hagen Cannister there.

The middle tank and the top tank are saltwater. They flow into one another via overflow and return pump.

My question is; What is the best way to filter this setup? Would it be just live rock, live sand, and a protien skimmer or is there a better way? I was thinking of making the middle section of the top tank into a "refugium" setup with plenty of macro algae growing and stuff. Would that work to keep the water clean without having to add electronic filters and such?

Let me know what your suggestions are. Thanks guys

[Mmiller40gt]

Freshwater? Or even just fish only a large wet dry should suffice

[t.Shaw]

Not freshwater.. The bottom is freshwater. I'm needing the two 70 gallons filtered (middle and top tanks) they overflow into eachother.

Each 70 gal is broke into 3 tanks. so some will be fish only others will have some corals.

[Mmiller40gt]

Then a large protein skimmer. Whatever u can afford that fits your sump

[TimeConsumer]

Live rock and live sand should be sufficient biological filtration. Can you fit a HOB protein skimmer on one of the tanks?

[t.Shaw]

Yeah, thats what I am going to do. Live rock, Live Sand, and Protien Skimmer. Just like a regular tank.