I have never owned a quiet one, but I have heard they are not so quiet. You can't go wrong with sequence pumps. With only a 3 foot head, I would maybe go with a sequence dart for the return, and the same for the CL. Sequence pumps also like a little back pressure on them, so if you had too much flow (is there such a thing?
) you could always throttle them back a little. What kind of skimmer and lights are you going to run? Looks like its going to be a sweet setup. When I was setting up my 125g with a basement sump, I got frustrated a few times, and was wondering if it was all worth it...... It was.. Take your time, and when frustration arises, walk away from it for a bit.. I hurried some stuff, and regret it now, but still love the tank. I would use the CL drains in leu of plugging them up. Make sure you use shut off valves everywhere though. They come in handy in an emergency.. Oh yeah, the Lowes union ball valves are JUNK. I had to take my CL plumbing back apart due to a leak, and the valve leaked.. A LOT! I ended up having to drain my tank down past the CL intakes to be able to do the repair I needed to do. The red handle NON union ball valves are the way to go in my book. I used them for everything in the basement. They seal well when closed. I have had no issues with them. If you fear the bottom of the tank CL intakes, you can plug them, and drill some higher up on the back of the tank. Mine are about 12" up on the back wall. Good luck! Can't wait to see water in it.
Jason