[Quinn]

I have been researching my future reef setup for about a month now, and I feel I am near a complete understanding of the basics that I will need to be clear on before I can begin assembling my system. I would like to ask the boards input into some of the ideas that I have come up with. I have received many suggestions from many individuals, and am certainly open to more.

I plan to keep, in the long-term (after the tank is very well established), acropora and other stony corals, clownfish, anemones, tangs, perhaps a goby of some type, and perhaps also a small school of chromids. I also have no doubt that I will add a variety of other corals to the aquarium at some point in time.

I will either be using a 120 gal or 90 gal tank, with an in-tank overflow. It will contain live rock and an approx. 4" deep sand bed. An approx. 50 gal Rubbermaid-style sump will house a skimmer (brand and model not yet decided), and heaters (2). I would also like to use the sump as a refugium, and therefore I plan to place two smaller Rubbermaid containers into the main sump. Water would exit the tank into the largest container, and then flow throw slats into the two smaller containers. One would serve as a refugium with a DSB and some LR, the other would contain the pump intake to send water back up into the display tank. The sump itself would be located in the base of the stand, which I plan to DIY, and would have doors to keep the sump hidden. As such, I plan to place a short NO or VHO fixture inside the base of the stand, to provide lighting for the sump (possibly on an inverse on/off schedule to the main tank, to regulate pH). How do you folks feel about this concept, and do you think it would be just as easy just to use a glass aquarium rather than Rubbermaid containers?

Lighting will be in a DIY hood, and at this point in time will be either dual 400w MH or dual 250w MH. I am still unsure as to whether or not I plan to use supplementary actinic lighting, although I am leaning in that direction. I plan to check out ballasts and reflectors at local hydroponics shops, to keep costs down, how do you folks feel about this? I plan to use 6.5k bulbs to start, I am unsure at this point in time what brand I would prefer to use. If I buy a DIY kit rather than supplies from a hydroponics shops, I would probably go with a PFO 48" 400w dual 6.5k, dual NO setup, which is about $860 from JL Aquatics, before GST and shipping. I would also use a number of small fans for cooling (computer case style?).

I am interested to hear your opinions on all this. :?