150g tank setup, Im new and planning ahead, Help! please

Hello Everyone. I am an experienced freshwater hobbyist. I have a 150g cichlid setup. 6ftx18x27" that i am going to change to reef setup in a little while (months). I would like to start buying my equipment now. I started to read about the hobby. These are my questions.

Lighting? I read about the VHO, power compact, Metal Halid but...i still dont know what i need

what do i need as far as fixture and bulbs
do i have options?

I want to keep corals, and reef fish
(i do not know enough to tell you what kind of corals i want, but knowing me i will start easy and will definately want more rare corals as i go.)

I have 2 eheim 2215 and emperor 400.
2 300 watt heaters
2 koralia 4 power heads

do i need a sump? or is this enough filteration and circulation?

How much is enough live rock?
What is the difference between indo and fiji rock?

I need a proein skimmer, whats good for my size tank?

wow. If you got to here i love you. lol...If i missed anything please let me know.

Thanks to anyone who helps!

 

First, lighting. If you are going with a mixed reef than I think PC's are def. out. I would go with halides or T5's. Check out the fixtures on this site:marineandreef.com/ Reef Aquarium Supply (Aquarium Lighting, Coralife light, Aquarium Light, Power Compact, Compact Fluorescent, Metal Halide Lights, Aquarium Chillers, Aquarium Pumps, Coralife lighting, UV Sterilizer, Reef Aquarium, JBJ Nano Cube, pr

Second, filtration. I would def. go with an overflow sump. You can hide all of your equiptment, heater reactors ect... You can also add a fuge. With a reef you will def. need more circulation check these out: Hydor KORALIA 4 - 1200 gph - English You could use a few of those for good water movement.

Third, protein skimmer. This may well be your best purchase so make it a good one. ASM, Bubvle Magus, and Reef octopus are just a few good brands out there. For size, I would double your tank size. I have a 55g and a protein skimmer rated for 140g's plus.

Fourth, LR. A good rule of thum is 1 to 2 pounds per gallon. But, for me LR is all personal taste. Put in enough to get your rockscape the way you like it. Remember though, LR is another main source of filtration. Make sure to order extra also. You can throw the extra peices in your fuge.

Last, RO/DI water unit. You didn't mention it, but they are well worth the money.

 

Sory, forgot to welcome you to the site. Lots of great reefers on here. I have learned so much from this site. Keep us updated on your progress and TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES!

 

Welcome....

I'd go with both MH & T5 combo. Don't forget your sand. Whether deep sand bed (DSB), Medium (MSB), shallow(SSB) go with dry aragonite sand. The "live" sand is bunk.
Look at Spectapure RO/DI, on sale now for 3reefers.
Bulk Reef Supply "Pukani" rock "ROCKS"!!! 8)
The more porous the better.

 

Welcome to the hobby!

I think you would be fine with 6 5ft T5 bulbs (assuming the tank is 18" deep and 27" tall) for a mixed reef.
3 of these if you have a canopy: http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...put_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_AquaIllumination

You will have 6" of space on both ends of the tank but most people don't heavily stock the ends anyway. Otherwise some MH would be fine too, I just don't have any suggestions about those.

I wouldn't ever set out to do a reef without a sump, personally, it will hide all your equipment and make things much easier for you in the long run.
Here's some more info about sumps.
Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums
I would not use any power/canister/biowheel filters, your live rock and skimmer will handle it all. Along with potentially a carbon/phosphate reactor.

The difference between the rocks is just the shapes and the density, take a look around you'll find some you like. Here's a good source for pretty cheap dry rock. I would recommend using mostly dry rock and then getting a couple pieces of "live" rock to seed the rest with. It will save you a lot of money. I would probably buy 150-200lbs to start I think.
BRS Dry Rock for Aquariums - English

Here's a skimmer that's a good balance of performance vs cost. Always oversize your skimmer.
Octopus Extreme 250 Protein Skimmer - English

For flow in the tank I would recommend at least 30x the display volume (so 4500gph for 30x). If you want to keep more difficult coral eventually like SPS I would get some controllable powerheads like Tunzes or Vortechs that you can turn down when you begin and crank up the power once you get to the SPS that require more like at least 50x (7500gph) for flow. These are just general guidelines too btw.

Most of all patience and research will be your best friends in this endeavor. I would recommend researching every piece of equipment you plan to get and the alternatives to have the least amount of problems in the long run. Do it once and do it right even if it takes longer.