Advice on my 80G Reef plan!! Long thread beware lol

Ok so i'm still pondering different ideas and doing more research about my plan but I wanted to throw some ideas out and see what you guys think. I take all your advice very seriously, you guys have all been a great help. Anyway, ok so here it goes:
80Gallon Bowfront Glass Tank (preferrably pre-drilled for sump)

Sump- I was thinking 30G would be a good fit for the stand, any thoughts? Also would custom made or store bought sump be a better idea? Also size for Fuge?

Skimmer - Still thinking about ideas im looking for the best bang for the buck. I don't mind spending the right money for one that will work great, but it would be nice if you guys knew a good moderately priced one. Any thoughts?

RO/DI unit - Would it be more cost effective to buy one or just buy it by the gallon from my LFS?

Chiller - Necessary for the size tank?

Fuge - Whats the best stuff to fill it with? Sand? Mud? Live plants? Live rock?

Live sand - Any good brands or ones to stay away from?

Live Rock - So I'm thinking a combo of base rock and tukani live rock. Whats a good % for the two. I'll probably do 100-110lbs worth.

Heater - I was thinking a theo hydor 300+ watt? Need more watts? better brands to go with?

Powerheads - I like the rio's and have seen alot of people using them. What model is best?

Lighting - MH? T5? Lots of options i know alot depends on corals so I will list what i'm interested in below:
-Zoas (love them, how many is too many lol?)
-Pulsating Xenia
-Brain Coral, Mushroom coral, Frog spawn
(any others that are really cool?)

I will also post a thread in Trop fish section with my livestock options if you guys are interested!

I know there is a lot of stuff here, I figured i'd put it all on one thread and give it a few weeks to throw some ideas out there. I really appreciate any and all input, ideas, opinions, and constructive criticism. Thanks alot guys expect good karma from me lol

Thanks

-Ben

 

Can't answer a lot of what you are asking but I found out first hand that the MH Make a Huge Difference in a tank(Green Star Polyps wanted the lighting upgrade from T8s >.< so I had gotten the best so I did not have to upgrade again. But T5 H/O Work great as well. Depending on if you want more Stony corals I beleive go with the MH.

 

a 30 gallon tank would make a good sump/fuge combo. Only problem might be getting all of the equipment in there you want in there. Skimmer, heater or two, return pump, etc...

I filled my fuge with 6 inches of sand both times I've set one up.

I don't really know about a decent priced skimmer for an 80 gallon. I will say get the absolute best skimmer you can afford. Even if it hurts a little bit at first. A good skimmer will allow you some breathing room on feeding and it will keep your water cleaner.

Invest in an RO/DI unit when you can. It's cheaper and if you ever need water in a hurry you can make your own.

Live sand is an area of debate. It just depends on what size you want and what color. The Fiji pink is a good middle of the road (it's not pink by the way ;D) You can use 95% base sand and seed it with a cup of live sand.

You can use all base rock and seed it with live sand if you wish. The only thing you would need to do is get some coraline algae from a friend and crush it up in your tank to get that started. This method not only saves you a ton of money, it's safer from a hitchhiker standpoint.

Whether or not you will need a chiller is more dependant on your lighting than the tank size. MH's tend to generate some heat but they allow you to keep just about any kind of coral. Clams, acropora, anything light demanding. T5's run cooler but there aren't quite as intense.

Finex heater's are nice becasue they come with a seperate temp probe and controller. That way you are measuring the temp of the water in the tank instead of right beside the heater. More accurate in my opinion.

Hope this helps buddy. Good luck and keep us updated!!!