do i need a skimmer during the cycling process ?

i will be spending all my money to buy the biggest tank i can (180g) the filter is included and t5 lamps also , can i cycle my aquarium with LR and sand without a skimmer?
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technically yes, but you will want to get one sooner than later

 

I don't recommend running a skimmer during the cycle as using a skimmer while cycling your tank may extend the cycle a bit. You're actually trying to have ammonia and nitrite spikes in a cycling tank for the bacteria to feed off of and multiply.

Yes, you'll probably eventually want one, as a good skimmer does help, so put that on the "equipment list".

 

i will buy the skimmer before introducing any fish or corals to the system , do u think standard t5 lamps are good for soft corals or sps corals ?
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a decent T5 light would be good for softies for sure, if you get a 6 or 8 bulb fixture you could probably get away with some SPS towards the top. Be sure to replace the stock bulbs with some decent bulbs like ATI or something similar

someone please correct me if I'm mistaken here

 

tim asking a lot of questions but i don't want to be fooled by the local dealer i don't want to buy an expensive setup then replace with a more expensive one because sps won't grow in it , what type and size of skimmers do u think i should buy to support sps later. Thanks for helping

 

do you think that a 3 hours electricity cut off will affect the system if the temperature will not change during these 3 hours

 

you wanna try and get one that is rated for larger than your tank and for your size tank you're going to have to get one that goes in a sump, reef octopus makes a nice skimmer you could look at the XS-250, ASM G3 or G4 would be good too, Eshopps also makes a good skimmer

either way with the size tank that you have the skimmer is going to be pricey but worth it, like I said though remember to get one rated for bigger than your tank

 

my last question is that the aquarium is made in china but the glass looks really thick and well made, the tank with a stand , filter and t5 lamps costs 850 $ (used) do u think its expensive or not and does the brand of the tank is also important ?

 

That's hard to say...it depends on the stand, what filter, and which lamps (do you have brand/model names?).

I can tell you that you don't want a particle board stand...they eventually disintegrate. Plywood is better, and solid wood is best.

Is the "filter" a sump, a canister, or a HOB-style filter (again, make/model if possible).

The same with lamps...how many tubes, are they split onto separate power supplies? (make/model?)

As for the tank...I have to say that given the choice, I'd rather have a US made tank. My reasoning is the general lack of quality control in many Chinese goods. Often, the "main company" jobs assembly out to "mom & pop" operations that are often assembled in a garage with whatever mom & pop decide to use. Sometimes you get a nice one, sometimes the quality leaves a lot to be desired. You've seen the tank, so you'll have to go with your gut here.

If you can give us a bit more info on the rest of the setup, we can likely help you out regarding opinions on the pricing.