Equipment Help, PLEASE HELP!!!

Hello,

Ive been doing some investigating in order to start my 72 gallon bowfront aquarium.*

But one can only look so many times because there are so many products out there.

I'm trying to start an aquarium with fish, sps coral, inverts, clams, etc. So I want to get the best stuff possible and I know many of you have gone through a lot of equipment so from your experience, so I don't make the mistake of buying crap, would like for you to enlighten me.

So far I'm thinking of getting the sea octopus size 6

Reef Octopus Needle/Pin Wheel Protein Skimmer

I'm also thinking of getting this lighting system

AquaticLife T5 HO 6-Lamp Light Fixture w/ Lunar LEDs

Please let me know what you think about these two items and if they are recommended for what I have and want. Or if you anything better please let me know

I'm also looking to buying the following items (if absolutely needed). I looking to getting more bang for my buck but I would pay for quality.

These are the things I'm looking to get and if you can steer me in the right direction with recommendations and the items you have used and work great, I'd greatly appreciate it. And if I really don't need anything please let me know.

Calcium reactor

Phosporate reactor

Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter

Co2 regulator

Chiller

Controller

Dosing pump

Auto top off

Heater

Refractometer

Ozonizer

Uv sterilizer

Powerhead (how many for a 72 bow?)

External pump

Ro/di system

Thermometer

Wavemakers

Power strips

Salt mix

Test kit

Tank bedding (crush coral, live sand?)

Live rock type?

What goes in the fuge?

Thank you so much any opinions or info is greatly appreciated.

 

looks like your set for some good water quality there, how deep is the tank?

 

i wouldnt get and auto topoff, snails crawil on the unit, which triggers them to start up and your tank will flood.

and for the powerheads....I would get at least 4 for a 72g, like maybe 4 koralia 6 should be enough....you could put 1 or 2 more but 4 should do...

Everything else looks great.

 

you could probably give the chiller a miss with just the t5's aswell

 

oh, and the fuge, you can put cheato algae, and snails, copepods,and jsut stuff to clean up.............

And i would go with live sand, but its your call, what ever looks better is your choice.

and you dont need a UV....they arent as great as alota people think they are.

and you dont need a chiller..

you dont need a wavemaker, but if you wanna spend money then go ahead..it makes the tank look cool.

 

I love that style of tank and you have made a good selection on the lights / skimmer. I do think there may be several items you do not need if you are willing to make weekly water changes that can save you a lot of money. It really is the key to success.

I would start with the basics: RO/DI, Chiller (if you are in hot area and cannot control temp), Auto top off (go with Tunze, amazing system), Heater x2 (backup), Refractometer, Powerhead x4, I would look at controller as opposed to wave maker (may have that functionality built in with other great features, may want to look into battery backup in conjunction with power strip to keep things running, salt, mostly crushed and a few cups of borrowed LS (it will turn all into live), Live rock is your preference just make sure you get 1.5 lbs per gallon if this will be your biological filtration, fuge is largely additional LR, LS and algae such as Mangroves or Chaeto to reduce nitrates/phosphates. A high quality test kit!

I would hold off on the following until you see a true need: Calcium / Phosphate Reactor, Co2, UV, Ozonizer.


Good luck!

 

If you get an ATO, I would recommend the Tunze unit; it uses a laser, so if something crawls on it or grows on it, it won't trigger and overfill the tank.

 

Do you have any other recommendations for other equipment but thanks for the powerheads.

 

Dimensions:

Aquarium: 48.5"L x 18"W x 23"H
Stand: 49"L x 19"W x 32"H

 

I personally avoid Ca reactors as IMO, there is too much to go wrong. I went the dosing pump route and am very happy as the worst thing that can happen is that the pump fails, so you the ca/mg/alk doesn't get dosed.

KEep in mind you don't have to buy everything at once, you can build it up over time. Unless of course your budget allows for it. In that case, have fun shopping!!