Friend selling me an aquarium for $450 with all this, what you think?

When taken care of properly, a wet/dry is just as good as a sump. Lazy people have increased nitrates.

 

Not necessarily true, although it depends on what you are using them for. The sump provides the following additional advantages:
1) Increased water volume (to further dilute contaminants and increase the total # fish you can safely house in your system)
2) Provide room to hide your skimmer, heater, and other equipment so it does not have to be in the DT or hanging off the tank
3) provide room for a refugium to provide additional filtration
4) Provide room for additional liverock or sand that can effectively provide biological filtration (and also eliminate nitrates through anaerobic areas, unlike a wet-dry)

The only thing that a wet-dry does for you is provide more bacteria for elimination of ammonia and nitrites, which shouldn't be a problem anyway if you use enough liverock. It also contributes to the oxygenation of the water in a positive way.

For all the above reasons, I recommend a sump over your wet-dry.

 

I would change the lighting (if you want more light sensitive corals) when you have the extra money, and go from there.

 

1) Does a wet/dry hold air? Last time I checked it holds water. Therefor, your water volume will increase.
2) You can easily hide a skimmer in and on the side of a wet/dry.
3) a refugium is not a must have thing...
4) you can easily add rubble to a wet/dry.

What is the point of adding rock to your sump if you already have rock in your tank. Your last comment contradicts #4. \

I hid my skimmer, 15lbs of LR rubble, and added about 13 gallons to my water volume with a wet/dry. You can easily add a fuge to a wet dry if you really wanted to.

 

The concern I have with a wet/dry is that it can catch a bunch of detritus and become a nitrate factory as the chunks break down. But it seems like a filter sock would easily fix this issue.

Is there any reason the bioballs can't be pulled from the wet/dry and replaced with fuge type stuff if that is what is desired?

 

I don't see why not..

 

IMO, a sump requires less maintenance then a wet dry. The additional benefit of a sump is that it is much more easily customizable then a wet/dry, mainly due to the ability to easily make one.

 

So I ended up buying the 72 bow front setup and now the journey begins

Since I'm fairly new to this I'm taking it reallllllyyyyy sslllooowwww. lol.

Im first starting by building a 30 g. sump w/ a fuge.

I want to get as much equipment upgraded as I can and need before I even put water into the tank. I want to not only add fish but my dream is to add much more then that. (SPS corals, inverts, clams, anemones...)

My budget is around $4000

You're telling me that with a few upgrades I'll be on my way. I've been looking at skimmers and lighting systems that I would be able to put on this tank.

Can people please share their knowledge and recommend skimmers (better then the coralife 125 skimmer that i have) that can be placed inside and outside the sump for a dt of 72 g. I've done research on AquaC, Reef Octopus, SWC, Coralife, Marineland, Asm, and more but cant find the right one that I want because they all sound awesome. And many have verious different lines of skimmers. I just want feed back on the users that use them. Please let me know about the good and the bad ones you've used. Price range being around $300 to $500.

For the lighting Im willing to spend up to $1500 if extremely necessary. I know its one of the most important things for starting a marine aquarium. I found that t5 and mh are recommended as the best lighting possible. If anyone could give me recommendations on which way to go, either t5 or mh or if there is something else im over looking, please let me know. I also would need the top that would hold the bulbs on a 72 g. bow front. The top that came with the tank is 48 inches. I also would like what kind of bulbs to buy (wattage, color, daylight, moonlight)???

And if you can see any further upgrades for this setup please let me know. All your opinions are welcome and helpful. Once I can get started I know i'll be hooked.

Thank you all.:

 

Yikes, a $1500 budget on lighting! That's enough lighting to make the sun brighter!

 

If you have a $4000 budget on this tank, go big! If I had that to spend right now and was starting a new tank. I would get a 2x 250w MH lights with actinic T5 supplements. A JBJ chiller thats rated for the size. A calcium reactor with the CO2 system. I nice recirculating external skimmer, the reef octopus is around $200. I would get at least one MP40, two if budget still allowed. Build a nice sump, probably a 30 gallon tank. And the rest would be saved for corals and fish.