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

Why don't I ever get these sweet deals?

Research on the Herbie Overflow for an absolutely quiet system, If I had a reef ready tank, that's what I would do. For the light, you may want to follow somebody else's advice. The only thing I can recommend about lighting, is to make sure that whatever you go with, it has independent light switches for daylight and actinic as well as programmable dawn/dusk effect. With that budget for light you should have no problems finding something super decent. As far as skimmers go, always go a little bigger than recommended for your tank size.

I also have a 30 gallon sump. Make sure the 30 gallon tank you get is a 30 long and not a 30 tall (if they exist) there are also 30 breeders that are a little deeper, but it all depends on the space you have to work with inside your tank.
If you're interested, I have a thread on the design, which is, after a loooong time thinking and changing the different designs, one of the most effective ones: Refugium --> Skimmer --> Bubble trap --> return.

Oh!! Make sure your skimmer's foot print isn't ridiculously huge. That takes a lot of room in my sump, but still have sump for a tank 4 times bigger than mine. It's a very good thing.

Good luck, and congrats on the sweet deal. All the equipment and the tank with stand and all.... wow... what a steal!!!

- Mag.

 

Hahaha. Yeah maybe later on I'll go big but for now I don't have the space in my living room to go any bigger without the family having a fit. Besides this is my first salt water aquarium, I want to take it slow and do my research so I could get aquainted to the hobby. For now what I really need is recommendations on light fixtures and skimmers for my bow.

 

Thanks Magnus ;D

 

That just earned you some good Karma!

As for lights I am a firm believer in T5s but know that MH will grow out SPS better. If you can fit a 6 bulb T5 over the tank, I would go that route.

 

I was looking at this lighting setup.... what do you think?

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

I was also looking at the reef octopus skimmers, whats the verdict on these PS? And with the various lines that they have which is the better one amongst 3reef for a 72 gallon?

 

HAHAHAHAHA you where reading my mind as I typed. And thank you:biggrinbo

 

I am an advocate of Aquatic Life lights.. I have their 4 bulb and will be adding another 2 here shortly. The are a great product and will grow anything you put under them, no matter what people say. I have been growing SPS for months under them without a hitch.

I also have a Octopus skimmer and I love it. Reef Octopus Needle/Pin Wheel Protein Skimmer

 

COOL!!! Thanks, but what size should be suitable for a 72 gallon???

 

I think the 100 will do you well.. It is working great so far for my 75 with 30 sump.. Its small enough to fit in my sump which I was worried about. It pulls out some nasty dark skimmate and has only been online a week.

 

Thanks Bama. I guess I'll be getting the lights and skimmer tomorrow after I measure how tall my stand is but I'm pretty sure I'll be alright. Measure for the lights too. I'm going to build my sump around the footing of the reef octo skimmer so I'll wait for that to arrive before I start. But I'm planning on getting the size 6 (150 gallon) skimmer. For 30 bucks why not.