New Setup - Help anyone?

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[albertolindesign]

Hi everyone! Well...Im starting a new tank, and Ive come to the one place I know that has answers. I have a 120 gallon freshwater tank, and not only did this forum help me on it, but it helped me realize that pet stores are staffed with people that dont know what they are doing, and that most supplies sold are at a gross overprice.

You can imagine the sticker shock I got when trying to start a saltwater aquarium! It is in this frame of mind that I come to you, the far more savvy than I, for your opinions. I have researched and found that thus is a good setup for a beginner 120 gallon tank:

1 - Protein Skimmer
2 - refugium
3 - return pump
4 - coral grade lights
5 - crushed coral substrait
6 - side hang prefilter box (connected to the refugium)

Does this sound right? I had thought that a wet/dry sump with biofiltration would be the best, but my research online keeps pointing at a refugium. To make things clear, I have a really busy schedule, so I actualy keep my tanks pretty sparse of fish, with a lot of overfiltration. I find this keeps my water changes at a minimum,and can go a few months without making the normal 40-50% water changes.

The last question are the lights. These are easily the most expensive. Ive been told that I dont need the 200$ (I need 2) lights if I dont plan on getting coral. That with just fish, I could run lower wattage cheaper lights. I was planning on starting coral later on when I got the hang of saltwater, so in a crazy sort of way, being able to save money on the lights now would be godsend...though I have a feeling that insufficient light would affect the fish.

Any and all help is much appreciated!

[Tangster]

Why limit your filtration ? I'd have the wet.dry and a refugium.. How long is the tank ? and what are your plans for livestock ? The skimmer can wait several months as can the lights you need to cycle the tank first.. I may net be the one you'd want to ask how I cycle a tank (: Its takes me 3 months.. Some others use methods that allow you to get it stocked in a few weeks ..

[Crimson Ghost]

I agree with Roger, your thoughts on a hang-on filter box is probably from your freshwater days  :-)  Look into a refugium with a wet/dry.

I presonally don't do water changes at all, too much work and just not needed if you set up your system correctly - and quite frankly if you build your system with a refugium there will be no need for water changes.  Come to think of it (not sure what my cohorts here are going to think of this) but.....I'd save the money and skip the skimmer - its really not needed with a refugium.  After 2 months of my refugium running my skimmer stopped collecting all together, now I don't run it and my tank is beautiful.

What kind of tank will this (eventually) be?  Right now it sounds like fish only as you are looking to save some bucks on lighting.  But put some thought into what you eventually want to do, for example - if you go PC right now and down the road you want MH and VHO you are going to be dumping your PC's into your DB.  So in this case I'd say go VHO now so in the future you just have to add onto it without wasting any money.

Oh, and your list is missing a good (don't skimp here !)  RO/DI unit !