$2000 and a 300 gallon, help me out!

[BlennyBabe]

At my school we have a 300 gallon tank with a 100 gal sump that has been running as a temperate system. the school wants to convert it to tropical. I talked with the prof in charge and he told me that we have $2000 to start and probably another $2000 in a few months. I am so excited! anyway, the proff is just getting started in this hobby and he needs someone with some experience, so i think hell be asking me for a lot of help. I went and saw his tank in his office and gave him some pointers... any way, how would you guys best outfit this tank. we are thinking a mixed sps lps main tank, with a propigation tank and a viewable refugium. The tank is acrylic and the top of the canopy is about 2 feet awaty from the waters surface. There are 2 175 watt mh already installed. Here is what I figgure well need to get started.

4-5 400 watt mh (8 ft tank) + bulbs (suggestions?)
some vho or t5s for actinic

some seaswirls or something else for water movement
a good pump for a closed loop system, pvc, spraybar
perhaps a surge device

lots of live rock. Probably around 350-400 lbs
small sand bed, 1 inch or so (no dsb)

RO/DI unit

calcium reactor

maybe a good skimmer (i dont know whats on the tank already)

Is there anything else I am forgetting? Livestock and corals will be added much later.

[BlennyBabe]

If anyone knows of somewhere to get the best deal on some of this equipment or can give me a breakdown in price, i would be very grateful.

[Nagel]

4-5 400w MH is gonna be HOT. On my 300 (8ft long as well) I have 3 x 400w located at 2', 4' and 6'. I also have 2 IC660's, one driving all 50/50's and the other driving all actinics. PLENTY of light w/o as much heat.

For my skimmer I use the Turboflotor 5000 Single and the ca reactor is a MyReefCreations CR-2. Note, I still need a chiller on this system, but it shares a sump with a 75g that has 2 x 400w MH.

HTH

[BlennyBabe]

thanks. there is a chiller that lowers the temp by 20 degrees for the temperate creatures. so that is covered. I think they have a turboflotor 1000 on the tank too.