First SW reef

[Magnatron]

well as the thread title says im a noob and loving it hehe

anyhow i just bought a new tank to start my first SW reef, its an 85 gal 48x18x22T. its already been drilled for an overflow with a 1.25 inch and a 1 inch hole. and ive got my order for the acrylic to make a fuge in, going to make the model F from http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html.

my first question is lighting, my overall goal is to be able to keep a crocea clam and some sps, amongst other things but those two seem to need the most light from what ive read so far.

id like to go T5 and was looking at http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/prod...oducts_id=1447

is the 8 bulb going to be enough or maybe too much

or would 2 250w Mh be a better way to go, as far as the lifeforms go, im aware of the added heat and energy draw back, and the whole shimmer effect etc. my big concern is the quality of life for the animals in the tank.

also the return pump for my fuge, the guys down at the place where i bought the tank told me that this overflow and return will handle 1000 gph, so I figure why not get a 1000 gph pump and see, can anyone recommend a good pump or a maybe a brand known for quality.

well thats it for now...i think hehe im sure ill think of something else, right now im focusing on get the equipment right from the get go...do right or dont do it at all if you know what i mean hehe

anyhow thanks for reading

[demonsp]

Thats a great light. Would support all you listed and save you some money. But the MH is the best for growth and color of coral and color of stock.

I didnt see any powerheads listed. And get a test kit as regular testing is the key to early problems. Neve trust LFS for anything untill you are sure they are looking at your best intrest or there bottom dollar.

GL on the journey and enjoy. Go slow and easy with lots of reserach .

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/sta...opmistakes.htm

[Magnatron]

havent gotten quite to that part yet, going to finish the pluming for the return and some testing to see how many im going to need havent purchased any as of yet though, so im not sure what make or model i will be using.

and i was sure to pick up the r/o unit in the future i plan to add a d/i stage as well.

also i just found a nice looking pump, it an Oceanrunner 3500. anyone have any experiance with these pumps? are they quiet and are they a quality product?

[demonsp]

Look into a closed loop system as any submerged pump will create a small temp increase. Pump size also depends on distance from main tank and size of sump or fuge. This return is used for water exchange from main to sump or fuge. Not really for main tank water movement though it does help.

[Magnatron]

probly 3 foot of head on the pump tops, and i cant remeber the exact number but i think the fuge hold 48 gals and will operate with about 28 gals in it it measures 40x16x16...kinda big from what im told but what the hell it will fit hehe.

would i need more holes in the tank for a closed loop system, i havent read up on those so much yet, but really high amount of flow are not a major concern as im reading the clams dont really like high flow (not that i know for sure i am a noob) and the sps would be interesting but i dont have my heart totally set on it...the clam however is a must i saw one in a local lfs and now theres no stoping me hehe

[demonsp]

This might help.GL

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/sta...opmistakes.htm

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/ar....php/f-65.html

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/1/aafeature/view