Help with buget filter for 125g tank

[base13]

I just bought a 125 gallon tank and need to add a filter system and need some help. Here is my situation: I have about $250 to spend on the
filter(s). The tank is a glass drilled tank with 2 built-in overflow boxes. I have 160 pound of live rock and 4 inches of sand. I really don't care if I can't add corals for awhile and the fish I'm going to add to the tank (5 fish currently in a 29 gallon biocube) should have a small bio load. The options I'm considering are getting two cheap canister filters or trying to set-up a sump. The problem I have is I'm not going to build a sump (sorry, just isn't going to happen) and since I have two drilled overflows I would need a sump with two intake and most of them are over my budget. I’m begging for ideas...Please help

 

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

buy a 40-50 gallon tank for the sump and a pump to push the water flow you want

use a 5 gallon bucket or some office divider shelve at walmart and make your own wet/dry filter

you can combine them into one or make one for each overflow.

pipe the system with PVC (very easy and cheap to do!!)

I spent $100 on the one i made for my 75 gallon

that or build algae scrubbers in the sump. very effective and no need for skimmers from what i'm reading all over the web

 

[jawbreaker1222]

Agreed i did the above for my 125 gallon i have a fluval 404 as my main filter but with the stock i have it wasn't nearly enough. I made a diy HOB overflow (didd not want to drill my tank)and made a 5 gallon bucket wet dry filter and stuck it all inside a 30 gallon tote I also moved the heaters into the tote out of the main tank. And put a 400gph pump in their to circulate the water from the sump back into the tank. Adds Great aeration to the water and dose a excellent job filtering. All for around $100. Ran it as the only filter for about 3 weeks when the fluval broke water stayed crystal clear and my water perimeters were ok. I Would feel comfortable using it as a main filter. And you will have $150 left over for something you cant make yourself

 

[melosu58]

For that size tank really all you need is LR and a skimmer and a couple of PH`s to push the water around. Good biological filtration from the LR and good mechanical filtration with the skimmer. That`s all I had for yrs before I got the skimmer.