New 72 gallon Bow Front

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cooltop

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Oct 24, 2008
Messages
228
Location
Louisiana
You'll get alot of helpful info on this site. Welcome!

I have the same tank as you. I would highly suggest that you research various brands of skimmers. I also started out with the exact same skimmer and couldn't wait to get a different one.....and when I got that different one what a HUGE difference it made!

Also, fwiw I would go with a good t5ho lighting system. I started out with a cf fixture and in a few months I wished I had researched the lighting.....I would have saved money in the long run getting the t5ho lighting.

Good luck!
 
I second msbeanctr skimmer advice. The skimmer you have picked out is a piece of garbage. Do a search on this forum for protein skimmer in general hardware or something and you will find a dozen threads talking about good brands of skimmers

I find that prepacked sumps like that are marked up at a premium price. You will probably save a lot of money and be much happier in the end if you do a little research and make it into a DIY project. It really isn't that hard.

The lights you need for your tank will depend on what kind of corals/anemone/clams you want to keep in your tank. anemone/clams/SPS corals will need much more light then most softies and LPS corals in general. Give us an idea of what you want to keep and people will be able to help you better with what kind of lights to get.
 
Welcome to AA!

I'm currently in the process of setting up a 72 gallon bow Reef tank myself right now as well. Here's my thread, it may offer you some ideas or at least show you the route I've taken (good or bad - lol).
 
I really dont know know what kind of corals i want to have I am new to the SaltWater world really dont think I am going to get any clams but the lights I was looking at are the Nova Extreme 4x54watt 48" fixture
 
I started out with the very same tank. In fact Nelian has it now and is working on setting it up. Check out his thread it has a lot of good information and some great pics of how he is putting things together.

I did a quick search and found the thread about the tank when I had it. It is mostly pics but you can get an idea of what a 72 Bow as a reef would look like

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f71/ziggy953s-72-bow-99696.html
 
I agree with the Nova extreme PRO. I have had both and the PRO is far better. It has rounded reflectors, two fans and sturdy legs, unlike the extreme. Save your money for the PRO. I like finnex titanium heaters, hydor koralia phs. Check ebay for the lighting system. I just got mine for $350 shipped.
 
Welcome I second the advice of not going cheap on the skimmer or lighting at first becuase you will regret it later. I went with a CF light fixture and I look at the MH or T5 fixtures often and dream up how I can come up with a way to spend the cash on replacing my fixture.
 
I would love to do my own sump but do not even think I could begin to make my own without actually ever seeing one up close. I really do not understand how the dividers work.
 
This guy has all the answers to your sump/fuge questions. Including how the dividers (baffles he calls them) work and what they do. He shows how you can make your own sump out of a tank (easier) or even a custom one of acrylic if you wanna get fancy. Great site to bookmark. has tons of other good info for someone starting up a tank.
 
Hi and welcome to AA.

This is a very very good forum for advice.

I have those exact same lights for my tank (75g).
 
Okey then I will go with the

Octopus NW-150 Skimmer and the 48 inch Current USA 6x54W Nova Extreme Pro T5HO

and will decide on the sump to make or not.

Also what powerheads and how many will I need I was going to get atleast 2 I know
 
I've had good luck with my 2 hydor koralia 3's.....they move the water well without shooting things around too much.

Oh! and I forgot to mention that if you're getting a cabinet that has the rounded front (like the tank)....and you decide to use a 20 gallon tank as a sump.....get the 20 gallon tank in the cabinet BEFORE you put your tank on the stand. I changed out my sump (thanks again Fijiwigi woot!!) and had to empty 3/4 of the tank so I could move it to get the 20 gallon sump out....yuk! that was a chore.

And lastly, make sure the sump you use has enough room for the skimmer along with the other misc items you'll want to use in it.

Exciting....can't wait to see some pictures!
 
okay the place I was trying to order from was out of Octopus NW 150 Skimmers and wants to sell me the 200 for 5% off. Will this be an overkill for my tank and stand?
 
I'll go out on a limb here......I would go with the 200. I have the Octopus 150 on my 40 gallon reef tank and it works well. Down the road you'll appreciate having the 200. Make sure you get the measurements on the skimmer so you can verify that it will fit in your particular situation.

Good luck!
 
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