sump tank + vho lighting

[Masterplan75]

i hope i'm in the right area...

first question #1 is a sump tank necassary? i'm very new to saltwater aquariums... well any aquarium for that matter... basicallyi have a 50 gallon tank and want to make sure its set up properly.. if i have a 50 gallon tank how big should my sump tank be or does it matter??

second question #2 after reviewing the prices on lighting and almost having a heart attack =P but i know i need the lighting... so i'm going to be looking into retrofitting my own fixture. what wattage and kinds of light bulbs would i need in order to keep anemones alive in the near future...

please be nice =P i'm sensitive jk

thanks for all the help.

[melosu58]

#1 A sump would be a good idea because of the added water volume. A refugium would be better. It would help with nutrient export. Read these.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sumps, Part I by Greg Taylor - Reefkeeping.com
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sumps, Part II by Greg Taylor - Reefkeeping.com
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sumps, Part III by Greg Taylor - Reefkeeping.com

#2 For anenomes you would really do better with a high intensity light like a MH. Keep in mind though that anenomes need a mature tank of 6-9 months. It really needs to be stable. That where a sump would be beneficial as the larger the water volume the more stable it will be and more forgiving of problems and mistakes.

Welcome to the site and good luck.

Also moving this to General hardware and equipment discussion.

[Masterplan75]

thanks so much i had thought about adding a sump now that i know what it kinda does... my tank is fairly new about 6 weeks now and i wasnt planning on putting any anemones in for a while based on what you guys had recommended already. so i figured it would give me some time to get a sump set up and stablized and then save up money for the proper lighting such as MH.. thanks a ton for the info.