New Guy - Help Please

[AlaskanBear]

Not Sure how all this works;

I am in the process of building a Custom 180 Gallon Saltwater Tank. I am to the point that I am looking for lighting suggestions. I still consider myself a newbie, so I need to ask others with more experience.

My Tank is:

- 60 Inches Long
- 29 Inches High
- 24 inches wide

I have a Custom 50 Gallon Sump with Reef Octopus 202S(?) and a Reef Octopus VarioS8 with 2 7 inch Socks for filtration.

It is cycling now - bene so for about 12 days. I have:

- 120 lbs of Dry Sand
- 40 lbs of Live Sand
- approx 120 lbs of Dry Dock (reef Saver)
- approx 15 lbs of Live Rock at the moment

As I mentioned I am needing suggestions on lighting. This will be a mixed reef tank: with the following (eventually):

Livestock: (currently living in my 55 Gallon Tank)
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Pigmy Angelfish
2-3 Emerald Crabs
1 Cleaner Shrimp
3 Snails
1 Torch
1 Acan
5 Zoas

Want to Add:

Wrasse
Blond Nasso
Blue Hippo
Yellow Tang

Would also like to add more of CUC.

I am leaning toward the AI Hydra, partially because I want the full spectrum and wifi (+ I have 2 AI Primes already).

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[moondoggy4]

3 AI Hydra 26 HD's

3 Kessil 360's

1 ATI 6 x 54 T-5 with on 48" all blue Reef Brite LED

If you get Led 2 is always better than one 3 better than two, etc.

 

[meklo]

We have similar tanks. I have been really pleased with my reef octopus skimmer and varios return. They have both been really similar. I needed to go a little bigger on my sump (90gal) to accommodate the drain from the display.

I don't have any experience with LED so I can't really give input on that. If you're open to other options, I have been really pleased with the Cebu Sun so far. I dislike the ease of changing the bulbs, but I enjoy the way it looks.

Here is a link to my build thread if you want to take a look.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2651029

What part of Alaska are you in? I'm in Southeast.

 

[smoothmove]

All looks good, but would get 4 Kessil 360WE's. Better light pattern and more flexibility.