New Tank

[averyrm]

Hi all, I'm new to this hobby but have always wanted a saltwater tank. I got a 27gal hex (less than ideal, I know) for free and decided to dive in. I've been lurking and reading for about two months now and am about ready to start the tank.
I drilled the hex for an overflow to a 20 gal sump, then painted the back of it. All the plumbing, powerhead, heating, and lighting was tested in the garage for 3 days with no leaks or problems. I'm currently looking to build a stand/ end table for the tank so I can finish putting it up in the living room.
My plan is to have a shallow sand bed (~1") with about 35lbs of live rock. I'd like to have one false percula, two cardinals, and a fire shrimp plus cleanup crew if that's not too much bio load, I'm not sure.
I have a 40w Current USA PC fixture right now and will add a second before trying some low-light corals such as mushrooms or zoas, the size of the tank makes for a difficult lighting situation as it's 18" wide and 24" deep. MH would be the best bet, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on a tank I'm almost sure to outgrow.
I don't yet have a skimmer, I'd like to upgrade to a 72 gal bowfront in the future and would like to get the same skimmer for both if possible, any recommendations?
Basically posting to see if I forgot anything that you can see, and I'll post pics soon!

 

[ketill]

sounds like Fun. When you get your bow front are you planning on using the same sump/fug ? might be part of the decision making for what skimmer you get and how you set it up.
GL, and hope some other have more helpful post to come for ya.

 

[happyhourh]

Good luck with the new tank! Its a very slow but rewarding hobby.
With the lighting market as competitive as it is, why not spring for some t-5 rather than PCs. I wish I would have when I first started. They will be only a few dollars more than PCs at this point.

 

[lecithin]

looks good so far. For a skimmer I would look at Coralife and Remora, they both make great skimmers and have models in your range. There are other good companies as well but those two are some of the less expensive ones (that make good skimmers) with coralife being a little less pricey then remora. I use a Coralife and its great but the Remora gets great reviews as well.
That stock list should be fine, just add them 1 at a time and slowly (wait at least 2 weeks between fish, preferably more). The snails/shrimp can go in after your cycle completes.
As for lighting, do some research and ask a lot of questions, most corals and some inverts (like anemones) require pretty good lighting.

 

[averyrm]

I'm hoping to keep the same sump when I move to a bigger tank to reduce cost (and keep the wifey happy).
I didn't get T-5's because I couldn't find a set small enough, 24" was the smallest I found. The PC's seemed to get more light output in a smaller area, I could be wrong though.
I'm planning on only keeping things that don't require much light in the tank, and even then only at a later date. To start with it'll be FOWLR until it's quite established.
Thanks for the help!

 

[golgi aparatus]

Good luck and keep us updated with some images!!