setting up 72 gallon bow front reef

[schenkel]

[hr]
I am planning on this set-up:
Tank and stand Bought
live rock w/ live sand
light load of fish, inverts, and corals. (anenome)
Overflow box to sump
Aqua-C urchin skimmer (In Sump) Bought
Emperor 400 filter (In Sump)
Refuge in sump
Return Pump Bought
2 x 200 watts heaters ( In Sump) Bought
The main questions is the lighting?
I am planning on a 48" 4 x 96 watts Power Compact or Metal Hy (What size)?
I would like to keep the glass top on the tank because of young mischievious children.
Can I get away with a 48" 4 x 65 watt power compact?
Your imput would be appreciated.
Am I forgetting any thing?

 

[littlebuck]

Originally Posted by schenkel

[hr]
I am planning on this set-up:
Tank and stand Bought
live rock w/ live sand
light load of fish, inverts, and corals. (anenome)
Overflow box to sump
Aqua-C urchin skimmer (In Sump) Bought
Emperor 400 filter (In Sump)
Refuge in sump
Return Pump Bought
2 x 200 watts heaters ( In Sump) Bought
The main questions is the lighting?
I am planning on a 48" 4 x 96 watts Power Compact or Metal Hy (What size)?
I would like to keep the glass top on the tank because of young mischievious children.
Can I get away with a 48" 4 x 65 watt power compact?
Your imput would be appreciated.
Am I forgetting any thing?

Well i have a 72 that i just set up mine is drilled so i dont have the overflow box, but i have a seprate sump and fuge. ALso you if you are planning on having a canopy then its going to be kinda hard since the tank itself is only 48 long. I would look at getting something else for lights, I would look at VHO or MH because i have. you can look at getting like 2-250 or 2-400 i my self i think im gonig to go with 3-250 but its all what you want to keep in your tank. Keeping that glass on the tank isnt a real good idea. since it will trap heat and will reduce the light going in to the tank (I think that anyways). Good luck.

 

[palmer]

I ended up building my own canopy for my bow tank, 50 gallon. I was hard to find the right size with the wattage. I've got 305 total watts and everything is doing well. I ripped into a pc lighting assemble and just rewired everything, with fans and a 175wat MH. It's a little louder because of the fans but I can deal with it.
www.project280z.com

 

[chazz66]

I have a 72 Bowfront with a 48"260w Orbit fixture with legs over the top and glass tops to keep the evaporation down. I have no trouble keeping zoos , shrooms, xenia

 

[tstaub3]

I have a 72 bow built my canope and hve 2 vho,2 and 2 175 halides with a radio shack fan on the side and I keep glass lid on , water evaporates way to fast but I do keep it half way open have shrooms, fungi,frogspawn,brains zoos ,ect no problems tanks 3yr old . :happyfish