Help with equipment

[Vux5]

Greetings,
I need help choosing equipment for my first marine aquarium. I bought some of the equipment in the previous months, so I need advice on what to do next.
1. Aquarium
100cm x 55cm x 55cm - 300l or 80gal
Sump 80cm x 40cm x 35cm
2. Light
I have one hydra 64hd. Will it be enough if I buy another one? Or maybe you have a better suggestion?
3. Skimmer
I bought a reef octopus regal 150 int and I'm afraid it will be too big for my aquarium. Should I exchange it for a smaller one or try this one anyway?

I still have equipment:
the return pump jebao dcp 5000
mantis roller mat 1200
kramoer ato system
2 jebao mlw 30
Jebao UV 36w
2 eheim jagger heaters 200w

A mixed reef tank is planned and the biggest headache for me is the lighting (not enough for now) and the skimmer (potentially too big). Please give me some advice and suggestions.

 

[Utubereefer]

Big skimmer isn’t a problem as long as it fits in your sump. I’d probably get another hydra if you are concerned about light coverage.

 

[Uncle99]

For a next step I would put your rock into a big brute bucket with some light flow and bacteria bottle.

That way it will fully ready to begin processing right away.

Two Hydra would be fantastic, the tank is only 39” so even the one you have would work.

The UV is usually not required unless you run into some algae’s in the water and then, only temporary until water clears. UV sterilizes both good and bad algae’s, it don’t know the difference and the good guys we want to keep and multiply.

It’s really hard to have to big of a skimmer unless space constrianed.

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I think your plan is solid, but I would add two pieces of gear including an Auto Top Off (ATO) system to automagically replace freshwater that evaporates, which goes a long way to keeping your salinity stable, which your future corals will greatly appreciate (plus, it's a pain topping off by hand all the time ). And, I'd add a heater controller to run your two heaters, and - importantly - to shut them off if/when they get stuck in the "on" position, which happens frequently in this hobby. There are others, but InkBird temp controllers are inexpensive, easy to find (look on eBay for brand new at great prices), and work reliably for most users.

As mentioned above, now is the time to consider what you want to use for rocks and sand. I personally like to use some to all real, wet live rock from a good local fish store (LFS) or if you have maricultured (from the ocean) live rock available to you. Using really live rock greatly minimizes the initial nitrogen cycle necessary in a brand new tank, and also brings with it many beneficial organisms both micro and macro, and goes a long way to helping you establish a healthy tank are quickly.

Another less expensive option is to use dry rock and sand, and as mention above this post, a great way to do that is to get it cycling as soon as possible. You can use your tank (it would be a good idea to put some cardboard over the glass to block light at this stage) or get a large reef-safe container like a Brute garbage pail. Add saltwater, a circ pump, a heater is helpful, and possibly some bottled nitrifying bacteria like Dr. Tim's One and Only and letting the whole thing "cook" for several weeks to a couple months or more. You can do this as you're still purchasing some of the gear you need for your tank in the long-term.

I hope that helps and good luck!!

 

[Vux5]

Thanks a lot for the answers. Few months ago a bought a 20 gal tank with a dry rocks and two small clowns as well as a fine sand. The sand will go to the bottom of a new aquarium and above them I will put a new sand with larger granulation so that water does not move it. The rocks will be in the sump because for display I plan nsa scape. I have a kramoer auto top of for now.

 

[Fish Fan]

Have you considered what you want to use for water? If you have tap water, most would advise buying a Reverse Osmosis with a DeIonization stage(s) to make purified tap water to use to make saltwater for your tank, and to replace evaporated freshwater. You can also buy water from a local fish shop, or you can also use distilled water, which can be found at supermarkets and pharmacies, etc. Using tap water for reef tanks is usually not a great idea, though it obviously depends on the quality of your tap water.