Judge My First Tank Setup

[ecas12]

Hey All,

I am about to get into the hobby for the first time and I would like some feedback on the equipment I am going to purchase. Here are the major pieces of equipment I am considering getting:

(1) Tank: Red Sea Reefer G2 350
(2) Return Pump: Sicce Syncra Silent 3.5
(3) Powerhead: EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40 x2
(4) Heater: Cobalt Aquatics Electronic Neo-Therm Pro Submersible Aquarium Heater
(5) RODI: LiquaGen New Super Flow Reverse Osmosis and Deionization RO/DI Water Filter System
(6) Lighting: AI Prime 16 HD x2
(7) Skimmer: Red Sea Reefer Skimmer 300

I am also considering adding some sort of ceramic media and the red sea filter sock as additional filtration. For clarification, I want to start off with a FOWLR tank and potentially move into coral later on, hence the lighting choice.

Some questions to start:

(a) Do I have enough filtration to start? I would like to eventually incorporate a refugium into the tank as well but am unsure if that is a good idea for a new tank.
(b) Is my return pump strong enough? I have done some research and haven't come to a clear understanding about what the ideal GPH should be.
(c) Do I have enough lighting? This is mostly for when I reach the point where I want to include corals, where I will start with some sort of combination of beginner corals.
(d) Do I have enough flow? I know this is partially dependent on the type of corals I will choose to keep, but are the MP40s powerful enough for a 72 gallon tank?
(e) I live in Southern California where it can get pretty hot and my AC is not the best, should I consider a chiller to keep my water temperature in check, and if I do need one, can I pair it with the heater and a temperature controller? Or is some sort of fan above the tank sufficient?

In terms of my budget, I don't mind spending more than I currently have estimated, which is about ~$5000 for everything, without livestock.

 

[Jekyl]

Seems fine. Lights aren't needed at all until you get coral. If you want to get into SPS you can always add LED strips or a T5 combo to the Ai primes. Heaters I recommend 3. 2 in the tank and one for water changes / backup. I will also strongly recommend a heater controller. I will never have a tank without one. If getting a chiller, inkbird makes a controller that does heat and cool. Also will need an additional cheap powerhead for mixing salt, and a brute can.

 

[ScubaFish802]

You could probably go a size or two up on the return pump if you wanted. I have to 4.0 on the 250 G2. The rest sounds fine to me