Hi gang, I've been toying with the idea of getting into a salt tank for a few years now and came across a good deal on a 90 gallon tank. I'll be picking it up in a few weeks. I want to do a reef and I'm trying to figure out all the equipment that I'll need to go with it. What I really need to know is what equipment is necessary and what is nice to have... Seems like everyone I talk to has a different list of things I should get to go with it and it's getting a little overwhelming.

I already know I need power heads for water flow, but I don't know how many
I know I need coral lighting if I want corals (and I do)

The items I'm unsure about are refugem (if that's how it's spelled), sump, bio balls, skimmer.

Can someone list the necessary things from the nice to haves?

Dry Rock, there are a few hitchhickers onLive Rock that people want to stay away from, so they opt for using Dry Rock, or Dead Rock. Macro Rock is a good place to start looking for that. Either way oyu go you will need a minimum of 1lb per gallon.

Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon (if you get a filter)

Multiple Powerheads (2 or 3) 10x your water volume for just a Fish Only With Live Rock, and at least 20x your water volume for a Reef Tank. So lets say your going reef, and you have a 100g tank, you would need flow in that tank at minimum of 2000gph, or 2 1000gph powerheads.

Protein Skimmer, rated at 2 times your water volume

Saltwater Test Kits. Reef Test Kit. Tets for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Phosphates, Calcium, ALK and Magnesium.

Saltwater fish food. Mysis Shrimp, Squid, Cyclopease, Algae Sheets, Romaine . Flake food is not really a good food to feed your marine fish.

Aquarium vacuum. This one is iffy. Most don't use one, if you have enough flow in the tank you won’t need one

Rubber kitchen gloves

Fish net

Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets

Aquarium thermometer, digital being the best.

Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock if you don't get Fully Cured Live Rock.

Power Strip, possibly GFCI outlets by the tank.

Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter for the make-up water, and a barrel for storing the water.

Possibly a Quarantine Tank for your new fish. They sit in here for a few weeks to kill off parasites and bacteria, to keep it from getting in your main tank

Heater rated for your size tank.

Saltwater Mix. Marine Salt

Saltwater Hydrometer or even better a Refractometer, which is more accurate

Aquarium filter (not absolutely necessary if running with adequate amounts of live rock, but nice to have if you need to use a mechanical filter or activated carbon, etc.)

Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed cora. Some go bare Bottom, others choose the 2-3" bottom, others, more advanced will try the Deep Sand Bed, which is over 6" deep.

Lighting would all be based off of what kind of lighting your looking at. I would recommend LED, but that costs a bunch, next for a Reef would be Metal Halides, then T-5 H-O.

A sump is good to have, but not a have to have.
Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums

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What's the benefit of running a 3 inch sand bed vs a 6? Can someone explain exactly what a sump refugium does?

I found this one on Craigslist, will it do for a 90 gallon? Wet Dry Filter/Sump/Refugium with light

That sump will do for a 90g. 3" preferably less, is easier to maintain, and you don't run the risk of a build up of toxic gas, as you do in the Deep Sand Beds.
What is a Sump and Do You Need One for a Saltwater Aquarium?
Ron Shimek's Website...Deep Sand Beds

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Thanks for the links and advice!