Should I Buy This Light And Skimmer?

[kraken]

should i buy this light and skimmer to start my reef tank?im not sure what the brand is for the skimmer but the light is a current.shes asking $175 for the light, skimmer, tank(dont really need the tank)and powerhead.she actually said she ran a reef system with just the skimmer,no filter,is that possible??

[Samper]

The skimmer is an Aqua C Remora with a MJ 1200 feed pump. These are good skimmers but I would upgrade the feed pump to a mag and get the overflow box to fit it. Get some plastic hose clamps for the feed pump tube. You will need to clean all this up really good for it to function like it should. A vinegar and water solution soak with a good scrub down should do the trick.

The light is a power compact. The bulbs are expensive to replace and really limit your choices in livestock. Depending on how old the bulbs are this may or may not be a good purchase for you.

If you can get the skimmer for a good price definately get it.

[kraken]

what livestock will i be limited to?and how often should i change the bulbs for optimal performance?

[Samper]

Mostly softies but there are some lps and sps that can live under them. I honestly would recommend that you shy away from them and look at T5 lighting. If you want to use these anyway you will be ok just research the requirements of the inhabitants before making any purchases. I would change out all the bulbs out after 10-12 months but not all at once.

[kraken]

i plan to get my corals from liveaquaria.com will they tell me if any lps or sps will be good with my lighting?what catogary does my lighting fit under?crappy,kinda crappy,pretty good crappy,getting better crappy,its ok but...still crappy,its not reeeelly crappy,for a thousand dollars more,you wont have anything crappy,,lol...what?

[Samper]

Liveaquaria has been extremely reliable for me in the past with both customer service and livestock.

On the site they list general guidelines such as "high intensity" for lighting requirements, "moderate" for flow etc. Most distributors will do this but their idea of moderate and mine might be two different things. When you become interested in any of the corals snoop around a little bit into the literature and other hobbiests thoughts. Some might not always agree with the companies recommendation.

I'm not going to say that these lights are crappy. Start looking at their mushrooms and polyps. These corals are very appropriate for beginners, can be absolutely beautiful and do well under power compacts.

You can always upgrade lighting later if you want to but if you already know that you want to I'd think about other options.