True or false?

I was originaly planning on setting up a 75-45 gal SW tank then got to the idea of going with 75-125. But i was a little discouraged when my lfs advised me that it would take at least a 12 bulb t5 fixture or an expensive mh fixture to light a 125. I was thinking I could get away with spending no more than 250-300 on lighting that would do more than enough. Was wondering how much truth there is to this.
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He also suggested that I should start with a biocube29. I might just do that. If I did would it be better to get the regular 2 t5 one or the 200 dollar more mh version that has no t5's

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Is this your first SW tank? are you going to do a reef tank or just FOWLR? the more water volume you have the less likely things will go wrong quickly... more water = more buffer to catch the problem.

 

This will be my first, my first and probably most limiting concearn is my budget. i simply cannot spend over 300 on lights, it would kill my budget. But I want a large tank, at least 75. I was hoping I could find a fixture that would do well in a 75-125 for 300 or less. I dont want to be limited to soft corals

 

It depends what you want to keep, but a 12 bulb T-5 is about right for a 6' long tank. The 4'long 75, you could do a 4-6 bulb T-5. If you buy it online, you could probably get a 4-6 bulb Current USA fixture for around $300. Your LFS is probably more expensive. You'll have to replace bulbs about every 9-12 months on a T-5 though. A MH, the bulbs should last longer. You'd probably need a minimum of 2x175W MH for a 75g, that would probably be more expensive, figuere 500-600ish.

A 40G breeder tank is nice to start with too, that could also easily do a 4-6 bulb T-5. I tend to prefer a 40 or 75 over the biocube for various reasons. For example, more water volume makes things a bit more table. Also, the biocube seems to be more prone to heat issues and such. However, either way is okay. I think if you have the room though, a 75 is a nice tank and not too deep, so, not too difficult to light. The 40 is similar, just a bit shorter, and not quite as tall.

Also, you can often find used equipment and save some money.

 

These:
Current USA Fluorescent Nova Extreme Fixtures
would fit your budget for the 75. If you really get into the hobby and get into SPS corals, you may need more, although you could keep some with this light near the top of the tank.

Better would be this, but it is a bit more.
Current USA Nova Extreme Pro T5HO 10k/460nm Actinics

The Current fixtures are probably some of the most budget friendly though, at least that are still good quality.

 

I wont be making a decision until i buy a home (about 2 months i estimate) so i really want to be happy with my decision. So i should probably stay along the lines of a 75 rather than a 125 then hmmm. The only reason i jumped to a 125 from my original idea of 75 is because i have seen them cheaper than 75 on my local craigslist ads. Also i know this is not the correct place but what other big ticket items am i looking into buying, I really think i will just start out with a couple of hob filters for mecanical filtration and for carbon, other than that the lights are what are worrying me the most. is it necisary to have a skimmer?

 

Just for your future knowledge, the least expensive item for your reef tank is usually the tank itself (assuming you buy used from CraigsList). Lighting is EXTREMELY important for a reef tank, and I would suggest not skimping here. M2434 listed some good budget friendly fixtures. You'll also need pumps/powerheads, skimmer (not needed, but highly recommended, especially for a first timer), reactors (again not needed, but good to have), salt, RO/DI water, rock, sand (unless you go bare bottom), plumbing parts, and the list keeps going. Make sure you do tons of research before you buy anything as this practice will help you not make too many purchase mistakes. Good luck to you, and feel free to ask as many questions here as you'd like.

 

An 8 bulb T5HO will be fine for the 125. Lighting and skimmer you do not want to skimp on. If you want SPS coral then you will need a skimmer. Live rock is you biological filtration. Buy about 70 lbs of dry rock and then get about 10 lbs of live rock to start your cycle. Look into Eshopps skimmers, they are economical and very effective. I suggest the PSK-150 to give you plenty of capacity for animals and to grow.

 

is this going to be a reef tank?