Getting a 125gal soon, how should I do this?

Well the time has come, and by the end of June I will finally have my dream tank. 125 gallons of blissful reef! Currently, as seen in my sig, I have a 46gal bowfront. Here are my plans:

I will be going all out. I plan on using an overflow, and will try to get a tank with the 2 built in overflows, I know you guys know exactly what I'm talking about. If I can't find one of those at a decent price, I will just get a HOB overflow. I will be getting a 72inch MH fixture, much like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/JEBO-NEW-72-INC...ryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
and will hang it above the tank, which unfortunately will not afford me the nice look that a canopy would bring...oh well. Now for some questions....

I've never used a sump, and barely ever even looked into one, so I am still learning about them. I have a good grasp on how they work, but am not familiar with what size I might need. Why do the 125gal tanks have 2 built in over flows? Should I therefore have 2 sumps? Or do both overflows go to one big sump? How big? Bioballs or rubble? What brand and rating return pump do you recommend? I want a refugium in the sump, too, for macroalgae and such. Any tips on that? Like a good sump you know of that has one? Or a link to a relatively easy DIY sump/fuge?

Also, I am debating on whether to keep my 46, or move its contents into the 125. How would this affect the cycle? Would it speed it up? Or would it not matter at all, and I would need to just bear with it and complete a brand new cycle anyways? I ask this because when I went from my 29 gallon to my 46, I simply moved the LR from the 29 into the 46, added live sand (actually the other way around, but you get the picture), and took my bio-wheel from my Eclipse 3 Hood and cut the paper and fitted it onto the 2 new biowheels on my Penguin Power Filter. In doing that, I experienced no cycle period. Would I be able to do the same on the 125, and simply hang my Penguin Filter on the back until the bioballs or rubble in the sump attained its necessary bacteria? I think I'm about to answer my own question here, but I will obviously been needing about 3 times the LR I have now, and with such a huge bio-load addition, a new cycle is inevitable. So I should probably just leave the 46 and start the 125 anew...do you agree?

And on the lighting, would something like that fixture I gave the link to let me keep pretty much anything I want? And I mean anything. I want it all, SPS, LPS, Softies, Clams, everything! LOL.

Lets see...I think that's it for now, any thoughts on these ideas and questions would be awesome! Any other ideas are totally welcome, too!! I will use this post to chronicle my progress. I'm just starting to save the money, but will be getting 3 paychecks in June, so the last one is pretty much all mine, no bills! Plus, my birthday is coming up soon!! WaHOO!

 

Also, what the heck is a calcium reactor? This is a brand new thing to me. What are they for? Should I look in to one for the 125?

 

Ya you would have both overflows going to 1 sump and entering the sump at the same point. So you would have to bring one overflow all the way over to the other side and then into the sump. It is usual to go as big as you can for a sump.
Marc builds some killer sumps melevsreef sumps

Return pumps are really based on haw much water is able to go through the overflows. I'm sure there is someone that can answer what a 120 with duals would be.
you can put a Fug in your sump but you have to keep in mind were a skimmer would go. Would you use an external Skimmer, internal, or hang-on.

you would have to completely cycle the new tank before adding your stock from the 46.
are you using LR? because a power filter will not remove the ammonia and nitrite from 200lbs. of LR during a cycle. Plus the ammonia and Nitrite spikes are important to the development of the bacteria

No, The hight of a 125 is usually 24-30 inches. I would go at leash 3X250

CA Reactors are used to keep CA and Alk in check. It eliminates the need to add 2 part additives every day.

J

 

So for the lighting and what I want to keep, something like this would be more appropriate? http://cgi.ebay.com/3-X-250-Metal-H...ryZ46314QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Check out this link on these Odyssea brand lights. You can find them on www.aquatraders.com

Here is a link to a discussion on these light with some bad out come and some good.Odyssea

After reading that i was still unsure, so i called Aquatrader and got right through and they were very friendly and gave me a lot of information. So I am still unsure about the lights.