new to salt water

[Discus]

I have a 72 gallon bowfront with a sump already. running a rena xp3. anway was wondering what I would need and how much more it would cost to get this tank ready for salt water>?

[skabooya]

You will need a skimmer that is big enough to handle over 72gals, at least 75lbs of LR minimum, powerheads to keep that water moving around, Lights (power depending on what you plan to keep in there), Sand (depending how deep you want your sandbed), Salt for making saltwater, refractometer for making sure your SG is correct, Test kit, Heater that can handle over 72gals, A LID!!!! even if its mesh!, and let it sit until the cycle is definitely!!! over.

As for cost, it depends on brands, quality, etc. For example I have a 28gal long. I put in nearly $2000 already. Check out my thread Ska's 28 Dirty Girl Journal - Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board

I have a thread here too but I cant find it right now... shows how much i update eh? lol

[Cichlid2010]

Skimmer: probably about $150 for a good USED one on this forum
Live Rock: 75lbs x $4per lb = $300 (avg forum price)
Powerheads: assuming 3 x Koralia 750GPH = $129 (new at J&L)
Lights: assuming Coralife 48 T5HO = $186 (new at J&L, good for soft corals)
Sand: assuming <1" thick with 60lb of Caribsea Aragamax Select Sand = $81 (J&L)
Salt: about $43 for a bucket
Refractomemeter: probably not required at the moment
Test kit and heater: probably already have
You can start the cycle with Live Rock and a couple pieces of dead shrimps without eveything else.

So, it will probably cost you around $900 to get started. Of course, this price does not include any live stock.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
cheers!

[Discus]

alright figured it was a prety hefty price... do I really need to go out and buy a new lighting system besides the one I already have?

[Cichlid2010]

What do you already have? If you only want to keep fish and NO corals, whatever you have already is good enough. If you want to keep corals, T5HO is the minimum.

[slipstream]

A fish only system works just fine with normal florescent lighting if thats what you have.

And to set up your first tank, I would deff search for good deals on equipment. Such as on here you can find some great deals on used equipment from trusted members.
Than, if everything works out good for your new tank, you can upgrade later, that way you dont get hit full on with the high cost as much as you would buying everything new.

[Rajan]

i got a skimmer rated for 100g and i also have 2 metal halide pendent 150watts each and ballast. 25lbs of live rock and a bunch of soft corals. i cann hook you up with a good price. i have 2 korilla 2's and some calcium and iodide which i can throw in. just pm me if you are interested