need lots of advice!!!!

Josh,

Can you provide a few more details about your tank? You say its a cube but is it one of the all-in-one (AIO) cubes that comes with lighting and basically a mini-sump/filter compartments in the rear of the tank? What kind of lighting do you have (power compacts, T5, halide)? Maybe you still need to buy lights which brings me to the next question...

What you want to do with the tank? For example, do you want this to be a reef tank with corals or just a fish only tank?

I can give you some general tips like the need for liverock and how to establish a tank but without knowing more about what you have and what you want, I might point you in the wrong direction.

I can give you some ideas/basics but just know that you may need to modify some things based on the livestock you actually want to keep.

1. Liverock - This is probably the single most important thing to get started on the right foot. The amount you need depends on the bioload you intend to have. Fish contribute the most to bioload while inverts (corals, shrimp, crabs, snails, etc) don't contribute as much. Don't fill your tank from end to end, top to bottom with LR. Create the aquascape you want and stock accordingly. You can always add more LR (or base rock) later if you want/need it as long as you add it slowly. Base rock is live rock that has been dried out or has been mined from ancient reefs and will save you $$$. All you need is a few pieces of well cured LR to "seed" the base rock and it will become live. LR usually runs about $7+/pound while some really nice base rock can be had for about $2/pound. Checkout reefcleaners.com or bulkreefsupply.com to get an idea of what I mean by base rock. This tank is about 60 gallons. I would get about 10 lbs of LR and about 25-30 lbs of base rock. Keep in mind that water weight will make a big difference in the amount of rock you will get (i.e., the 10 lbs of LR will not be as much as you think). Your tank will cycle quicker if you buy all LR but the base rock will seed pretty quick and you will reduce the chances of getting some bad hitch hikers in your tank.

2. Sand - As with the rock you do not have to buy live sand. The pieces of LR will also seed you sandbed. This will save a little more $$$ but again will increase the time it takes your tank to cycle. I would get about 40-50 pounds of sand. You could get 20 pounds of live sand and the rest being dry. You don't have to have sand at all. Some like a bare bottom tank (not me). Do NOT buy crushed coral for your bed!!! Buy some nice sugar sand or slightly larger grain (mix it if you want) and it should be argonite sand. Also, either go shallow (1.5 - 2 inches) or deep (6+ inches). Depths of sand in between will cause you problems as well.

3. Lighting - Don't skimp here! Get a nice 4 bulb (or maybe even a 6 with the height of your tank) T5HO or metal halide fixture. I would avoid power compact lighting. I personally like T5's because you can change the bulb configuration and color but halides give a nice shimmer effect. You can also buy combo fixtures that have both T5 and halides together. Checkout lighting buy Current (I have a Sundial that I really like), Tek (Sunlight Systems), ATI and others. You can get an idea of prices by looking at sites like petmountain.com (best prices IMO and usually free shipping). A quality T5 fixture will grow most everything except some more demanding SPS while a good halide will grow anything (too much light can be bad in some cases though).

4. Flow - Your probably going to want 2 to 3 powerheads or something like a Vortech MP20 or 40 (these are pricey but worth it). If you go with multiple powerheads look into Koralias. These provide a nice wide flow pattern. Probably want K2 and a K3 model but maybe two K3's. Flow needs are different for certain corals and the amount of rock you have will also affect the flow pattern. You want good flow to prevent wastes from settling (dead spots) and to transport nutrients.

5. Filtration - You actually don't need anything other than your rock and flow but most want some kind of mechanical filtartion. You can use a simple hang on back power filter (recommend Aquaclear 110), a HOB protein skimmer, canister filter (I wouldn't though) or you can add a sump. Sumps are great because it gives you extra water volume and a place to hide your equipment (heater, skimmer, etc.). The drawback of a sump is you either need to drill your tank or use an overflow box. Do NOT drill your tank if the bottom pane is tempered! A glass shop can do this for you if you don;t want to. You would need an internal overflow installed as well. Lastly Google "refugiums" and see how macro algaes are used as filtration (nutrient export).

Important:

-Do not rush things. Even with good LR and sand, it can take several weeks for a tank to cycle enough to add livestock and even then ADD IT SLOWLY. Buy a good test kit and use it (ammonia, nitrite, nitrates, calcium, alkalinity, pH).

-Buy quality salt mix and mix your own water using reverse osmosis water (RO/DI). Highly recommend you avoid using tap water!

- Research something before you buy it. Most fish stores will sell you something that you can't or shouldn't keep. Use sites like this and other to ask questions.

- Establish a regular water change routine/schedule and stick with it.

I could go on and on (obvioulsy) but you're just going to have to experience things on your own to get a feel. Keep researching, it will all make sense soon. Good luck!

so i was thinking maybe 3 powerheards in each corner besides the main corner i look through...

Again, this will depend greatly on what you want to keep and what your rock structure is. Generally more flow is better so that wastes remain suspended in the water column and not allowed to settle. Flow also provides a means of transpoting food and nutrients to corals, etc. (think about waves in the ocean). Some corals don't like a strong flow though. That doesn't mean you can't have 3 or more PHs just that you made need to place those corals in a lower flow area that is somewhat "sheltered".

so with filtration, i dont really need much?

Read this: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1506957
This guy ran a similar tank as mine (his is much better ) for years with only a small HOB power filter. You do not need anything other than rock (which will provide beneficial denitrifying bacteria) and flow BUT if you plan on stocking the tank fairly well you MUST be committed to good tank husbrandry (water changes, etc.).
I would recommend using some sort of mechanical filter so you can run the water through some filter floss to remove larger debris and have a place to add carbon and other media if and when you want it. If you want to keep it simple checkout the Aquaclear 110 HOB filter and if you go that route get the surface skimmer attachment.

is it advised that i get a filter and a protein skimmer? or just one of them?

Here comes yet another wish-washy answer. I think I covered the mechanical filter part already so in regards to a protein skimmer you don't have to use one BUT if you heavily stock your tank or you want high water quality demanding corals (SPS corals), then you might want to consider one. The need for a skimmer is also (again) dependent on your dedication to tank husbandry. If you stay on your water changes and keep everything in check you can have a successful tank (in most cases) without a protein skimmer.

A lot of people use both a skimmer and some form of mechanical filtration because it gives you a buffer and allows you to scale back a little on tank maintenance. One could argue though that having to maintain extra equipment doesn't always make a tank simpler to manage.

and with the refugium, does it need to be in the sump or can i make an internal one?

You can have one in a sump, you can buy a HOB refugium (search for Aquafuge) or you can make a refugium (fuge) out of a HOB power filter (again I recommend the Aquaclear 110 for that as well). There are also internal refugiums that you can buy. These are clear acrylic boxes that stick to the glass and have a small PH plumed to them to push flow across the macro. I have seen other just take a cheap soap dish you can get at Wal-mart and suction cup it inside the tank. I think you will get the most benefit using a sump based refugium and then a HOB type.

again... thanks alot mate you have helped heaps.
Cheers

Your welcome. I had a lot of help from others when I started so its nice to be able to help where I can.

Good info given here. I wouldnt waste the money on live sand. Bacteria cannot stay alive in a bag on a shelf with no water temperature,movement and a source of food.

Get your self dry base sand (which is alot cheaper) like said in a previous post the liverock will seed the base sand.


Lighting....

You can on and on with lightsing since opinions vary widely.

I have used halides,VHO, and Power Compacts with success. Lighting is expensive as you get what you pay for here. Halides would be the most expensive out of this bunch. With halides comes heat build up and you having to possibly get fans.As well as a larger electric bill due to the power they consume. There bulbs can get pricey as well. ON average a good replacement bulb is about $90 a piece. You have to replace those bulbs about every 9 months.

VHO's and Power Compacts are the next option and dont create as much heat or draw as much power. They are easily mounted and also do great. These bulbs arent as expensive and last about a years time before replacement. Each bulb ranges between $40 to $65 depending where you purchase them.
This last lighting setup is the cheaper way to go. You can grow any type of corasl with any of the lighting systems I have mentioned.

I myself like the Power Compacts as they ae readily available and are a popular option. You can buy the complete lighting sysytem and just plug it in and go. I suggest you do alot of research here to decide on what you want for lighting. Since it does get expensive you only want to do this once. Make sure its what you want! not what someone else tells you.
Search and look for pictures between what setups are availabe, what you like and the color you are trying to get for your tank. Once you find the lighting you want, continue to look for a better price. You can find great deals on new or slightly used setups on the boards, ebay, or other websites. This will help you save money.