Reddit reviews AQUATIC LIFE 115 Mini Internal Protein Skimmer/Filter, 30-Gallon, 10-5/8"H x 3.5"W x 3.5"D

Tank: Looks like they have a newer version of my tank: https://www.innovative-marine.com/product-page/nuvo-fusion-peninsula-14-gallon

Skimmer: https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Internal-Protein-30-Gallon/dp/B0028BPRMA

Heater (50W): https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/cobalt-neo-therm-submersible-heater.html a note on this, I've used the cheaper Aqueon/Tetra heaters and I found that they fluctuated. Tank would feel like warm bathwater and then cool down significantly, rinse & repeat- that's why I'd recommend spending a little extra for a good heater- those fluctuations will piss corals off.

Lighting: anything works for fish, but if you wanna go into corals in the future, you'll need a dedicated reef light. A good, cheaper option is AI Prime: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/prime-16-hd-led-reef-light-white-body-aqua-illumination.html. I personally use a Kessil 160E, it's in the middle of the pack, sort of.

Flow: Wavemakers are cool, but unnecessary until you get corals. I'd get something cheap, like a Jabaeo. If you want high-end, Ecotech MP10. The stock return pump that comes with the tank is fine, but if you want to upgrade it, Sicce makes one.

Filtration: Have a bag of biomedia (brand is irrelevant, but I use MarinePure), and buy a packet of ChemiPure Blue nano: https://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Chemi-Pure-Blue-Nano-Aquarium/dp/B00VXIA3XM. Chemipure is basically super gucci carbon; carbon is good to have on hand for a reef, as it absorbs coral toxins and keeps everything happy.

Sand: Sand is personal preference. They have live sand and dry sand; I prefer dry sand, as it's cleaner. Live sand will make your tank look like milk for the first three days. This is the sand I chose: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/aragonite-fiji-pink-dry-sand-40lbs-caribsea.html

Live rock: This stuff is hard to come by now. A lot of reef stores will have a vat of "live rock," but it'll mostly be white and pretty devoid of life. Back in the day, they'd ship rock straight from the ocean and it'd be covered in sponges, algaes, tunicates, all kinds of cool stuff- I loved this stuff for the little critters. However, you could also get pests from it, but that was a sacrifice I was willing to make. SO, I'd recommend that route if you can. It's kinda expensive, but this dude in Tampa can hook you up: https://tbsaltwater.com/. Just tell him the tank size and what you want.

If you don't wanna understandably go through all that hassle, get the LFS live rock and some bottled bacteria (I like Fritz TurboStart). Now, since that rock is mostly "white" and therefor uncolonized, it'll go through ugly phases, covered in icky types of algae. That'll last for a few months; eventually it'll all turn brown/green/purple and look natural though. If you get the real live rock from Florida, it already has that so you kinda skip the ugliness.

Either route you take, you could probably add fish after a week of setting up the tank, assuming it's cycled.

I'd recommend checking out BulkReefSupply on Youtube. They have a series, BRS 52 Weeks of Reefing, that's excellent for noobs. You'll learn a lot!

So, I have a standard 20 long. For circulation I run a Polario 10ml. It's a little overkill, and a 7ml would probably be more ideal, but I love the circulation throughout the tank and that its current reverses every 20 seconds to simulate the natural ebb and flow of the ocean. My corals have responded well to the increased and random flow, and the fish dno't mind it either. In addition, the one time I had need of their customer service, they were excellent and prompt. I recommend them to everyone looking for a new circulation pump

I custom built my sump from acrylic because I had a limited space for it, but it holds about 9 gallons total. I keep 7 lbs of live rock rubble in my first chamber, along with an Aquaticlife 115 protein skimmer. The skimmer isn't too bad. I wish it would produce less liquid and more solid skimmate, but it does create a pretty good amount of dark water over a few days, so I've been happy with it. I have a chaeto chamber next which also houses a Deep Blue UV Sterilizer. It's definitely helped slow down how fast algae grows on the tank walls. I bought it to see if it would help slow down the bryposis I've had the gross displeasure of dealing with. I would buy it again.

I put a 6 inch DSB in the next chamber, but I'm not convinced it ever set up properly. It's still a work in progress. Finally, I have a Marineland NJ1100 return pump, and some random heater stick I found lying around. The pump isn't bad, but I might choose something a little more powerful should I ever need to replace it. All in all I'm pretty happy with the setup.

Edit: I also use the Kent 2-Part Nano Reef supplement. I definitely notice a large difference in growth rates and vibrancy when I slack off for a while.

Edit Edit: Oh, and I have assorted corals including Blastos, Montis, Zoas, Some Ricordea, Digitata, Trumpets, plus others I just don't know the names of. There's also a Mini-Maxi Carpet Anemone, Black Blenny, Scooter Blenny, Red-Lined Cardinal, and a Yasha Goby/Tiger Pistol pair. I do a 10% to 20% water change each week to help replenish trace minerals. It would all be phenomenal if it weren't for the bryopsis. But, that's on it's way out too.

This one seems to do the trick
https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Internal-Protein-30-Gallon/dp/B0028BPRMA/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1541609626&sr=8-22&keywords=protein+skimmer+hang+on

I would have thought this one but it doesn't look exactly right.

Intenal, but I have this in my 20g and it works well. Lot of people complain about micro bubbles but they mostly went away after a few days.