Gimme The "low-down" on Equimpment

[fishforlife]

I am planning on a 125+ gallon tank...With ALLLLLLL the different brands of equpiment out there, I need some help weeding out some choices. What I am looking for are the brand names and outputs of the following equpiment that are considered the best and maybe even the ones to avoid. ---the items below, I believe from what I have read, are the MUST Have items to place in the tank/SUMP. If I need anything else let me know...and thanks in advance.

Protien Skimmer
Heater
Chiller
Water Pump
Power heads
UV sterilizer (maybe?)
Lights (for a FOWLR tank, for the first while)

[Ping]

Skimmer, rated at twice your tank or larger. You get what you pay with skimmers and lights.

Heater ?

Chiller, without powerful lights you will not need one.

Power heads, Koralias for the price, Tunze or Vortechs are the best.

UV sterilizer, I am a proponent, go big. They help with ORP and pathogens.

Lights ?

[CoryDude]

There's a lot of good companies out there, so you're going to get a lot of recomendations and personal preferences. But, you'll usually get a consensus from reefers on the bad ones. Here's some to stay away from IMO:

Protien Skimmer - Like Ping said, get the largest skimmer you can afford. Stay away from brands like Kent, Coralife, RedSea, and CPR.
Heater - no need to get real expensive in this dept. since you'll only use it a few nights a year. Maybe look at getting 2-300W heaters
Chiller- expensive no matter which brand you're talking about. If you do end up needing one, just make sure you don't get an underpowered chiller. I'd recommend a 1/3-1/2hp model that that size tank.
Water Pump and Powerheads - Stay away from Rio, Powersweep, and Hagan Aquaclear pumps.
UV sterilizer (maybe?)- not a fan of them, so Ping or someone else who uses them can help you on that.
Lights- There's a lot of bad brands so watch out. I'd mainly stay away from Coralife

[ErikH]

lol I was reading this and wondering if Kurt was off his rocker!

[crossxfire2]

Euroreef skimmer baby.