I wanna do Salt Water

wrote:

Could you make a suggestion to a
more appropriate Filtration System?

You need a good protein skimmer. The biowheel will be ok for the rest of the job.

Would it be realistic to go FOWLR with the option to upgrade to a reef?

Yes. But. Reef tanks require better lighting than FOWLR, so you're probably
going to be replacing those. Particulate matter filters are not desirable with
reef tanks, so the filter you are planning on now will have to come off (the
skimmer stays). Water circulation is more important with a reef tank, so you'll
be buying pumps or powerheads. Temperature range is more critical, so you may
need a chiller. Anticipating the move to reef, make sure the heaters you buy now
are precise. You will probably also want a refugium, and a tall tank such as
your 39 will not be ideal for that.

I'm gradually moving my 125 gallon FOWLR towards a reef tank as I can afford to
make the changes. I replaced the crushed coral substrate with sand a few eeks
ago. I'm increasing the amount of live rock from 70 pounds to at least 140 (I
just put in 30 pounds and will buy another 30 or 40 tomorrow if the nitrites
stay down). I just bought two magdrive 7 pumps to increase circulation (I still
have to do the plumbing for them). The existing skimmer will stay for the
moment, but I may upgrade that. My cannister filter will be retired as soon as I
get the magdrives working.

I have plans to build a new stand with a custom hood for improved lighting. I'll
be going to high-intensity fluorescents with an actinic strip. That's months
away at the moment.

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.