I am quite new to saltwater keeping but I am convinced that an algae scrubber is worth a try first, especially since I have not picked out a skimmer yet. I hope to use as much natural filtration possible, and I need some help constructing an appropriate algae scrubber. I have a 210 gallon tank, so I am thinking to making the dimensions 10 inches by 24 inches since I could easily design my sump to fit that. I have also read that 1 watt is required for 1 gallon, so I was thinking 6 40watt bulbs, three on each side. I am confused as to which bulbs to buy though. There is a listed wattage and an equivalent wattage. Which one do I need to go with? For instance, it says something like, 40W equivalent soft white (2700K) CFL. Is that what I need or do I need to look for a 23W+ CFL (100W equivalent?) Also, if anyone could post pictures of a simple but very effective design I would appreciate any advice. Just to check, do most people use an algae scrubber and a protein skimmer? Or does an algae scrubber have the capacity to replace a skimmer all together? One of the things that is challenging for me is that my tank is not set up yet, so I have no idea about bio-load or feeding, I just thought I would try to construct the best possible algae scrubber and see how my system reacts to addition of livestock. I am open to adding a protein skimmer later, but I am very intrigued by this concept.