Help me choose a return pump and skimmer.

[MTBake]

I've been researching these for the past couple days. I feel like I'm in over my head for sure.

I have a somewhat unexpected upgrade coming. A red sea reefer 525xl is apparently in my future as I won the Partner Member raffle Friday evening. Totally unexpected and I have never won much of anything in my life.

Can anyone recommend a return pump and skimmer for this size tank? I've never done a setup larger than 75 gallons and have never ran a sump before. Any tips or advice is appreciated on setting this up.

I'll start a build thread once I have shipping confirmation.

 

[MTBake]

I do know the manufacturer recommends a 1060gph return. I would like to plumb in a manifold to be used in the future. How much should I over shoot on the gph to feed potential future equipment? I'm looking at Sicce, Ecotech and Reef Octopus for a return pump.

And most likely a Reef Octopus skimmer as I've great experience with the brand. Do I really need a $700 controllable skimmer for this size setup? It would be nice but that's about how much my entire 40 gallon breeder build cost me, lol.

That said, money isn't much of an issue for me. I would rather buy quality equipment up front so I do not have buy again and replace in the future.