Mike the Blueline I purchased with the LifeReef is doing great for me. Plus it has enough juice to feed the fuge and three of the LR canisters. The temp on my 180 is well under 80 degrees, as I see the heater lights go on from time to time. I'm not sure how to judge loudness. I'm sure its quieter than a LG though, as I had one of those before.
I'd go with PVC once you know you have everything the way you want. I had a bud crack his tank once by simply bumping a PVC pipe connected to his bulk head. I'm sure it was a freak thing, but still pretty scary. PVC get gunky too, you just can't see it
