stereo hookup help

well i got a problem on figuring out how i am going to power and run my amps ect. heres what i have

 Eclipse 34230  1100watt 2 channel amp 550w per channel at 4 ohm 370w RMS at 4 ohm - this is being used to power my  Eclipse 10" 87101.4  4 ohm 600w 300w RMS.  I also have a Kenwood Excelon KAC-X201T 600w that i use to power the mids and highs.

what my problem is i have two different thoughts on how i think i could hook it up.

1. i have an extra batt. laying around in my garage that i origianly had in my truck but switched out for a Optima redtop. nothing is wrong with it. what i was thinking was to set up a dual battery system with a battery isolator so that i can use the spare battery to power my amps and maybe a power inverter. then i could have a battery close  to the amps and run less cable through out the car.

2. just hook it up normaly and replace the existing 8 gauge power cables, and use some caps.

the one thing i dont know is how many farads, what gauge for either set up, and which one would be best.

the set up i have now is just a regular set up using everything i stated above except instead of the eclipse amp i have a Pheonix Gold MS-275 briged. i dont really know about the pros and cons of either set up. ill be doing all the work my self.

First off, nice amp, matter of fact, real nice amp. Downfall is that the amp cannot be bridged. This means that half of the amp will be useless for all intents and purposes with the sub you have. (unless you have 2 subs but I read your post as though you have one).

I would hook it up normally first, using at least a 4 gauge line, maybe even 2 guage and run power and ground from the battery to the back. This way if you do need to wire in a second battery and isolator the work is already done. While this new amp may be a monster, you will not be using it to anywhere near it's capabilities. Dont' do the second battery idea until you determine if in fact it will be necessary.

Well......Just throwing in an opinion here, but as far as putting just any battery inside your car, I wouldn't do that. Even though the battery is new and still good, I still would have worries about the acid leaking, and that can be a very undesirable event.

If you are wanting to run a dual battery setup, I would consider getting a second redtop ( as they are a gel battery), or even consider replacing the original battery under the hood and using the redtop you have for the trunk.

But before you make a definate decision I would take Rob's advice ( for he's always right!!) and determine if you even need more juice, could be a waste of effort and time.