75g Reef

[Wieselsport]

So I have a 36g bowfront tank and there is a sale at Fish gallery on the 1st & 2nd of April on everything, tanks being just over cost. I would like to upgrade to a 75g but I want to see I will need before I expand and spend some money.

I have:
1 150w MH
165 pc

2 aquaclear 400- ~400ghp
1 aqua c protein skimmer.

Other than that I will be getting a new tank RR (If you dont think I need the RR let me know) and I will put new sand in b/c my current sand is so dusty and get a retro fit 4X65w PC to add to the lighting. Also a 20 or 30g fuge/sump under the tank(which i know nothing about)

So if anyone has some tips, pointers, or sure fire ways to do this let me know.


thanks.

 

[Krish]

Sounds great! If you can get the RR then I think it would be cool because you'd already have the overflow and return for your sump all sorted out. The sump will be a great adition as it will increase your water volume and give you more stability. Also, you can hide some un-sightly equipment in there (like heaters, skimmer etc.) and maybe even throw in a macro for nutrient export. I wish you luck

 

[steve-s]

What do you think you'll end up keeping in the tank? To buy a retro PC set without considering that first could be putting the cart before the horse. It could end up your existing PC's are fine but you may need another halide instead.. Just a thought.

The above will also lend to what you will need in the way of water flow. In a RR tank (depending on hole sizes) you may get a decent enough flow just from the return if softy or LPS etc. If gearing towards an Acropora dominated tank, you may need to consider a closed loop in addition to the return.

Once you've considered the direction of the tank, the pieces will fall into place a little easier in terms of equipment needs. As far as the tank swap, not as hard as you might think although can be fairly messy. Word to the wise, it's often like moving to a new house, spouses should not participate.... LOL

Cheers
Steve

 

[tony2005]

bigger is better

 

[Wieselsport]

Thanks everyone. I hear ya Steve, wife will not participate. Is there anything else I should consider, anything someone may not have considered before they started

 

[Krish]

Thanks everyone. I hear ya Steve, wife will not participate. Is there anything else I should consider, anything someone may not have considered before they started

Yeah...Don't be afraid to ask ask ask! Do all you can to find out all you need to know about the hobby. I wish I did it the first time I set up a saltwater tank and as a result of not doing it, I had to end up pulling everything down and starting over about 6 months later. I did everything wrong from lack of flow right down to using regular tap water and not ro/di water. Don't be afraid to ask question and remember with this hobby, patience is the name of the game. If you stick around here (which I'm hoping) there are enough smart and nice people here to steer you in the right direction

 

[dabears26]

I 75gal RR tank is a awesome beginner tank.They have a nice look to them as well .Pretty cheap and not to small.Probably one of my favorite style tank.Got 2 of them in garage.But you will need a 48 inch fixture or enough lighting to cover the tank.But RF is great place to ask Q's and get A's...Good luck..Rick da painter

 

[Wieselsport]

Ok Since I have questions. Where is the best place to buy bulkheads and live rock to get going. Is it ok to use soft tubing to plum the sump(drain&return)

 

[steve-s]

Ok Since I have questions. Where is the best place to buy bulkheads and live rock to get going.

Might want to post that in a regional forum where you'd get specific advice to your geographical area.

Is it ok to use soft tubing to plum the sump(drain&return)

For drains (free flowing water) it would be okay but I would not use it for returns/attached to water pumps. Hard plumbing would be alot more reliable in that application.

Cheers
Steve