New Reef tank!

[emperorangelman]

I currently have a 75 gallon acrylic tank with

wet/dry filtration system

Rio 1700 powerhead

Rio 600 protien skimmer

36'' 30w light

60lbs Cured Live rock fiji

2-3" live sand

Instant Ocean hydrometer

Freshwater liquid test kit (do i need to buy a salt water one?)

Marine food (flakes, brine shrimp,blood worms)

Thermometer

120v heater

Chemi-pure carbon x2

dechlorinizer

THE CONSCIENTIOUS MARINE AQUARIST book







and im starting to think about what fish can go in it. i would like to keep

-mated pair perculas
-blue hippo
-yellow hippo
-6 lined wrasse
-bicolor or flame angel
-small shoal of g/b chromis
-orange spotted lawnmower blenny
-purple back psuedichromis
-madarin dragonet (later on)





-group of turbo snails
-group of blue legged hermit crabs
-brittle stars or some other possibly a serpent

-and about january get some corals



do you think this would work?

i know i need new lighting what do you guys suggest?


I will be getting more rock....but idunno if i should get more live rock(really expensive ) or some base rock and let them grow.


thankyou

 

[dailydriven911]

Yes I would upgrade your lighting

 

[mmkeeper]

Welcome. I would recommend getting Salifert test kits,(CA,ALK,MG, ammonia, No2 No3). I would recommend a refractor for salinity instead of the hydrometer.

 

[emperorangelman]

yes i have been thinking about that. how much is a refractor?

also what lighting should i get. i want metal halide. but how much lighting is needed to not have limited coral options?

what about the fish? are they ok?

 

[mmkeeper]

Refractor is between $50 and $125( try ebay or some of our sponsors). Fish, I would question your tang choices on a tank of that size.

 

[emperorangelman]

i understand but i have been told that if you use algae sheets it will keep them grazing and what not instead of swimming. ive also heard its a 50/50 chance of the hippo tang being type that swims back and forth a ton.

and do you know what lighting i need to purchase?

 

[returnofsid]

I have a few suggestions and comments.

First off, I'd re-think the wet/dry filtration system. Those bio-balls will quickly become a nitrate factory and since there's really no way of cleaning them, you'll have nitrate problems.

Next, as for your fish selection, I would rethink getting a 6 Line Wrasse if you every want a Mandarin Dragonette. The Wrasse will out compete the Mandarin for the same food source. The Mandarin has to have the living critters available in the tank or it'll starve. Unfortunately, the Wrasse likes them too and will gobble them up as fast as possible. They're both great fish though!! I would also do a lot of research into Tangs before getting the Blue Hippo or Yellow Hippo. I'm not sure what the Yellow Hippo is. Are you talking about a Yellow Tang? Keep in mind that Tangs, especially Blue Hippos are almost always going to get Ich!! They are also somewhat difficult to keep in a tank together. They get pretty aggressive towards one another. A 75 isn't large enough to keep more than one Tang in and there's only a few Tangs that are small enough to put in a 75. A Yellow, Scopas or Purple Tang would be fine...but only one. Bi-Color Angels are known for tearing up corals. Flame Angels are less likely but still known to.

For Rock, you could get base rock and put it below the live rock and it'll soon grow. You might want to do some research into deep sand beds versus shallow sand beds as well.

For Lighting, that will depend on what types of corals you want to keep, if you want to keep anemones or clams and such. If you're going to be keeping mostly soft corals and a few LPS, you could get away with Compact Fluorescent lighting. If you're wanting to keep SPS, Clams or Anemones, you're going to need to go with either T5HO or Metal Halide lighting. I have a 6 bulb T5HO fixture on my 75. It's the Tek 5 made by Sunlight Supply. It's great and will be fine for most SPS, most clams (although the more light demanding clams will need to go up in the rock, closer to the lights) and just about any anemone.

Read that book!! It's a great book!! I can't stress enough to do A LOT of reading and research. You're on the right track and I wish you luck. Keep us updated!!

 

[emperorangelman]

too late. already spent 750 on the tank alone. no lights, heater, skimmer etc. just tank. then on top of that i bought everything else. im only 14 so this is a lot of money. I just spent all birthday money on 60lbs live rock.

I would much rather have the dragonet.

i heard that tangs dont fight unless they are the same shape etc.

is there a problem with my shallow sand bed?

im planning in getting clams and anemonies so how big of a metal halide would i need. can you send me a link? thankyou

 

[returnofsid]

You actually have a deep sand bed. It's never "too late." Consider removing the bio-alls from your wet/dry. That will help keep your nitrate levels from skyrocketing. Even if you find Tangs that don't fight, it's still too small of a tank for more than one, IMO. I don't really know a lot about metal halide lighting but here's a link to the lighting I have on my 75. I am keeping SPS corals very happy with this lighting. It'll be fine for most clams and any Anemone.

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...54W_T5_High-Output_Fixture_by_Sunlight_Supply

 

[kendog261]

Just a note of caution but the Rio pumps have a reputation of catastrophic failure and polluting the tank.

 

[emperorangelman]

do i replace the balls with anything or just leave a huge empty space?

 

[lavenderfish]

do i replace the balls with anything or just leave a huge empty space?

Fill wet/dry with chaetomorphia algea and light with a clip on light for some nutrient export. I have been looking into tangs recently and have to agree multiple tangs in a 75 is a no-go. In fact your fish list is just too long for a 75 especially one that does not have a high quality skimmer for nutrient export. Research the feeding habits for each fish carefully.

Dechlor suggests you are planning to use tap water. The opinion/experience of many reef keepers is that is the fast track to algae hell. Many things that are safe for drinking just aren't good for fish and reefs. Your local water company only cares what is safe for you. Luckily most reef stores will sell you reverse osmosis de-ionized water (RO/DI)

Fosters and Smith sell a refractometer for less than $50.00

Read the book twice and question anything you don't understand. Haste is extremely expensive in this hobby. Good luck and welcome aboard.

 

[MarineTeng]

lighting i'd suggest t-5 or metal halide, though in the end it really depends on what you want to keep
i found that starting with softies and mushrooms was good and all, but there's always that allure to going on to sps and acros

though if you don't ahve the money for lights, just go fish only with live rock for a while till you have the money to do so, as a student too i know how the money thing goes. no sense in burning bulbs if you have no money for corals except the color change, but that's quite an expensive color change

 

[Bainic]

Great start, just try to remember, this hobby takes alot of patience. About your equipment:

1. Get rid of the wet/dry, it will only become a nitrate trap. Put a filter sock on the end of your overflow to catch debrit.

2. Try to shoot for about 10X the tank capacity for circulation (powerheads and pumps). For example 75 gallon tank, 750 gallons per hour (gph) water turnover. Just add up all your powerheads, and pumps to get this number.

3. The lighting that you have is ok for fish only, they don't require much, but if you plan on upgrading corals down the road, you will have to buy more lighting. Start with a wattage of around 3 to 5 watts per gallon, consider getting T-5's or metal halide for this, more is better!

4. The rock may have been cured at the fish shop, but when you put it into your tank, it will need to cure again, approximately 3 to 4 weeks. Also go for about 1 to 1.25 lbs of rock per gallon of water.

5. If you plan on keeping the 3" of sand, research DSB's (deep sand beds), so you know what is required, and how to care for them. Either that or got to a substrate that is less than one inch.

6. You will need a saltwater test kit! To start out all you'll need is Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and pH. Make sure you are using RO/DI water from your local fish store (LFS).

There are a ton of things to learn about this hobby and your best way of succeeding is to read and research as much as you can before making any decisions. Don't trust just one reference about a topic, check several different sources, and formulate a knowledgable opinion. Try to resist impulse buying!!! This is leads to the death of alot of fish and corals. If you like something and want it in your tank, research it first, make sure that it's compatible with everything else in your tank, and make sure you know how to care for it.

With lots of time, research, and patience, you'll do just fine!! Oh, and read the entire book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist", it's one of the best books written on saltwater aquaria. GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[Meche]

Freshwater liquid test kit (do i need to buy a salt water one?)

Yes. Salifert kits are great. You will need to test for Ammonia, Nitrate, Phosphate, Alkalinity, pH, Calcium, Magnesium. You can hold off on the Ca, Mg, and Alk kits until you are ready for corals.

I agree with the advise to dump the bio-balls. They are unnecessary.

With that kind of bio-load you will want to upgrade that skimmer.

Did you mean a yellow tang? What is a yellow hippo? A yellow belly hippo?

Welcome to RF!

 

[emperorangelman]

I agree with the hair algae and getting rid of the balls. how many pounds of algae is need do you think?

As for the Protein skimmer i am not planning on buying a better one until later down the road when i have fish in it(and $)

I will buy a sw liquid test.

As for the tap water, i dont have it. my house runs a softwater system. is that alright? also how much is DI water?

No multiple tangs. Ok. Which ones would be ok? achilles or clown tang?

I already a filter sock.

Here is a diagram i made of my tank. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a375/bassbo3103/Tankdiagram.jpg I dont know how i would replace the bioballs unless i replace it with some that water drips on. If you understand, the water goes through the filter cloth and drops onto the balls. Its not full in there.




Im gonna do FOWLR until i can buy some lighting.


thankyou

 

[LakeEd]

As much as I love Achilles tangs, I definately will NOT recommend you try one in a tank as small as a 75!!! They are constant swimmers, need about a 6' length just to be semi-happy.

For a 75, I would recommend a Yellow Tang. Again, as other's have mentioned... only ONE Tang!

I also recommend you don't start buying fish now!!! Get your rock, let your system run for a while. I know how very hard that is, looking at a box of water?!?!?!?! But, if you try adding animals without letting your tank run for at least a couple weeks, you will not only be waisting money due to die-off... but those poor animals won't stand a chance of a long healthy life.

Once your tank does stabalize, then SLOWLY add a fish. If things continue to remain stable, in 3 to 4 weeks, you may be able to add a 2nd fish. Look at starting a good QT tank, and running EVERY THING through that QT tank prior to going into your main display!

Remember fish grow!!! When you purchase a 2" fish today... this time next year chances are it will be a 4-6" fish! Plan for that, and your animals will be much happier, as well as your pocketbook, for not spending money that ends up going down a toilet.

 

[emperorangelman]

thankyou. i completely agree with every thing youve just said. Im not looking into buying a fish right now but that sthe most exciting part do im trying to figure out now so im ready in the future. the tanks been up about 3 weeks and I have 60 lbs fiji LR. Im looking into buying another 50lbs of honeycomd base rock off saltwaterfish.com. will honeycomb be ok in my tank?


Im thinking of turning my 29 gal FW tank into a QT tank. is this a good enough size if i only buy small fish?

also what about the clown tang? i heard if you give them algae to graze on they dont need as much room but thats just what i heard . thank you very much

 

[LakeEd]

I wasn't able to find the "honeycomb" rock on Saltwaterfish dot com... but I would immagine if they are selling it there for reef tanks, it should work fine for base rock.

For 99% of anythying you would get for your tank, a 29 gallon QT tand would work super, no worries!

I don't have any experience with owning a Clown Tang, so hopefully someone that owns one will let you know their feelings on them.

You're doing EXACTLY what you should be doing right now by the way... Reading, and asking questions! NICE JOB!!!!!

 

[emperorangelman]

haha thanks. heres the honeycomb http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_1...category=0&category_search=6&root_parent_id=6
it looks nice.

and the 29 QT. would i have to cycle the tank again? what would I have to do to make a saltwater?

I just have a penguin biowheel 150 on it with a heater. all the FW fish have been fine. curently has 6 tigerbarbs, gourami, and 2 clown loaches.

tiger barbs are great fish and i love them but since i got into SW they dont stand a chance. even against a QT tank.lol.


haha thanks for your help. IM OBSESSED! haha