New Tank

[DeerHunter73]

I am tired of everyone selling me stupid stuff so please let me know what I really need.


I have a 75 gallon tank. In it right now...

I have about 4 inches of sand (which is dead at the moment)

Salt

2 powerheads (circulation only)

2 top water filters (just for circulation no filters)

a wet/dry filter

in sump Skimmer

a strip light (white bulb)

Now what I want is....

A mild reef tank so I can have a decent display of some living stuff.

and the following fish. Basically Finding Nemo Fish....

Yellow tang
Common Clownfish
Regal Tang
Flame Angel
Shrimp
Snail
Crabs
Starfish
Etc...

I need to know what I need.

I have a guy saying 100lbs of live rock(figi premium) =$670.00
2 strip lights (1 20,000k white,1 blue)
10 lbs of live sand to mix with my dead = $29.99
and of course the fish...


Please let me know what you people think and how your tanks are doing thanks...

 

[Sealab2021]

IMO you should pick either the yellow OR the blue hippo tang...& yellow would be better.

Put the angel in last.

If you want to keep corals, mushrooms, etc....I'd hold off on non-hermit crabs and most starfish. (Probably the angel too)

Buy the live rock online(100-150lbs is a good idea), you'll save a huge amount of money(like 50-75% off of any LFS ). If it was my $$$ I'd buy like 50-60lbs of baserock(like from hirocks.com) and the rest real "live rock"

 

[bradreef]

what type of strip lights are you talking about. Good way to go would be pc's or Vho's. With vho's the bulbs have a short life though.

I second the live rock online. $670 is way to high for that. Blue seirra and Saltwater City should give you a good price break if you buy that much. Also talk to phil or shelly at coral beauty. They can give you a good deal on the rock. I have a 75 gallon and one of the best skimmers I found for it was the euroreef. Not as expensive as a lot of the others but is high quality and performs as well as any.

 

[NaH2O]

DeerHunter - WELCOME TO REEF FRONTIERS!!! Glad you found us!

You can check out our sponsors page for online rock prices....I believe we have several that ship, since you are in PA. As far as how much live rock - the minimum recommendation is 1-2# per gallon.

Do you know what kinds of corals you are interested in keeping? You can go to our ID Gallery and check out the People's Reefs section to look at tanks, and also to view corals. Knowing the types of corals you would like to keep will help with light recommendations.

Some people take a scoop of of sand from an established tank to help get their sand started. Also, there are detrivore kits available online that you can order the "sand critters" from. Bacteria will establish itself as your tank cycles.

 

[DeerHunter73]

thanks for all your help any more suggestions appreciated.

 

[MWSALT]

Deerhunter I,m close to you. I ordered my live rock here in Maryland, from this site. www.drmaccorals.com I got the Kaelini Tongan Ultra show rock. It has truly amazing color! You won't be disappointed. The rock is partially cured. The price is great though! Good luck!!!

 

[bradreef]

I think 2 powerheads are quite minimal. If you get a good pump you can return to a seaswirl. seaswirls are expensive but I have heard no complaints. powerheards are usually a minimum of $25 each and four will put you over $100.

For me The 2 pounds of rock per gallon can be a little much. A lot of people are moving to less. Look at Chucks tank and compare all of the open space for His coral to grow. Then look at the tank that is completely filled with rock. You decide. Chucks tank is a 75 gallon also.

 

[DeerHunter73]

For the Live Rock what kind is best Figi???

What is base rock???

I want rock already cured the curing process sounds like a pain in the butt can you get that???

Where is a good place to order rock from???

 

[Ray Pollett]

For the Live Rock what kind is best Figi???

What is base rock??? --Base Rock is live Rock that has been out of water and is therefore dead - no bacteria or critters. www.hirocks.com has a good reputation for theirs. It is much cheaper than LR and most people use it for 1/2 to 2/3 of their LR. It becomes Lr over time. They then put the LR on top of the base rock.

I want rock already cured the curing process sounds like a pain in the butt can you get that??? ---Then I would use www.tampabaysaltwater.com - great rock with lotsa life - great reputation. They ship it under water so it stays alive.

Where is a good place to order rock from???

Ray

 

[NaH2O]

DeerHunter - if you go to our sponsors page check out Premium Aquatics. They have some really nice looking rock, too.

 

[DeerHunter73]

Geez all these decisions lol. I heard Florida isn't good for live rock as they have ROCK and nothing more. Unlike Figi which has holes and caverns and stuff for fish and critters to swim in??

So many type of rock also. How do you know which one you need?

Also to cure live rock(which seems to be most of the LR I found has to be cured somewhat even from florida you have frequent water changes) Can you stick it in my tank and cure it in there or will it kill the live sand once I get it living again??

Sorry for all the questions but I spent like $2000 the first attempt and got a bunch of dead fish. I want it done right this time.

Live rock is something I didnt have last time but I hear it's the key to healthy fish.

Also the lights if I got a normal striplight and bought 1 20k white light and 1 acinic blue light is that sufficient???

 

[DeerHunter73]

Also I was looking at the photos of some awesome 75 gallon reefs in here can some of you guys let me know what rock and lighting you use???

 

[acropora]

I also agree that you can find a better bargain here online for your L.R. Keep in mind shipping is also expensive. I think that 100lbs is a good amount to add to a 75 gallon tank. You will not need a trickle filter since you will be getting your filtration naturally from the L.R. Your protein skimmer is a very important part of the system. Money spent on a good protein skimmer and pump is money spent well. I see that you are looking to start a F.O. tank, so intense MH lighting is not necessary.However a red flag raises when I hear the term strip lights. You are better off investing in VHO's or T-5's .This way if you decide at a later date to add some corals you will be able to add some lower light demanding corals. If your interest in the hobby progresses to where you would want light demanding corals, such as SPS coral. You now can use the VHO's or T-5's to supplement M.H.'s. Now is a good time to pick up a few books and read as much as you can before adding any live stock. Good luck with the set up.

 

[Katchupoy]

Welcome - Deerhunter...

My question is....

Are you ready for a 75G ? Maybe it is too big for you to invest in. Maybe you can start small.

 

[DonW]

My opinion is to keep it as simple as possible. KISS

Tank, sump, a way to get the water up and down, No or very little sand and a good skimmer.
Put in live rock 100+ pounds @ $5per pound fire it up with whatever lights you have now and let it cycle for 2 or three months.
While your waiting for the cycle get some education. After you know something about the critters you want to keep then get lights.

First take a trip up to Shark Reef in Silverdale. See just how simply there systems are set up. Almost perfection on a easy to live with budget. I'm sure if you buy100# of rock they will give you a screamin deal.

Don

 

[NaH2O]

Don, DeerHunter is in Pennsylvania.

DeerHunter - if you look at the ID Gallery there are some LR pictures: Live Rock ID Section Also, if you look at some online vendors Live Rock pictures, you can get an idea of what you like. As far as what looks the best, that is all personal choice. With regards to lighting, I think Acropora gave some sound advice. By upgrading from the standard strip light (doesn't mean Metal Halide, but something like VHO) you will be able to get some color on your rock, and possibly provide enough light to get some cool hitchhikers to grow. Look at people's tank pictures, ask questions, and read read read like crazy. Live rock will provide your tank with some filtration, and doesn't necessarily mean you will have "healthy fish", as there are many factors involved.

Hope this helps...

 

[BlennyBabe]

I suggest finding a couple of good books and get reading.
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Bob Fenner is one of the best books.

 

[DeerHunter73]

thanks any more suggestions I am reading these every time their posted to get a idea on what to do. As for starting smaller I heard bigger the tank the better for salt and I have a 120 also but I figure 75 for now is enough.

I said I had a 75 salt before but all my fish died and I gave up on it after $2000.00 I am trying to do it right this time

 

[Katchupoy]

Ok, Since that you already know the cost of starting a 75 then we will proceed. Like everybody says here... check the sponsors...

1) I suggets to get a very good skimmer...

Euroreef
Deltec
MyreefCreations

2) Are you going with sand or without sand? A lot of people here removed their DSB. And also a lot here swears by it.

3) Study your flow. I suggest SeaSwirl or any comparable equipment. Or you can also do Wavemaker with lots of PHeads.
Also do a research for close loops. So you dont have to put all the power to your return pump that will usually outmatch the overflow.

4)Lighting. Start with VHO then you can upgrade to MH later when you feel you are ready for it. You can use WorkHorse as a ballast alternative to Icecaps. Hellolights sells similar ballast for a cheaper price.

5)Live rock. You can do half/half. Half live and half base. You can also do some pvc design behind the rockwork. This will serve as a rock holder or something so you can zip-tie your rock these pvc's.
These will save you a lot of money.

6) Patience. Patience on learning new things and waiting till the tank cures....

7) good salt. Im using instant ocean.... Or you can check on some polls that they already did on what salt everybody is using.

Good luck

 

[MWSALT]

Most all the LR you may order online will be uncured or partially cured. I ordered 40# of Kaelini Rock and got about 50# for my 60gal aquarium. Set up my canister filter with bio rings and activated carbon. Also ran my skimmer. No lighting. Tank took almost 4wks to cycle. Make sure you test the water once a week. When your ammonia is 0 to 0.3 and your nitrates are the same you should be ready to stock your tank. Start with inexpensive fish, like damsels. Do a 10% water change once a week.Also make sure your specific gravity, salinity and ph are right. Good Luck!