Starting a saltwater tank

[Dearth]

Originally Posted by Aikidoka

So sorry for all the questions guys. Again, thanks for replying.

That is what we are here for to help you along if you don't ask you won't know

RO/RODI this is a basic need most cities/regions the water has tons of chemicals and nasties in it RO/RODI water will save you a ton of grief

Food safe garbage cans never have enough around for fresh water and per made salt water

Salt most buckets come with the instructions for mixing

Sand this one is tricky and can be controversial some swear by the 3" rule others are happy with an inch and a half I am in the latter part

Egg crate this again is controversial with many in the SW hobby I have it on the bottom of my tank for extra protection in case a rock falls others think it is a waste of space it is totally up to you

Lighting most are going for LEDs expensive to buy but cheap to run and provide good light choices and spectrum few run metal halides anymore T5s are still popular

Test kits all have their pluses and minuses some people are downright anal about testing their water others go for days or weeks before testing once your more confident its your choice

Live rock lots of choices and variations out there this is actually one of the more expensive bits to get for your tank a hundred pounds can set you back several hundred dollars I would try to see if anyone is selling their rock save you some money

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Aikidoka

Live rock- Rule of the thumb atleast 1 or 2lbs per gallon

I prefer about 1/2# per gallon. Leaves room for fish and coral. Look, just saved you enough to buy a skimmer with!!

[tang daddy]

If you're going with the 75g that's a great start. I have had the same tank for 5 years...

Is the tank drilled for and overflow?
With a sump you could get away with a decent skimmer like a used euro reef RS 135 which is a decent skimmer for up to 100g, I use a 33g sump. The skimmer would run you $150 and best bang for the buck, there are better skimmers out there these days but they're alittle more. Mine is a workhorse, never broke down for the last 6 years...

The 1 or 2 lb per gallon was a rough guide line years ago. You could easily get away with 60-70 lbs. there are other ways to take down nutrients like gfo and bio pellets if you decide to go that route....

I only have about 35 lbs in my display which leaves alot of room for coral growth and fish to swim. With more rock you need more flow so that the rock can filter the water better.

If you add rock in the sump it is more effective because the water flowing through the sump is forced to pass the LR which inturn gets better filtration...

[Proteus]

Live sand it your decision but not nessacary. I have had deep sand. Shallow and currently none.

Though it does limit some fish such as wrasse and sand sifters. Cleaning in a bare bottom system is as easy as a Turkey baster

[kien]

My tip would be to start a tank journal/ build thread and document your progress from the start. Also, remember to have fun! Try not to get too bogged down by all the details. For example, if you want 3" of sand, go for it. If you want no sand at all, go for it! There is no right or wrong answer. If you want 2 pounds of rock per gallon go for it! If you want 1/4 pound of rock per gallon, go for it! If you want to run a skimmer, go for it! If you don't want to run a skimmer, go for it! Again, there is no right or wrong answer. What you will discover on your journey are the answers that suit you.

[Dearth]

Originally Posted by kien

My tip would be to start a tank journal/ build thread and document your progress from the start. Also, remember to have fun! Try not to get too bogged down by all the details. For example, if you want 3" of sand, go for it. If you want no sand at all, go for it! There is no right or wrong answer. If you want 2 pounds of rock per gallon go for it! If you want 1/4 pound of rock per gallon, go for it! If you want to run a skimmer, go for it! If you don't want to run a skimmer, go for it! Again, there is no right or wrong answer. What you will discover on your journey are the answers that suit you.

Eloquent as ever Kien

[ponokareefer]

Here are a few tips I'll pass on from my experience.
1. Don't use tap water. Either buy bottled water or get a RO unit. After switching, I found my battle with algae diminish substantially, as well as frustration.
2. Lighting usually can't be transferred to a bigger system, so your initial cheap lights should do the trick. Just make sure you are changing your bulbs at the appropriate time. Invest in some cheap light timers to turn your lights on and off for you.
3. Stick with cheap Instant Ocean salt to start. Some of the best tanks in the world use it, so no sense in spending more on the get go.
4. Buy a refractometer. The cheap plastic items used to measure salinity can be way out. Mine was. This will last for years.
5. Look to buy dry rock and only a little live rock. It is a lot cheaper than store bought live rock, about the same as used live rock, but doesn't come with any bad things like aiptasia, flat worms, mantis shrimp, etc. How much you get is up to you, but realize that some corals come with rock attached to them.
6. Consider starting with soft corals like mushrooms or leathers. They are easy to keep, forgiving for a beginner, and usually less expensive.
7. Get a decent amount of flow going in the tank. This was one of my initial failures. Even in a fish only or tank with just soft corals likes flow. There is a new power head out there called Jebao. This seems like it is going to be the next big thing considering cost, and could easily transfer to a larger tank. Here is a link to a discussion about them: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2283598
8. You will need a decent skimmer. As I doubt you will have a sump, I'm not sure what the best option for your system will be and you likely won't use it on a larger system. Try to find something used is what I would recommend.

Good luck and have fun! Post a tank build thread and I'm sure you will get lots of help at each step.

[mike31154]

Go big, use the 125. Stability with the extra water volume is much simpler. You don't have to cram the tank with stuff either, you can go very minimal with sand, rock, etc. at the start. Just make sure you have good flow.

[Aikidoka]

guys,

so overwhelmed with all the information that you all mentioned in this thread, just let you know, i wrote everything down to a notebook. and none of the information that you've shared will be ignored. i am so grateful that i have found this great forum.

[Aikidoka]

I am thinking maybe i'll make either my 29g tank or 55g tank as a sump for my main 75g tank. which one is good, 29 or 55 for a sump?

im still searching for design of my sump. i did made a sump before for my 125g fw tank. i dont know if its the same concept.

if anyone know a layout for a good sump, please let me know.. thanks guys!